This article is part of our YourUCL series - where we collecting real tips and advice from UCL students, and share their wisdom with you! Look out on our Instagram stories for the next opportunity to have your say.
London isn't exactly the cheapest place to live as a student - and the rising cost of living is making it harder than ever to stay on top of our finances.
That being said, London living isn't all doom and gloom. We asked UCL students what their top tips for saving money are. With a few clever budget changes, you'll find it a lot easier to manage your money!
"Get an 18+ Oyster Card and attach 16-25 Railcard to your Oyster!"
These two are a one-off investment - but will definitely pay off in the long run. A 16-25 railcard alone can save you literally hundreds on national rail travel, whether that's visiting family or friends up north or heading on a weekend away. If you add your railcard to an 18+ student oyster, you'll get 1/3 discount on off-peak pay as you go travel.
PLEASE NOTE: This only includes off-peak travel - so NOT rush hour.
Peak fares run from Monday to Friday (not on public holidays) between 06:30 and 09:30, and between 16:00 and 19:00.
Off-peak fares run at all other times and if you travel from a station outside Zone 1 to a station in Zone 1 between 16:00 and 19:00, Monday to Friday.
"I bring my lunch from home. I save a lot of money while improving my cooking skills :)"
Give the meal deal sandwich a miss and give your own cooking a try. You don't have to have Gordon Ramsay levels of knowledge - here's 80 easy meal prep ideas to start you off with. You can find relatively cheap lunchboxes from places like Lidl/Aldi, Tiger and Primark.
Did you know that we have microwaves all over campus that you can use? UCL East students can find microwaves in the refectory (2nd floor), whilst students studying on the Main Campus can find them around our spaces.
"Clothes horse dryers instead of tumble dryers"
YES. The only thing is that you may find things take longer to dry in the Winter (especially heavy items like wooly jumpers) - maybe look into getting a heated airer. They're relatively cheap to run.
"Secondhand books (the previous owner's notes can be helpful, that's 2 good things"
Textbooks can be EXPENSIVE - but the likelihood is that you can find them second-hand for a fraction of the price. Check out eBay, Amazon, Depop/Vinted or our very own Hanger Marketplace, where other UCL students list their coursebooks for sale - you might find exactly what you're looking for there.
"Ramen from Bloomsbury Shop and hot water from Print Room"
We've got a range of ramen flavours in our shop (as well as the humble Pot Noodle), and all of our cafes provide FREE hot water - so if you're looking for an easy and cheap lunch between classes, we've got your back.
"Bringing a flask and a jar of instant coffee stops me spending £5 a day on coffee"
This is a genius tip, especially if you're super reliant on caffeine. But if you just can't say goodbye to your morning cappuccino, bring along a reusable cup to one of our cafes and you'll get 50p off your drink - and we promise that we're MUCH cheaper than Pret.
"Buying supermarket branded items"
They can sometimes be even better than the branded ones. There's some really easy switches to make here, too - if you drink plant milk, a lot of supermarkets have their own for over half the price of branded ones. Things like loo roll and cooking oil are also places you really won't notice the difference between branded and unbranded.
Stores like Lidl and Aldi are almost entirely made up of own-brand items - why not challenge yourself to find as many substitutes as you can for your usual faves, see how much you save & give them a try?
"Hot water bottles and very fluffy jumpers"
We don't want to sound like your grandparents, but before you turn that heating on at home, put some layers on! You could save a lot of money on bills just by getting your woolies on. Also, a hot water bottle can work wonders in keeping you warm at a very low cost - check out Argos and Boots for low cost ones.
"I use the Too Good To Go app"
We're a huge fan of Too Good To Go - and no, we're not sponsored, we just love cheap and large quantities of nice food. The app allows you to rescue unsold food at a range of spots all over London, for as little as £2 - £3 for a massive bag of goodies. Pret, Yo Sushi and even Gail's Bakery are partnered with them, so get rescuing food.
"Walking everywhere, it's quite nice"
Obviously, some places may be harder to walk to - you're probably not going to stick to a 3 hour walk from Zone 4 South London to Bloomsbury every day - but in other cases, walking can sometimes be quicker than using public transport! Here's 50 tube trips that are actually quicker to walk (and in some cases, don't involve changing at Bank, which is enough to convince us anyway).