Being at university can be an expensive time in a student's life. For the first time ever, you're on your own in the big wide world and you've got to be able to find ways to look after yourself, keep on top of uni work and keep in touch with friends as well! 

But student budgeting can be a tough, almost as tough as comparing universities, however, there are always useful budgeting tips for students starting out at university that might just save you a lot of money! 

Take a look at incomings 

Your incomings are an essential part of budgeting. How much you have coming into the house is as important how much of it gets spent. If you are living with other university students, then you will have a slightly easier time of things as you will all have money to put into the pot. It's more difficult for one person, but not impossible at all. 

Take a look at the money you have coming in, whether it be maintenance loan, wages from work or even money coming in for commissions for work, make sure you have it all totalled up at the beginning of every month and begin apportioning it to areas you need, for instance: food, toiletries, transport, clothes and university resources, these are essentials for you and you need to make sure that you have enough money available to cover all your costs. 

Incomings are so important because it allows you to start drawing up the student budget to suit you and your needs. 

Find a part-time job 

Finding a job at university is a really important way of being able to make money and is also the more likely way to accomplish it. 

Money-making routes at university will be few and far between at university, especially if you are working full-time and have university work to be getting on with. However, finding a part-time job will allow you to beef up your student CV, make money for you to spend and will also mean that you're able to take a break from revision, uni work and education in general. 

If you are working somewhere that is relevant to your university course, then that is even better and will likely give you more experience to draw from on your course. 

The main reason anyone has a job at university is the financial aspect and if you find a job that pays you well enough, then you will find uni work much easier and you will also find yourself better able to create a student budget that is sustainable with a steady and regular income. 

Look into the different kinds of transport discounts you can receive You may not be surprised to know that the TOTUM card is a great way of being able to earn discounts anywhere you go.

Sure, for the most part, it's for getting discounts in shops or for getting into clubs on student night, but the TOTUM card can also land you a great series of discounts from local transport providers too. 

It's unlikely that black cabs in the city centre will be offering you a discount, but the train stations, the bus services and even some of the cities with a tramway have been known to accept a student card as a way of being able to secure a discount. 

Your transport adds up as much as anything else and it's an essential part of the university experience. Not every student uses the local services as a way of getting to university, but it's a good way to explore the city, visit different campuses or even have a night out in another city, all of which you shouldn't miss out on, so getting yourself a discount is another essential student budgeting tip. 

Take advantage of social offers 

So many clubs and pubs and restaurants will have incentives for students to come and visit and you should take a look at these! 

For the most part, pubs and clubs will run a student night (the actual night depends on where you're staying) and these nights will be nights where the alcohol is cheaper and so is the entry fee! 

This is a chance to make friends but also a way of being able to keep your costs down overall. The beer might be £3 on a Friday night, but £1.75 on a student night, you'd be a fool to miss out on it! 

Home cookin' 

Cooking is an essential skill in any walk of life and at university its almost a literal God-send. With cooking, you will be able to develop skills and will also pick up some tasty recipes, but more importantly, you will also be able to save some money! 

Saving money is the name of the game and cooking from home will be a lot better for you. The overall ingredients for a pizza will be a lot less expensive than ordering one in or from buying it frozen. Cooking your own food also gives you the chance to live a more healthy university lifestyle as well. 

Use the university's facilities 

Not all universities have free facilities for students to use, but it is quite common for universities to offer students free gym facilities or free resources to help you get in shape. 

Everyone is a bit of a fitness freak these days, but paying for a gym membership is a sure-fire way to ensure that you have no money at all, so the best thing to do is to take advantage of the university's free facilities and get yourself in shape!

Some universities have great connections to local gyms and may be able to get you a discount as well, which is the next best thing, especially if they don't have free facilities for you to use. Failing that, your TOTUM card will be able to land you a nice little discount so you can work out until your heart's content. 

Budgeting at university can be a tough habit to fall into, but staying focus, resisting temptations and apportioning your budget fairly will give you the chance to save more money that you think!