A guide: Five ways to do Freshers’ Week on a budget

Your student loan has barely landed and you’re already being encouraged to spend it all in one week.

Freshers’ Week can be one of the most expensive weeks of uni, with nights out, wristbands, takeaways and that terrifying first food shop all adding up fast. But having fun in Liverpool doesn’t have to mean rinsing your bank account before lectures have even started.

From skipping the Freshers’ wristband hype to making the most of free things to do, here’s how to survive Freshers’ Week without blowing your entire student loan.

Pre-drinking

Pre-drinks determine your night. Host pre-drinks with your flat, invite the flat next door and make a playlist. Significantly cheaper, and possibly more fun, than starting at the pub.

Naturally, a trip to Spoons is always considered a classic start to a night out. That being said, there are some more affordable bars in Liverpool, such as The Pilgrim and Scholar.

Wristbands

Despite pressure from Freshers’ group chats, there is absolutely no need to buy a wristband.  Although it depends how many nights out you go on. The entry you pay will probably end up equaling the price of a wristband. But buying one forces you to stick to certain events. Instead, you should see what your flatmates want to do and buy tickets online. Buying tickets on Fatsoma often works out cheaper than buying them on the door.

Affordable things to do

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Freshers’ Week may be centred around drinking, but it is also important to remember it also provides a great opportunity to explore your new city. It is going to be your home for the next three years.

There are so many things to do in Liverpool. From trips to Sefton Park and Lark Lane, to exploring museums: many of which are free!

Food shopping

Although it will hurt your bank, doing a big initial food shop is essential. This is especially true for tinned and long-lasting items. You should get staple items to help with meal prep. 

Money can also be saved by sharing certain items and mixers; often it doesn’t make sense for everyone in the flat to have their own. This also applies to electronics such as air fryers, which are expensive to purchase on your own. Obviously, this is dependant on your relationship with your flatmates. I have seen some horrific shared air fryers. Generally, this is very cost-effective. As long as there’s an agreement about cleaning up and general respect for each other’s items…

Society taster sessions

One of the best, and most affordable, ways to meet new people is to attend a society or sports session. A lot of the societies in Liverpool are free and provide great opportunities. For the ones that you do have to pay to access, they normally offer free taster sessions within the first week. This allows you to get a sense of the experience of the society without actually committing to spending the money on membership or classes for something that you are not sure if you will like.