Small tips !

SAVE YOUR MONEY EVERYDAY 

In this article I will give you several small tips that you can apply to make small savings!

First,  freezing!  Freeze your prepared food or food you can not eat before the expiration date can help you save some money on food and on top of that it avoids waste!

Bring your own plastic bag! The bags are not free, of course they are only 5 pennies but buy them regularly can increase the amount and moreover it is better for the environment!

Off peak hours! Especially with the train, avoid traveling during peak hours, tickets are more expensive and in addition there are more people that's less enjoyable. Similarly for taxis, some hours are to be avoided, such as weekend evenings, it is more expensive and more difficult to find a taxi!

Don’t go shopping (food) every day, set yourself one day a week and for shopping and with a budget, it will avoid you to buy everything and anything.

Use your little coins in automatic machines, instead of piling them into a corner the 1, 2 and 5 pennies can sometimes be helpful!

Walk ! Glasgow city can easily be explored by walking from one point to an other if you take the time. It makes you do some exercise and it is nicer than being crowded into a bus or subway full and paying!

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Tip 9 : Reduction, cards , discount

What it allows us to spend less without restriction it is generally reductions. Open your eyes they are everywhere, you just have to find them and use them!

 

Reduction in letter box: In your letterbox you receive a lot of advertisement, be careful it could be interesting for your wallet. We find many discounts that usually involve food: pizza, fast food etc. These reductions are generally in the form of small detachable coupons which you need to present at your purchase! Using them save your money (Be careful to check all the terms and dates).

 

Loyalty card: Many shops offer loyalty card; I know that all these cards are bulky in the wallet but when it is free it could be interesting to have a look at the advantage that they can generate. This is usually a regular reduction: 10% on all purchases or a bonus: 1 Product offered after the purchase of 10 or 50% discount for the tenth purchase.

 

Bus ticket: When you take the bus you already have noticed the reductions on the back of your ticket: McDonalds or Burger Kings menu less than 2£! Do not discard these reductions it could be useful one day if your fridge is empty. You usually have a choice of chicken or beef burger accompanied by French fries or drink for 2 £ it is largely fair and it is even cheaper than a sandwich. (Be careful to not eat too often fast-food for your health).

 

Student card: If you are a student you have a student card! You can use this card in many places to get discounts. This is sometimes reduced fixed rates, an additional product or a percentage reduction that applies to your purchase amount. It is true that we do not always think to use it, but it allows us to make significant savings, and asking is free.

 

 

Here is where you can use your card:

• Transport
• Nightclubs
• Bars
• Stores
• Restaurants

And some examples of its benefits:

• An ice cream at McDonalds
• 10 percent at Burger King
• Discounts in nightclubs, busses and some shops.

Do not be afraid to show your card everywhere!

 

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Tip 8 : Commitments in the months

I'm back with an eighth trick! This concerns the commitments in the months and mainly concern foreign students.

When you arrive in a new place it is like a new beginning. You have a new apartment you have to furnish and equip. You also have new friends with whom you will communicate,work or go out. And you will take new habits and have a new way of life. It’s when you arrive you will start to worry about new subscriptions on your phone, internet etc... which will follow you to the end of the year.

Here are the areas that require subscriptions followed by my advice:

Mobile package: 

The mobile package are almost inevitable in our day especially when we are students. The basic packages are usually charge every month on your mobile. It is possible to register for a period of one year with automatic reload or to choose to recharge his package manually every month. This solution is more appropriate, it allows you to change your pricing package if you notice that it does not match your needs and also permits you to make a break and do not charge it if during some period you will not be able to use it. This is primarily for foreign students who return for short periods in their own country.

Sport Package: 

Exercising regularly is good for the health. Especially when you are student it helps overcome stress, to change ideas and maintain a good lifestyle. When some prefer outdoor sports, other indoor (maybe Because of the weather). However room access is paying. It is possible to pay each passage (each session), but there are also several formulas. Generally a package of several days is cheaper than a single entry. Just before making a commitment to the year, think about the fact that you will have a vacation, you are going to back home, there will maybe some weeks you won’t be able to go to the gym or you would like to try an other sport or leisure. If you take the package for a month you can decide whether you want to pursue the following month or not, or if you simply want a break.

