Have you ever managed your own money? One in five students have never budgeted and more than eight in ten students worry about not having enough cash to live on, the latest student money survey shows.
Cash is undeniably tight as student rents have soared and maintenance grants have been replaced by loans since 2016.
We’ve partnered with teen magazine, Future Mag to bring you a list of apps which could make your funds go a little further when you set out on your own.
Best money managing app
Zeek - an app and online marketplace where you can buy and sell gift cards and store cards at a slightly discounted price - a £30 New Look voucher for £27 for instance. You can sell your gift card, often in less than an hour if you’re stuck with something you don’t want (sorry aunty).
Paperclip– a marketplace app where students can buy, sell, swap and freecycle items with each other to save money. Free to use, students can exchange anything from textbooks to pots, pans or sports equipment rather than buy new. Join local university communities and meet people in person.
Loot- aimed at students and millennials, this offers a digital only current account with plenty of money saving aids. It comes with a debit card and mobile app, and is particularly good at tracking where your cash goes. Live budgeting lets you know how much you can spend, a goals feature helps you save, and you get free foreign exchange abroad. Differs from other money management apps as you don’t need another bank account.
Money dashboard - an award winning personal finance app that shows where your money goes across all your online accounts. Has a built-in budget planner which gives advice on what’s safe to spend each month, or what - don’t laugh - you can afford to save.
Hold - save money by not using your phone – really. Students across more than 170 universities can earn points for not checking phones over a certain time – and then convert points into discounted cinema tickets – or a free box of popcorn and other rewards. Partners of this recently-launched app include Vue Entertainment, Caffe Nero, Amazon, Ugly Drinks and more.
PriceSpy - price and product comparison service. An app which allows users to compare prices from more than 3000 shops (including shops abroad which ship to the UK). It lists 5.5 million prices on 846,00 products.
MySupermarket - this app compares prices across 15 supermarkets and claims to save an average 30 per cent on each shop. Either write a shopping list and discover where you can buy items mostly cheaply, and which chain has special offers. Or use it to scan barcodes while you’re shopping to who’s selling what cheapest. Never pay over the odds for beans again.
Trov - provides on-demand insurance for single items – mobiles, laptops, cameras etc - for set periods of time. This app allows users to get a personalised quote and take out insurance with a single swipe – handy for students who don’t want long term insurance policies. Underwritten by AXA.
Vouchercloud - vouchers and discount codes for shops, restaurants, travel and more. Currently (at the time of writing) Cornettos are half price at Tesco and there’s up to 70 per cent off at ASOS, plus specific student discounts. Look up best deals of the day and “near me” option.
BigOven - What’s in your fridge? Tell BigOven and it will let you know how to turn ingredients lurking in your cupboards into a tasty meal. Also provides 350,000 recipes – the really canny students can use these to plan a shop, and save getting carried away at the supermarket.