Actually, let’s not. Talking about money is awkward, and frowned upon.
But money is important to students, so here are three vital methods for managing your money, for making it go further, and for avoiding ugly confrontations about who owes who how much!
Banking Apps
If you haven’t got a banking app on your smartphone then I presume that you either make all your calls from a payphone, or you keep your money under your mattress. Get a smartphone, get a bank account and then, repeat after me, get your bank’s app!
Has your student loan come in? Use the banking app.
Need to extend your overdraft? Use the app.
Once set up, you can access it by entering a passcode which takes five seconds, and voilà. You can access, move, and, if you’re that way inclined, count your money. No matter where you are, regardless of what bizarre night out your friends have suggested, you can find out in two clicks whether you can afford it.
Splittable
Splittable is the gem in the budget-balancing crown. The best app since sliced bananas (see Fruit Ninja). It is designed specifically to help you manage the money you owe, and are owed by your flat mates.
Let’s say that you go to the pub with your flat mates and buy a round for everyone, then you go to dinner and you are £10 short so two flat mates lend you £5 each. One of them also pays the electricity bill, and you pay for the month’s internet. Who owes who how much? Frankly, who has the time or energy to figure it out?
Let Splittable do it for you.
Simply enter who paid how much on each occasion, and Splittable will balance everything out, so you can easily see who owes who at any point in time. Pretty handy. Even the repayments to one another can be done right there in the app, with just a click.
Splittable is completely free and will save you from ever awkwardly asking your housemates for money again. If that isn’t enough, they are also offering Manchester students the chance to win £350 simply by signing up at splittable.co/win/manchester.
Avoiding arguments will save you friends, getting debts paid will save you hassle, and that giveaway could save you from the nightmare of an overdraft.
Discounts
Everybody loves discounts and student discounts are everywhere. Many stores will accept your University ID card, but if you’re serious about searching out savvy deals, get yourself an NUS Extra card for just £12 for a year. Get the app too, and it’ll let you know what discounts are available and where. From Amazon to Ask, Odeon to Alton Towers, you can even use it to get a discounted railcard, saving you a third on all train journeys. You can’t go wrong, really.
Money management can be manic. But don’t panic. Get these apps, and then wherever you go, you can take care of your virtual wallet from your phone in the other pocket.