Transport package:

when you study in a university which is not close to our place of residence you generally have to use transport such as bus or train. You can buy your ticket to each of our trip but there are also cards with packages for travel on a specific period. Some cards may offer package the year but it is wise to take a month or a week. Indeed there may be times when you do not have courses such as holidays or week revision it would be a shame to pay for transportation that you do not use.

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Tip 7 : Shops and restaurants

Now here it is  an article about places in Glasgow where  you'll make the best savings. These are restaurants, shops …  where prices are lower than competitors.

Eat well elsewhere than at home for cheap this is something we all dream about. Unfortunately it is difficult to find restaurants at very low prices  that allow us to eat very well. In Glasgow I have found some nice location with low prices and attractive menus which allow students to eat well without spending a fortune. Here are the restaurants which  I know and I have already tried:

Juan chihuahua: It is a restaurant on sauchiehall street. it is spicy Mexican meal (burritos, faritas etc). There is a less than 10 pounds meal with a starter and main course!

Word buffet: it is a restaurant serving world cuisine including Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and Italian. This restaurant is in the form of a buffet for the price of 6 pound for lunch and 11 for dinner! (Warning: if you do not finish your plate will be charged 5 pound you for the waste).

Walkabout: it is first  a bar but it offers small plates  well furnished for prizes between 3 and 10 pound

Where we would also like to save money are the shops. I know some shop where you can buy clothes, or products for low prices.

First of course the inevitable Poundland: as its name suggests all products in this store are 1 pound, this can be very economical for a large number of products such as accessories or food, for example. But be careful you do not always make a saving by purchasing a product for a pound! Certain products are cheaper somewhere else such as cleaning products, for example.

 Savers: there are cleaning products, prices are not very high and there are many regular promotions!

Next we come to clothing stores, then I advise you to Forever 21  on buchanan street where the  choice is very big and the prices are acceptable!

Finally  Primark where prices are very low for all products present in the stores.

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Tip 6 : Travel tour companies

This article is especially aimed at foreign students but this could be also useful for Scottish people who wants to travel.

Studying abroad comes from our own motives these are usually professional or personal. No matter the reasons we are here, when we arrive in a new country one of the first things we want to do is to discover our host country.This experience encourages us to discover historical places, monuments, and landscapes or visit museums, cities etc. and learn more about local customs and culture, which sometimes can be very different from ours. For this you need to move, this is feasible when you want to explore the city where you live or study but when you want to go to another place it gets more complicated when you have no car. If you want, for example to explore the north of Scotland, the Highlands, you need to find transports that will take you to the desired location, it is usually expensive and it is often necessary to combine several transports to follow a determined itinerary or reach a specific location that is underserved.

I have a solution for you: Travel tours companies

These companies usually organize trips on a day or few days. There are many types of organization offering this type of service. The Itinerary is determined in advance with details of destinations and the price is up to you if you want to join the trip or not. The trip takes place in a bus or mini bus, a guide is present and gives you information about places you visit or cross.

Advantages : 

- You don’t have anything except book (online or by telephone) and pay

- This kind of company know the places which must be seen and they will bring you there 

- The guide will give you a lot of information you didn't know

- It’s cheaper than if you go by yourself

- You can meet people

I have already tried two companies: 

• Isuk tour Glasgow international: it’s big bus especially for student, they organise a trip every week end everywhere in Scotland! 

I travelled with this company the 18th of October 2014 I paid 32 £ to go to :


◆ Alnwick, Harry Potter Castle (England)
◆ Bamburgh
◆ Holy Island


If you want to book a tour with isuk tour: go on the Facebook page, all the informations are there. 

• Go Scotland tour: It’s generally mini bus you have to book in advance on the website. There is a lot of excursions, you choose your trip and your day and they check the availability. The driver is your guide, he stops at different places to take permit you to take photos or visit and he follow his itinerary telling stories.

I travelled with this company the 30th January I paid 38 £ to go to :

◆ Loch Lomond
◆ Rannoch Moor
◆ Glencoe
◆ Fort William
◆ Ben Nevis, Great Glen
◆ Urquhart Castle & Loch Ness Cruise
◆ Inverness
◆  Pitlochry


I really loved the two trips visits and landscapes was very beautiful ! 

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Tip 5 : Glasgow nightlife

When we study in Glasgow we are automatically attracted by Glasgow’s nightlife! 

The city offers many places for nightlife such as bars or nightclubs. Each night is a new experience.

So when you are young you can enjoy it right? Of course yes, but at what price? 

