Students - save money on travelling

This is a guest post from the writers at www.dacscotland.co.uk

Starting university can be very expensive, even for the most frugal of people. And for a lot of students, it won't get any cheaper as they progress through their university life - in fact, many will see their debt levels increase as they move forward.

However, there are areas in which students can save a considerable amount of money and reduce the amount of debt they graduate with; travelling is just one of them.

So how could students save money on travelling?

An important note to make is that by booking travel well in advance, students can save a huge amount of money. For example, some train tickets could cost students £40 if they buy them at the station on the day of travel, whereas if they purchased the tickets online a month earlier, they may have been able to get it for as little as £10.

However, buying tickets one month in advance isn't always possible as students may only find out about their journeys the day before they go - for example, if they are needed back home for the weekend and they only find out the day before travelling, they won't be able to make the considerable savings given in the example above.

This is where a student rail card comes in handy. By using a rail card, students are entitled to one third off all rail travel - regardless of when the ticket was purchased, so they will be able to save money no matter what. So be it, they will save even more if they book early, but they won't miss out on savings if they have to buy the ticket on the day of travel!

If students turn up to university in their own car, rather than use the train, then it is important that they budget carefully to avoid spending too much on fuel. The rising cost of petrol could push students who use their cars further into debt.

Another thing for students to think about is - are they always giving people lifts everywhere? If they are, then charge for petrol! The money they receive from this can cover the cost of petrol and keep them from getting into even more debt!