Combat the cost of living crisis.

The price of rent, travel and meal deals are on the rise. But fear not, if you’re smart with your money the cost of living doesn’t have to hold you back. This is our advice to combatting the cost of living crisis.

Planning and budgeting

Organisation is key and this applies to all aspects of life. We’ve all been guilty of a pay day blow out but in the long run it’s best to know how much money you have to play with. Make a note of all your incoming and outgoing money. This could be organised in a spreadsheet budget such as these.

Or another approach is using an app-based bank account as a second account. Once you’ve calculated how much disposable income you have for the month, send that money to the app-based account and only use that card. Apps such as Monzo and Revolut also offer features to help with budgeting.

Student discounts

From Alton Towers to Greggs there are student discounts to be claimed (PSA: Greggs student exclusive deals). Make the most of your student status and save money wherever you can. More often than not you’ll be able to claim some money off.

If you haven’t already, keep an eye on the following sites for discounts and deals.

UNiDAYS

Student Beans

Save the Student

Don’t forget, there’s no harm in asking, a lot of shops and restaurants will have a student discount they may not be advertising.

Part time work

As Manchester has one of the largest student populations in Europe, there are loads of opportunities for part-time work in the city. There are a few sites which list more creative part-time jobs in Manchester:

• Reform Radio Jobs
• Factory International
• The Dots

Furthermore, the following sites are good for finding general part-time work:

• Indeed
• Glassdoor
• Paperound
• Gumtree

Don’t forget we often advertise work opportunities on the student hub, so make sure to keep an eye on there if you’re looking for work experience in the industry.

Save on travel costs

There’s nothing wrong with a taxi back if it’s tipping it down, but it soon adds up… Read our guide on travel in Manchester.

Scholarships and bursaries

As well as Student Finance, there are numerous forms of extra funding such as scholarships, bursaries and grants.

For example the Disabled Students’ Allowance helps students with disabilities, learning difficulties or health problems. This includes mental and physical health problems. There are numerous options that you may be eligible for, find more information here.

There is also the Spirit Studios Undergraduate Bursary, available to provide additional support for undergraduate degree students where necessary.

Funding and grants

Don’t forget, by working in the music industry there are a number of grants and funding available that you can apply for. Most notably the PRS Foundation has a variety of grants for musicians at different levels today.