Being a student normally means your disposable income is quite low and with Christmas just gone, and the student loan starting to disappear only moments after it drops into your bank account because of January rent, saving some extra pennies here and there can really help.

So, to help you out a bit this new year; here are a few of the best discounts around, and what sites to be sure to join to keep up to date with all the best student discounts:

• Apps – check out whether your favourite restaurants and shops offer their own free app on the app store. Most places then offer exclusive offers on the app. Examples of places that do this; GBK, Amazon and TGI’s.
• Unidays – personally I think the best site for student discounts is unidays. They offer both exclusive discounts on the site/app, as well as just a convenient listing of all the best and current discounts.
• NUS – the National Union of Students offer a card for £12 for a year, which offers loads of exclusive discounts, and works as an alternative to a student ID card which some places don’t accept as qualification for some discounts. Also, if you have a student account with Lloyds, you can access NUS discounts without the £12 cost.
• 16-25 Railcard – It’s a bit of an investment at £70 for three years, but the saving of up to a third on train tickets makes it 100% worth it. I can make back my £70 in savings over one return trip home, so its a great purchase for those who go to uni far from home, or just like to travel around a lot. Also, there’s loads of ways to get discounts on your railcard; many banks offer free ones with student accounts, NUS cards entitles you to 12% off, and it can be bought using Tesco vouchers.
• Loyalty Schemes – student or not, companies want to reward loyal customers, and therefore offer freebies, discounts or run a point scheme, which can be accessed after a certain number or purchases. The most famous of these would be Boots, but companies like Costa, Cafe Nero, Nandos and GBK also offer freebies and points.

These are just a few of the ways to save money whilst at uni, but if your serious about saving the pennies, then I highly recommend checking out Save The Student for the best hints and tips of saving money.