Cheap eats, free buses and thrifty trips: A student’s guide to saving money in Lancaster

Saving money is vital as a uni student, especially – sorry to bring it up again – as we’re going through a cost of living crisis. Life as a student is already tough enough, but when you add cozzie livs on top, studying, managing your budget and trying to have a life feels harder than ever. This week is Student Money Week, so we’ve put together a guide for saving money as a student in Lancaster.

We’re going to try avoid the usual cliched money saving hacks like shopping in Aldi, or going to the shop just before it shuts to get the reductions. But if you don’t already do that, DO THAT. Anyway, we will be focusing on tips you may not already be familiar with. We’ve aimed to make this a fun guide, giving you deals, tips, and activities as a cheaper alternative.

Hot tap

The water bottle filling section by the plant wall on A floor in the library has a boiling hot water tap. So that means you don’t have to go to Costa every time you want a hot drink, and save yourself about a fiver every time. Coffee sachets or other drinks that only need hot water added to them are absolutely perfect for this tap. Trust us, people will be jealous when you whip out your sustainable cup and make a drink, rather than just buying one, you’ll look very organised.

Hell, you could even bring a Pot Noodle for a packed lunch and use the water to make your lunch.

Cheap eats

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Cheap eats are essentially what they sound like, cheap meals. If you didn’t already know, Lancaster offers cheaper meals in some of the cafes on campus. These meals are vegan-friendly, and only cost £2.95. Obviously, they may not be to everyone’s liking, but it’s worth knowing that you can get a warm, healthy meal on camps for less than £3. Some of the meals include vegetable curry, butternut squash and black bean chilli, and vegetable stew. These cheap eats are available in Hive and Pendle Brew, Mon-Fri between 12-3pm.

Supper Club

An even cheaper eat is provided by LUSU, which offers some free meals. Every Thursday at 6pm in the Learning Zone, the SU offers a “delicious and nutritious” meal. Meat, veggie, and vegan options are provided. The event caters for about 180 people, and the SU require you to fill in a ticket questionnaire before attending.

Greggs’ meal deal

Sticking with the topic of food, and we know how important Greggs is to Lancs students. Greggs offers a lunch meal deal where you can get a hot sandwich, wedges, and a regular hot or cold drink for £4.95. So, if a day in the library is calling for a little treat, this may be it.

Charity shops

This is quite an obvious point, but with the ReStore shop open on campus, thrifting is even easier. So, instead of sitting in your lectures looking on PLT for a new going out top, go have a look in ReStore. Most of the bits in there are quite fashionable with it being on campus and lots of students donating, so it’s a nice place to look for some clothes. You’d be saving some money AND helping the planet.

Free Sugarbus

If you’re living on campus, get to know. During Lent term, the Sugar bus is free. Now this one might be slightly counterproductive when this article is about saving money, and a free bus encourages you to go out and spend money. But, at least you can say that your way home didn’t put you out of pocket.

Zizzi’s meal deal

This is such a good deal! A typical three-course meal for two in Zizzi’s would cost you about £50, without drinks (obviously this could be more or less depending on what you order). So, if you were looking to splash out, but still stay within your budget, this is perfect for you.

With this meal deal for two, from Morrisons, you can get basically the same thing for £5 each. You get one starter, two mains, and a dessert to share. So you’ll have to compromise and agree on a starter and dessert to share, but you do save yourself £20 each. You can have Zizzi quality food from the comfort of your own home, and save yourself money, so what’s not to love?

Williamson Park mini zoo

Williamson Park is a cheap and cheerful day out, where students can get into the mini zoo for £3.50. The mini zoo has a range of animals, from guinea pigs and rabbits to meerkats and marmosets. There’s also a mini-beast cave, which contains frogs and a lizard, and the cute fairy lights may be even cooler. The mini zoo also has the famous butterfly house, which is lovely and peaceful. It contains all sorts of butterflies and even tortoises. So, that sounds like a pretty wholesome day out to us, for only £3.50.

Day trip to Morecambe

Morecambe is another day out that doesn’t need to cost loads. You can go for a walk along the front, look in the snazzy shops, and go to a cute cafe. Now that the weather is getting a bit nicer you hopefully won’t freeze or get rained on. Another nice idea for summer could be watching the sunset on the beach. Hey, maybe you’ll even bump into Tyson Fury.

Related articles recommended by this writer:

• Countryside climbing and city dining: Here are our top nine day trips from Lancaster
• Sultan’s, bad music and and the Sugarbus: Things guaranteed to happen on a Lancs night out
• ‘He said I had low standards’: Here are Lancs’ students worst dating horror stories