March, 2018 | VinaGecko

Tips to choose the right job

Working hard to get the right job is good, but if you are not moving in the right direction, it will be difficult for you to be satisfied with the job. So, be careful while looking at the job offer and even while meeting the representatives of the company. Apart from this, the tips noted below will help you in choosing the right job and being happy about it.

1. Understand what you are looking for

Every individual has their set of requirements, and accordingly, they look for a job that can satisfy their needs in the short run as well as in the long run. Most of us are happy with the basic facilities we enjoy while working for a company but if you are a person who cannot compromise on things that shouldn’t be compromised, it will be extremely important for you to look for a job opportunity that is ideal for you.

2. Look for a recruitment agency to help you

It is a fact that most of the recruitment agencies will tell you that they can help you in finding a job you are looking for. However, most of them try to lose you with the jobs they have on their list, and that can lead you in the wrong direction. So, don’t simply carry any recruitment agency that tells you that we can’t help you in finding the job you have been looking for over the years. Instead, do some research and find a reputed recruitment agency like Potentia to be sure that the job you find will be the best opportunity for you.

3. Avoid giving priority to money

Money can force you to make compromises that are unnecessary at the moment, and if you compromise because of money, you’ll regret it later on. It will be difficult for you to get back to what you have always wanted to do. Understand that money has the power to make you feel good in the short run but you’ll soon regret your decision, and at that point, it is possible that you might not get the opportunity to choose what you have always wanted to do. For example, if you have always wanted to be an artist, the corporate job might give you the package that will keep you satisfied for the moment, but you’ll soon regret being in the corporate world. So, make a smart choice and decide for yourself whether you want to be an artist or work for a company or create something of your own.

How to Attract Traffic to Your Small Business Website

It can be easy to feel like a small fish in a big pond online. You’ll more than likely be up against bigger, more established competitors, and may feel you lack the knowledge, tools, and employees to effectively compete. Yet, it is possible to stand out online. Here’s how to attract traffic to your small business website.

Develop an Aesthetically-Pleasing Website

Consumers are looking for brands they can trust, and a professional looking website can encourage confidence in your business. It’s essential to develop and maintain an aesthetically-pleasing website that is easy to navigate and features clear information, so you can quickly and easily assist your visitors. As a result, they will be more likely to explore your site and make a purchase. What’s more, a pleasant online experience can encourage them to return in the future and refer your website to their loved ones, which can increase traffic.

Optimize Your Website

A search engine optimization (SEO) campaign will ultimately make or break your success online. It is the process of increasing your site’s visibility in the search engines, so you can enjoy a considerable amount of organic traffic to your landing pages, which can increase your conversion rate. You should, therefore, focus on optimizing your website with the appropriate keywords, title tags, header tags and meta tags.

Focus on Local SEO

Do you run a small business in a town or city? Want to connect with residents online? You must focus on local SEO to do so. According to Google, 4 out of 5 consumers use search engines to identify the best local businesses, which can considerably increase a company’s footfall to their physical store, agency, or practice. So, whatever your business or industry, consult with a leading local SEO expert who can help you rank online for your city or town.

Blog Regularly on Your Website

Many websites foolishly do not make time to write and publish regular blog posts. Drive a substantial amount of traffic to your small company’s site by consistently publishing well-written, informative, and entertaining blog posts, which relate to your industry and will answer your target audience’s questions. Think about your target market every time you write a blog post, so you can produce content that answers their questions, solves their problems, and increases their knowledge. Aim to write a minimum of two articles on your website per week to enjoy consistent traffic, which can result in increased online sales and physical footfall to your online store. Keeping your content current can actively help in boosting your numbers, purely due to the fact you are posting consistently, as opposed to getting lost due to the date of your last post.

Use the Power of Social Media

Social media allows small companies to connect with a considerable number of users in an instant. Leverage the many different platforms and find out the favorite channels of your target demographic. For example, B2B clients are more likely to hang out on LinkedIn, whilst B2C companies must have a presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to engage with their target audience.

Focus on developing unique yet engaging social media blog posts that will capture your target market’s attention, and will ultimately make them want to learn more about your brand and visit your website. However, you must not use social media to purely promote your company, as you should aim to become a trusted, entertaining resource. So, share other people’s content, ask your followers various questions, and run exciting contests that will capture users’ attention.

