Exam season leaves many students equally anticipant about results and heading off to university for the first time. While the prospect of moving away from home is exciting, it can also be very daunting. Once the right university has been found and all the tickets brought for freshers’ week, the reality starts to set in about how expensive living away from home will be.
Buy when you see a bargain
Along with all the home comforts that you want to take with you, living on your own also means having to kit out a bedroom, kitchen and bathroom, usually with items young people have never had to think of buying before! Unfortunately, the costs soon add up and can leave students deciding between buying something essential or being able to afford a pint at the union.
Fortunately, there are ways to save some of these expenses by shopping in the right way. The experts at PIWoP, a price drop alert tool provider, have provided 5 ways to save money when you move to uni.
Buy when you see a bargain
If you know you’re moving to uni in a few months but you see some bargains on bathroom products or kitchen utensils, it’s never too early to buy them! Getting things when you see them at a good price will prevent you having to rush to buy everything at full price because it’s been left to the last minute and you don’t have time to shop around.
Don’t be too fussy
Let’s face it, a lot of your kitchen utensils or bathroom supplies aren’t going to be kept in the same condition as they are at home. They’re likely to be used by other housemates or left in the sink to be washed up, going for affordability over style will help you in the long run! While it might be tempting to buy the prettiest sets of everything, save your money on the boring items so you have some left over for the more interesting aspects of uni!
Get in touch with your flatmates
If you’re moving into halls for the first time, the uni is likely to have a way of putting you in contact with the other people you’ll be living with. To avoid wasting money and ending up with five toasters or kettles, try and find out what the kitchen already has or see if you can all decide to bring something each.
Be proactive in finding sale items
We know that offers and alerts about sales get sent to our email address, but why not seek them out in other ways? Technology is increasingly helping consumers to find discounted items as soon as they are reduced, ensuring that if there’s an option to buy something for less, they don’t miss out! Tools like PIWoP allow users who have the tool installed on their computer, tablet or phone to setup lists for items they have their eye on and the price they want to pay for them. The tool then alerts them when any item drops to or more likely below their PIWoP (Price I Want to Pay). This would allow those going to uni in a few months to start looking for bargains early and save money in time for the big move!
For more money saving tips, visit www.piwop.com
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