When we go out in Glasgow we often take bad habits that make us go out more often, that's Glasgow night life! But going out is regularly not free! It’s true with drinks nightclub and its cloakrooms and possibly transportation; we spend money when we go out! 

How to avoid this? I have a few tricks : 

Bars: 

The drinks in the bars are generally not unaffordable but the best way to save money is to order cocktails that you will share with your  friends. Some bar offers cocktails for many and it is often more profitable than taking a single drink! It is also necessary to agree on the choice of the drink ;)

Here are some addresses:

Walkabout
Vodka Wodka
Missoula

Warning: the bars close at midnight!

(Drinking alcohol in excess is dangerous for health) 

Nightclub:

Nightclub are generally open between 10.30PM and 3.00AM, Most of them are free before 11PM

• Check out upcoming events shared on social networks for each of the parties indications appear in:

Free for students

Free for girls (sorry for men) 

Free if disguised as ".... " (it depends of the party)

It may also be proposed game to win entries, you have generally to like a Facebook statute and one of the person who liked win free entries

• Generally getting on guestlist allows you to enter free before a certain time (between 11PM and midnight) and proposes to pay less than the normal price once exceeded those hours. So remember to put you on guest list for free that gives you benefits and there is no commitment! It's very simple to do, this is usually done via the website of the nightclub, you must enter your details: first name, email address, telephone number, you'll receive an email giving you the information and offers for the selected party. You have to show the email or give your name at the entrance to the nightclub! The guestlist are often valid for you and a guest (this will be specified in the email), careful not to miss too many parties where you registered on the guest they may put your name on a blacklist.Once on guest list, the nightclub and you keep your contact information and regularly send you emaisl or sms with free entries.

• In the street many students distribute flyers. It is not pubs! These are free entry for nightclub! they are usually close to the club they work for between 10 and 12 PM then instead of avoid them, listen them they may offer a nice party or give you entrance to the party you planned to go! These are the same entries that are sometimes distributed under doors if you live in student accommodation, there is a date above and you have generally to use it the same day!

In all cases it is better to go out early to be sure to not pay!

Here are some addresses:

Bamboo : Generally free before 11h30 on the guestlist, free for student on Friday. The Bamboo send a lot of message with free entries.

Kokomo : Most of the time free for student. The kokomo send a lot of message with free entries.

Kushion : Popular on Tuesday it's free before 12PM if you are on the guestlist.

Sugar cube : Free before 11h on wednesday and the other day if you are in the guest list before 11h30.

O2 ABC : 4£ instead 7 on the website for the popular jelly baby on Thursday , free entry before 12 (or 1£ after 12PM)  for the friday night available in the shop : Vans.

Garrage : Free sunday to friday if you are in Unite studend accomodation (show your keys), and saturday before 12PM. Better to be on the guestlist for the other student.

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Tip 4 : Glasgow a city connected

Today most students if not all have a smartphone. The advantage of it is to remain "permanently connected". This is useful to check emails, chat on social networks, share instant photos and videos or perform quick searches. But for that it is necessary to have an internet connection! The majority of existing packages offers limited internet connection. It is then necessary to choose the package corresponding to the usage we make on our phone. If we are constantly connected to check the news feeds of the Facebook page or in the case of foreign students, make a translation, the limited connections quickly becomes a barrier and it is preferable to choose an unlimited connection. This generally increases the price of a few pounds.

The city of Glasgow is a connected city ! Indeed it is possible to connect to a wireless network almost anywhere! This is one of the first cities in Scotland that offers free Wi-Fi in its streets. This Wi-Fi Fee result of partnership between Glasgow City Council and BT. (If you want more information about this, consult this website: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=12292 ). It is therefore possible to connected in the city downtown, train or bus stations. But the Wi-Fi is also available right inside of these transports: then we can connect when we are in public transport such as bus or train! Many restaurants, bars and shops also offer free wireless connection.

So why spend money by paying an internet package on our phone while a connection is available almost everywhere where we are?

Indeed if you already pay for an Internet subscription at home (useful for performing important research, study or be entertained) internet on the phone is it really necessary? 

Look at the economy you can do by taking package without internet with the example of the cheaper mobile company in UK :

Giffgaff

Cheaper package 5£ with 20 MB internet (low use) 

10£ with 1GB (regular use) 

18£  unlimited 

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