Promote Your Website In-Store

Do you have plenty of footfall to your store, but limited website traffic? Promote your site in-store. If consumers do not know a website exists then they may never visit, so you should encourage them to visit your website. Add your URL to your retail bags, business cards, and gift cards. As a result, they may visit your website to make a purchase when they cannot make it to your store, and it will provide another opportunity to promote your new product ranges, company news, and upcoming in-store events.

Routinely Review Your Web Traffic

If you want to maximize your success online, you need to identify where the best referral traffic is coming from each day. For example, reviewing your website’s Google Analytics report will help you to discover if your SEO efforts are paying off, and how many people are visiting your website via social media, third-party URLs, and PPC campaigns. It can also help you to spot traffic drops and identify where you have wasted your time, so you can focus on more profitable marketing avenues. Also, review the most popular content on your website, so you can provide your target audience with similar articles that complement their interests.

Run a PPC Campaign

Struggling to compete with more established rivals online? Give yourself a fighting chance with a PPC advertising campaign. This will allow you to rank at the top of the search engines for select keywords, so you can drive a flurry of traffic back to your website. After initial testing, you should roll out a PPC campaign on a grand scale to enjoy cheap and quick traffic to your website from genuine users, which could help you experience a fantastic return on your investment. Use Google AdWords to enjoy instant traffic to your site with no queuing, as your ad will go live as soon as you pay for your chosen keywords.

Conclusion

Running a website is like running a second business if you sell products both offline and online. You, therefore, need to embark on different marketing campaigns to promote your brand online and compete with your large and small competitors. You must also consistently review your traffic reports, so you can learn from your mistakes and move forward. By doing so, you will soon drive a considerable amount of traffic to your small business website, which can help your brand compete with more established industry rivals.

How To Keep Your Business Safe

Protecting your business is good for you, after all, it keeps your reputation and profits safe. It is also good for your customers, as it keeps their details away from criminals, plus it boosts their trust in you. There are many threats which can come from the digital and online world, and anything you can do to ensure that those threats don’t harm your business is what you should be doing first and foremost. So what are the best ways to protect your business from serious online problems?

Don’t Allow Malware

Not allowing malware is something that is much easier said than done, but it is possible with the right software and the right knowledge. You wouldn’t leave your home’s back door open when you go out, so why leave your computers open to an intruder? It’s better to lock them and make them secure so you can be happy that everything is safe.

Malware is exactly that kind of intruder. It is software designed to damage a network or individual PC, and often the harm is done before you even realize you have a problem. Therefore, it’s best to prevent the attacks in the first place. You can do this by installing a good firewall and then also protect the PC itself using additional software including spam filters on your emails. You should also ensure that any mobile apps you use in your business are safe. Understanding how fintech app development works, for example, can help you to get a better idea of what to do and how best to serve your customers safely.

Educate Your Team

You can have plenty of protection on your computers, but if your team aren’t aware of the rules that will help to keep the company safe from online attack, then they might accidentally still allow a piece of malware or a virus to get onto your network. In this case, it’s important to write a computer usage policy book that everyone needs to read and sign.

Policies that you should include are letting employees know which applications can be used and installed and which need permission (or cannot be installed at all). It should have tips on how to create a strong password and internet usage information. As well as email education (for example, what attachments are safe, which ones should never be opened), and appointing someone as the ‘go to’ person when it comes to issues with computers.

Social Media

Now that social media is so prevalent and so important for businesses; it opens up new channels where problems can occur. You will need to appoint just one person in your company to use the social media platforms as your representative, thus reducing the potential for problems to occur. Have a backup name in case that person is sick or on vacation, of course, but it’s far better to have just one person answering queries and comments online.

When working with social media, it’s important to define what is confidential and therefore shouldn’t be typed up on an open page or forum. These are the kinds of details that criminals can get hold of and use for their own gain, at the expense of the company. Make sure there are guidelines in place that your employees can follow. This includes what they say about the company on their own blogs and social networking sites too.

Use Passwords

Passwords are essential for most programs and pieces of software, but they can also be the downfall of many businesses because they are not strong enough and can easily be hacked. To truly make a strong password, it should contain at least eight letters, numbers, and symbols. This will prevent attacks aimed at the company passwords that simply try to guess what the most obvious ones might be.

