With two universities in its reach, Brighton is positively bursting with students. It may not seem like the best place to be as a student, seeing as it’s known for being a little on the pricey side. But you’d be surprised as to what hidden gems and bargains can be found within the city. So without further ado, we present you with our guide to student Brighton:
1. Look Out For Student Nights
With so much nightlife to choose from and so many students running wild throughout the city, student nights are of an abundance down in Brighton. With pretty much every club offering some form of student night (including student drink deals) it’s easy to have a night out here without spending too much. If you’re looking for a cheap night out why not try Fat Poppadaddy’s at the Haunt on Mondays? They offer 5 Jager bombs for £5 before midnight! (PS it’s not advised to buy five for yourself…) Other great student nights include The Arch on Tuesdays, Pryzm on Wednesdays or Thursdays at Shooshh. Even if you don’t fancy a student night, keep an eye out for deals at other clubs such as Casablanca’s, Patterns and Revenge!
2. Utilise Student Discounts
Student discounts have to be one of the biggest perks of being a student. Obviously it’s worth forking out for an NUS card (especially if you live on the Sussex campus and have to shop at co-op…) But even if you don’t have one, there are other ways to get money off, such as signing up for a UniDays account – All you need is an academic email and it’s completely free! Some shops, such as the Urban Outfitters in Churchill Square, simply ask to see your student ID for discount. Remember, discounts don’t just apply to shopping! Many pubs in Brighton also offer students some compensation, such as the Mash Tun or Sidewinder. Other places, such as the Balcony Cafe down the lanes offer a student lunchtime deal including a burger, drink and side! Plus a lot of chain restaurants will offer student discount too, including The Breakfast Club (a firm student favourite). So when you’re choosing where to go for a pint or some new threads, be sure to check out where offers the best discount!
3. Shop Wisely
You may be used to the Waitrose lifestyle at home, but I’m afraid that just won’t cut it for most uni students. To save money, it’s definitely worth going the extra mile (sometimes literally) and finding the cheapest supermarket. In Brighton we have both a Lidl and an Aldi which are both accessible by the bus (or even better, take your bike!) We promise, there’s no difference in quality and you’ll find yourself with plenty of extra money each week to spend on going out!
4. Pre-drink!
As a student it’s pretty much inevitable that 70% of your time will be consumed with going out (at least in first year when responsibilities are few and far between). So to minimise the costs of going out, students created the brilliant tradition of pre-drinking. Go halves on a crate of beer or share some box wine to save as much money as possible before going out. Even when student nights have drinks deals, it’s almost always cheaper to get some bevs in and drink at home. Plus it’s a good opportunity to hang out with your mates and potentially play some games!
5. Ride Share
If you’re planning on getting a bus somewhere, whether it’s for a night out or not, it’s always worth checking if you can group together and get a taxi or Uber for the same cost or sometimes even cheaper. To minimise spending try to fill up taxis with friends who are going to the same place!
6. Go Thrift Shopping
It’s easy to slip into the routine of shopping at big chains such as Topshop all the time, let’s be honest – it’s often more convenient. As a student in Brighton however, there are so many affordable clothing outlets to choose from! With so many eccentric and colourful characters in Brighton, you’re bound to be able to find some old gems in one of the numerous charity shops in town. If charity shops aren’t your thing look out for the £1/£3/£5 rails outside shops such as To Be Worn Again and Dirty Harry down the North Laine.
7. Hunt For Happy Hours
As Brighton has such a bustling nightlife scene for all ages, not just students, many bars offer happy hour deals that aren’t exclusively for students! Places such as Shuffle Bar & Kitchen have 2-4-1 deals almost every night of the week. So it’s worth doing some research to find the best deals so you can treat yourself once in a while.
8. Return To The Days Of Packed Lunches
Spending long days on campus or at the library comes with the territory when you’re a student, so why not pack in the expensive meal deals for a packed lunch? Instead of spending a fortune on campus coffee and overpriced cheese toasties, bring something from home. Take leftovers from last night’s dinner, make yourself a fancy sandwich or just take some fruit – either way it’ll be a lot cheaper (and possibly nicer) than spending money in coffee shops and delis.
9. Limit Takeaways
It’s no secret that everyone loves a good takeaway from time to time but it’s definitely important to limit them. As much as you may try to convince yourself that “it’s Two for Tuesdays so it’s a bargain”, it’s still about 4 times the price of just cooking for yourself. Try to save takeaways for weekends and when you do get them, shop around. There are plenty of independent takeaways around Brighton to order from that often offer better deals than the big chains. For example, you can get an 18″ pizza for £10.95 from Pizza Me VS a 13″ pizza from Domino’s for £17.99 – I think I can see what the better deal here is…
10. Plan Ahead
When it comes to food shopping it’s very easy to buy on a day by day basis, but try to avoid shopping as you go and plan ahead instead! Plan out your meals for the week, go shopping and try to stick to it. That way you won’t find yourself sans dinner on a Tuesday night and you’ll be less likely to lazily opt for a takeaway.
11. Cook More Than You Need
If you fancy a lasagne but there’s only one of you and it feels like a waste – do it anyway. Invest in some tupperware and freeze any leftovers you may have. That way you can save them for dinners on nights you can’t be bothered to cook or take them with you for lunches when you’re at uni!
