Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Why Leeds is a great city if you're worried about money
Hi, I’m Heppni a Psychology student at Leeds Beckett and in this blog, I’ll be talking about ways in which you can keep costs down whilst being a student in Leeds.
The current cost of living crisis has been extremely difficult for many people this year, particularly for university students who have experienced price increases in all aspects of life except their maintenance loan. However, Leeds is a great city if you’re worried about money and having to budget appropriately. Here I will list many ways you can still socialise, make enjoyable meals, and travel around Leeds whilst being a student.
Cheap travel
Firstly, Leeds is a great city to travel around easily and on a budget. Although it can be nice to walk from place to place taking in the lovely views and sights Leeds has to offer, sometimes transport is needed to get from one place to another. Luckily, Leeds has a great network of bus services that can take you from one side of Leeds to another at an exceptionally cheap price. Being a student, you can grab a single from the First Bus network for only £1.20 that will take you from one end of Headingley, through Hyde Park, and all the way into the city centre. If you’re running late for uni or it’s a rainy day this is a perfect option and is a lot cheaper than getting an Uber or taxi.
Cheap shops and deals
Food costs have been the most affected this year with prices inflating at what feels like every day. However, there are ways around this in Leeds to help put you at ease. For example, there are many Aldi stores dotted around the city all within walking or public transport distance where you can grab all your favourite foods at a cheaper price than other supermarkets, ultimately saving you money each week depending on how often you shop. I’ve found that Aldi is also a great place to bulk buy foods for batch cooking which is a great thing to do as a student for both budgeting and ease. Batch cook a few meals, freeze them and then you have cheap, quick easy options for dinner after a day of studying.
Although sometimes you might not want to do a big shop and I’ve found that most university students additionally rely on mini supermarkets like Co-op, Sainsbury’s Local and Tesco Express to do regular small shopping sprees. Although these supermarkets are usually a little bit more expensive than Aldi, it can still be easy to grab cheap deals.
Top Tip: Check out the reduced section range and make sure to grab a local points card as you can get an even wider range of deals and offers available every day! These are Tesco club cards, Co-op membership cards, and Nectar cards.Â
When you check out, you can scan these cards and it will show deals available to card holders and sometimes take money off. You also gain points every time you shop, so sometimes you can use points to pay for your food too which is a bonus!
Free social activities
Aside from transport and food which is an important part of living, sometimes it can be easy to think you have to put off socialising if money is a worry and sometimes this can lead to withdrawing from fun activities. However, Leeds offers many great socialising activities at a free or low cost! For example, now we’re entering spring, it’s finally getting sunnier and warmer. This means lots of free open spaces are available such as Hyde Park or Burley Park where you can meet friends, play sports, and have fun in, at the cost of nothing!
Additionally, there are lots of community food projects that are aimed at students around Leeds to provide free hot meals. This is great if you’re low on money and need a place to grab a hot meal, socialise and not have to stress about how much you have to keep you going whilst studying.
Additionally, places such as Left Bank and Brudenell Social Club are great community hotspots located in the middle of Hyde Park that are popular with students due to their great vibes and cheap prices! Left Bank offers a pay as you feel lunch offer, free markets to explore, and lots of fun free events. Additionally, Brudenell Social Club has a great selection of cheap local pints as well as cheap bar snacks and ultimately offers a great place to unwind and have fun without having to worry about spending an extortionate amount just to get out of the house and have fun.
It’s also worth asking at every café or restaurant when you pay if they do student discount, as many do, even if they don’t advertise and this is a way to reduce costs if you are treating yourself to a meal out.
Overall, Leeds is a great city that has lots on offer, but with the additional perk of being able to have fun for a cheap price, reducing the worry as there are ways to keep spending money to a minimum.