As well as this, it’s important to change passwords regularly (every six months or so should be fine) so that it becomes even harder for hackers to find out what they are. Passwords should always be kept safe and never written down, so make sure that your employees are aware of this fact and of the consequences for letting anyone see their password, and that includes storing it on their cellphones.

Think About Personal Devices

These days, many employees are using their own personal devices for work. It means they can always be available and many employers like the idea because it costs less in equipment. However, these devices are used for both personal and business use, and it means they are harder to keep control of when they are out of the company’s time and space. In turn, that means there are higher security risks associated with them.

As with all internet guidelines, there should be a written policy that directly relates to personal devices and how to use them for work. Data shouldn’t be stored on them, for example, and they really should only be used as a communication device for out of hours work.

Be The Example

The more careful you are as a business owner when it comes to your online security, the better because it is always good to lead by example. It only takes one person to let their guard down, and a virus can spread across the entire company’s network so being vigilant at all times is a must.

If you hear about something that could offer better protection to your business, then make sure you share that information. Discuss the idea with your team to see if it is something that needs implementing. Equally, if any of your employees have a thought or an idea about additional safety measures, listen to what they have to say as it could help you immensely.

Keep Up To Date

Once you have installed antivirus software or you have changed your passwords and encrypted your files, you still need to stay alert. There will often be updates for your apps and other software that means better security measures in place for you, so if something is out of date, make sure that it gets updated as soon as possible so as not to cause a breach.

5 Best Smartphones for Internet Browsing

In an age so saturated with good phones, it’s almost impossible to find a poor smartphone. But which ones stand ahead of the competition? We’re bringing you the 5 best smartphones for internet browsing available on today’s market.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Samsung is still the undisputed champion when it comes to Android smartphones. The Galaxy Note 8 is just another great example of what the folks at Samsung are capable of. Though it may not reach the height and popularity of the Samsung S8 due to its hefty price (around £700), it’s still a spectacular phone that offers all-around excellence. With its massive 6.3 inch screen, the Note 8 is great for internet browsing, particularly if you need to check multiple sites at once (when matched betting for example), watching online videos, movies and many more. Combined with 6GB of RAM and a resolution of 1440×2960, this phone makes the top of our list as the best smartphone for internet browsing currently available.

Samsung Galaxy S9

This advanced, Android-based smartphone from Samsung made the top of Telegraph’s* list as the best smartphone in 2018. The biggest downside of the S9 is the price tag, which currently stands around £730. It is one the most powerful phones out there, with a very fast processor and 4GB of RAM memory. The sky-high price is certainly not approachable for everyone’s budget, but we have to agree with Telegraph, this is, without a doubt one of the best smartphones available on today’s market.

Motorola Moto X Play

Motorola Moto X Play marks the return of the Motorola brand into the mobile world. It made the top lists at many mobile review websites*, mainly due to its combination of quality and affordability. The phone is extremely durable compared to the other phones on the market and is very easy and intuitive to use. It has a 5.5-inch display and great battery life, which makes it ideal for extended internet browsing and social media apps like facebook.

Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus

Samsung Galaxy S8 is regarded as one of the most beautiful phones in the world, and the S8 Plus packs even more punch behind that gorgeous 6.2-inch screen. The software is fast and the phone runs really smooth, making it great for efficient internet browsing. Going for £700 at Amazon, it will likely be the most expensive phone you ever had, but its definitely worth it. The large screen and fast processor make it great not only for internet browsing but business use as well.

Google Pixel 2 XL

Samsung is the leading mobile producer, Apple has the iOS market under firm control and LG and HTC lead the way with quality and affordable phones. Google has been silent for the last few years, but the latest model promises to bring us the purest Android experience we have ever had. The phone has a 6-inch screen perfect for browsing, watching videos and gaming. With normal use and internet browsing, the battery can comfortably last you a whole day without any problems. What will this ultimate Android experience cost you? A measly £800.

Combining Videos with Movavi Video Editor

One of the most basic yet important parts of creating videos is being able to combine the raw footage from multiple videos. Generally videos are rarely recorded in a single take, and in most cases you will record them in shorter segments then combine them later.

