I'm almost at the end of my first year at university, and as such I have learnt a few tips when it comes to saving money.

1) Borrow books from the library
When you get given your reading list before you arrive, try and hold off from buying any books and wait and see if your university library has them. Most reading lists will have various sections ranging from essential to further reading. I know it is tempting to buy all of the books in the essential reading list but in my experience you probably won't actually need those books and if you do then your university will generally have multiple copies of it available to borrow along with a reference copy that has to stay in the library. Books can cost anywhere from £10 to hundreds of pounds so it is always better to try and save money by waiting and seeing if the library already has it!

2)Don't go out all the time
When you are surrounded by people and being invited to various events or nights out it is incredibly tempting to go out all the time! Whilst this is a great way to socialise, try not to go out all the time or to give yourself set days when you're allowed to go out. This way you aren't constantly spending money on travel, food, drink, cinema etc, and have time to do your assignments. If you do want to go out all the time try to limit it to just the first weeks of the semester and then maybe go out once or twice a week or do activities where you don't need to spend a lot of money like a movie night at home or visiting a museum.

3) Don't get takeaways all the time
It can be tempting to just order in food all the time, especially in the first few days or if you aren't great at cooking, but this can make serious dents in your money. Try and limit yourself, having a takeaway as a treat after you've finished an assignment or as a once a week/fortnightly treat for getting through uni life. Plus you will appreciate the food so much more if you don't have it all of the time!

4) Charity shops
I know second hand things aren't everyone's cups of tea but you can find some real treasures in charity shops from clothes, to books, board games, to kitchenware! You can also find a lot of stuff in there that is brand new and was an unwanted gift for half the price of buying it from somewhere else!

5) Group meals
These aren't always viable but if they are then I recommend trying them! Create a list of meals that you and your flatmates like (or whoever it is you want to share meals with). Then all put in an equal amount of money to buy the food and give each other a set day to cook a meal. Not only will you save money as you'll all be buying the food and having more variety, but you'll also probably eat a lot healthier than if you weren't and eating and cooking with friends is so much more fun than doing it by yourself. My flatmates and I have roast dinners, chicken, pasta, jacket potatoes and much more for a fraction of the price if we were eating individually!

6) Write down lists
This is boring but it does help. Write down various lists from essentials to treats. Make sure you buy essentials like food and toilet roll etc and then once you've brought the essentials see how much you have left and if you can think you can afford it then treat yourself to something like a new top or makeup at the end of the month.