Unlocking Savings: Exploring THE BEST Student Discounts Schemes in the UK
Updated: May 7
What have I learned over the years as a university student in the UK? Here is my Eastern present in the form of tips and tricks for you.
If you previously visited my blog and read thoroughly, you now know that I am a past and present UK university student (based in Wolverhampton). During my studies, I've noticed that there are so many good treats for those who are full-time (sometimes even part-time) students. This includes many types of discounts in leisure, travelling, online and in-store, food.. or even freebies!! However, when I asked my undergraduate classmates whether they knew about the benefits available to them, most of them had no idea! Now, as a master's student, I am finding out that at least 50% of students have no idea about the benefits available to them. As most of my class are international students, no wonder they do not know about it if they have nowhere to find out about it. Because does not matter where are you from, as far as you are a student, you can enjoy all the benefits available to you! Life in the UK may be harsh sometimes and especially now with the inflations it can get crazy. We all pay tuition fees, live away from home or are foreigners to this country, or even if we live with our family, we all deserve to save some money.
And here I am, to share with you what I've learned over the years. I hope this will bring you what you need!
Firstly let's start with the most commonly used student discount card TOTUM.
Formerly known as NUS Extra, TOTUM, is the number 1 student discount card and app, that gives every student significant discounts on food, beauty, fashion, leisure, travel, tech, and many many more.
You can use the basic membership, which is for free, however, I found out more beneficial to pay 14.99 for three years to become TOTUM Student +, which guaranteed me access to so many discounts, that I could not even use them all. You can also use this card as your ID. It is connected to ISIC, which I will explain next, what it is.
Here you can see two plans they currently offer. The only two things you need are a university email address (for confirmation) and £14.99£ to pay for the membership per year (can register for more, with different costs). Believe me, this investment is worth it, you will save more than you initially paid. When you join them, the whole new world you can discover is just awesome. I had no idea you could have so many discounts.
In general, a TOTUM card is accepted as proof of your student status anywhere in the UK. This means that you can get the discount almost anywhere (but they must have either a TOTUM sticker on the door or just ask them if they accept this card).
TOTUM is full of benefits, as I said a couple of times, and now I will prove it to you by giving you some examples.
You can save up to £60 pp on holidays with Jet2holidays, get £50 off when you buy polarized sunglasses with Ray Ban, 15% discounts in Google Store on selected devices (phones, smartwatch, etc..), discount on EE monthly deal when buying phone, discounts with Boohoo, Oasis, Ann Summers, New Look, Foot Asylum, Holland Barret, Boots, Café Nero, Krispy Kreme, and many many more. Of course, restaurants and fast food are also included.
For a full list of the benefits and information please look directly at TOTUM discounts.
Do not forget, TOTUM can be also used by professionals or apprentices, but only under certain conditions.
The next student card that you should have is an ISIC (International Student Identity Card)
This is the only internationally accepted student identity card. I can confirm that you will use it if you are travelling. For instance, if you like to have weekend breaks or any type of vacation, and during this time the trip will lead you to visit a museum, art gallery or amusement park, they will give you student admission, if you show them an ISIC card. I used it when I went to Oslo in Norway.
It is recognised in over 130 countries and it is a must for all those who enjoy travel.
I would recommend you register with TOTUM, which allows you to additionally register ISIC at the same time (with no extra fees).
Exclusive deals that you can benefit from are available for you at UNiDAYS.
An app-based membership, where you register with your student email and then browse the discounts and freebies. YES! FREEBIES!! The app tells you where you can have something for free.
I've recently used free Whopper in Burger King with your first online order! What a surprise! Unfortunately, this kind of offer is usually time-limited, so you should be ready to take action when you see one. I believe if you are browsing well, you can find more than one free thing.
If you want to get a discount with UNiDAYS, you can do it in many ways. Either online, or in-store. Again in-store you can either ask the cashiers whether they accepting them, or find out in the app. I am using this app the most of all, even more than TOTUM. The store usually needs just a code or in-app confirmation. If you want to shop online, the app generates a code or takes you directly to the website with the discount link.
Get ready to save money from many retailers, e.g.: Halfords, Holand Barret, The Body Shop, Huawei, Apple, Samsung, Toby Carvery, Converse, Adidas, Currys, National Express, Disney, PureGym, Google Store, Uber Eats, Pizza Express, Dominos, Green Chef, Flixbus, Booking, AnyVan, love holidays and many more.
Remember, membership at UNiDAYS is completely free. Just download the app and check what offers you can use right away!
Very similar to UNiDAYS is STUDENT BEANS.
This discount scheme is also based on an application downloadable to your phone. The benefits available here are the same or similar, but I believe that there are also different things to find. The membership is also free.
So which one is right for you? Well, that depends on your lifestyle and preferences. If you're a frequent traveller, ISIC might be your best bet. Prefer the convenience of digital discounts? UNiDAYS or Student Beans could be a way to go. Want a bit of everything? TOTUM is there for you.
In conclusion, no matter which discount scheme you choose, one thing is for sure – you will be saving big! Why should you pay a full price, when you can enjoy discounts on everything from textbooks to takeaways? My recommendation is to sign up for all of them so you don't miss a thing! After already spending a fortune on tuition fees, you deserve to save as much as you can! So do not hesitate and sign up to start saving now!
Links to your future savings below:
ISIC (International Student Identity Card)
Nice one 😁