It’s January, it’s bleak, uni has started and the only ray of light is January loan drop. While it may be tempting to go crazy and treat yo’self, like it’s Christmas all over again, there are smarter ways to handle your money. Take a look at some of the ways to spend your loan that are resourceful!

Pay for essentials first

After all the fun and games of Christmas, when those pounds land in your bank account it can take all your willpower to remind yourself you actually have bills to pay! So tick them off first. Pay your rent, your phone bill and anything else you know will need to come out and budget this for each month, so you know how much of your loan not to touch right away. It might sound tedious, but you’ll appreciate it later when you don’t have to worry about rent money and don’t have to survive on ramen noodles for months on end.

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Use your UNiDAYS discount when you do want to buy things

Ok, so sometimes you actually DO need to buy things. A friend's birthday meal, new trainers cos your old ones are busted, a gym membership to help you feel better...these things are inevitable. But, that doesn’t mean you have to spend through your nose. Always, always make the most of your UNiDAYS discount. For example, you want new shoes? Make the most of up to 75% off selected sale items and an extra 10% student discount at Schuh or 10% off at Footlocker. Eating out? Get 30% off the whole bill at Pizza Express. Joining the gym? Make the most of £0 joining fee and up to 30% off at PureGym.

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Invest in things you know you’ll need

If you know your laptop is on its last legs, it makes sense to invest in those high ticket items when you actually have the money, rather than wait til your laptop dies on you mid essay and you have to scramble around to get something for a low price. At UNiDAYS we’ve got up to 35% off at HP and 10% off at Samsung,not to mention 25% Off the Galaxy S10e. And of course, make sure you’ve signed up for 6 months free Amazon Prime, so you can get one day delivery. So do your research and invest in things you know you rely on.

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Don’t spend it all at once

If you’re not good at self-restraint, it might be time to get out a pen and paper out or spreadsheet open, depending on what you prefer, and work out when you can spend. For example, if you know you have bills coming out each month, don’t spend all your leftover money after the first month on eating out every night. It’ll only end with feeling stressed when new bills come along. The key here is to plan your spending.

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