If you are looking for an easy way to do that, you should try Movavi Video Editor. To be honest it will make is so easy to combine videos that you will be able to get the job done in a minute or so.

Assuming you already have two or more videos that you’d like to combine, go ahead and launch Movavi Video Editor then select ‘Create project in full feature mode’ to open the editor. Next, click on the ‘Add Media Files’ button in the main window and select all of the videos that you’d like to combine.

Once you select the videos they’ll appear in the ‘Timeline’ in the lower part of Movavi Video Editor’s interface. In the ‘Timeline’ you will be able to rearrange the videos that you added so that they’re in the right sequence, by clicking on them and dragging them around.

If and when you’re satisfied with the sequence the videos are in, you can then click ‘Export’ to save the video. In the dialog box that appears you can then select the format, or use one of Movavi Video Editor’s built-in presets to automatically optimize your video for a specific device or platform.

That is really all it takes to combine videos with Movavi Video Editor, and as you can see it is very straightforward, easy, and can be accomplished quickly. Aside from combining videos however, it can also help to know how to trim out any parts you don’t need – and that isn’t difficult either.

If you’d like to trim out part of a video in Movavi Video Editor all you need to do is split the video to isolate the part that you want to remove. To do that, click on the video in the ‘Timeline’ to select it then move the marker to the point where you want to split it then click on the ‘Split’ (i.e. scissors) icon. Once the segment has been isolated, click to select it then hit the ‘Delete’ key on your keyboard to remove it.

Now that you know how to combine videos in the right order and remove any parts you don’t want, you should be able to compile videos of your own. Keep in mind there are lots of other useful features that you may want to take advantage of in Movavi Video Editor, as they’ll let you add background music, enhance the video quality, apply special effects and filters, insert captions, and more.

Rest assured even the more advanced features in Movavi Video Editor are designed in such a way that they’re easy to use and require no prior experience. All you need to do is give it a try for yourself, and you’ll be able to familiarize yourself with its features in no time.

Three ways to help land a digital job

The massive digital market has opened up a whole new world of opportunities. Not just for companies in terms of sales and marketing, but also highly skilled people looking for work in the industry. Most organizations are wanting to get in on it, maximizing their use of the web and social media to raise their profiles and to drive up revenues. It’s not just a case of hiring external consultants to do it now; there are lots of dedicated job opportunities appearing with companies who are keen to get the most out of digital, but at a competitive price. So, if you’re looking for work in this industry, here are three ways to help turn you career goals into reality!

Skill-up!

Depending on what stage of life you’re at, you’ll want to think about getting some formal training or experience to develop your digital skills. You can do this through all sorts of options, ranging from dedicated university courses to less formal and shorter, workshop-style training to get you up to speed. Potential employers will be looking for various digital skills, depending on the job you’re focusing on, including text and video content production, web design and SEO, digital marketing and commerce and so on.

You could also pick up the skills you want ‘in-house’ if you’re already working within a company. Maybe, for example, you are already a marketing expert but want to incorporate much more of a digital element now. Picking up the experience in-house could help you do your existing job more effectively and help you with any future internal job applications.

Get your resume ready

When you’re looking for a job in digital, you need to stop for a minute and think about it all from your potential employer’s point of view. They’ll be wanting to know why they should take you on, how well qualified you, what experience you have, and what kind of person you are as an individual. Wage expectations will also come into it.

The point is when you’re thinking about putting an application in, make sure you get together a great resume and cover letter that really ‘sells’ you as an individual. Have a good look at the job description in hand, and tailor your application around what they are looking for. So, for example, if the digital job requires video content skills and you’ve worked in film and video before, then highlight any shooting, editing and compression skills you may have. Have a look around on the net for some tips; you can find inspiration for all sorts of CVs including a web graphic designer resume.

Focus your job search

When you’re looking to land a job in the digital industry, really focus in on what it is that you want to do so you can tailor your search and focus on the companies that matter. You’ll be wanting to take into consideration the location of the job, whether you’re best suited, whether the role will give you a challenge and development opportunities and, in addition, pays you the right level of salary for where you are in your career. Be ambitious, but don’t set your sights so high that they are unrealistic.

Have a good look around on the net for job opportunities, do loads of research about potential employers and go to any interviews armed with lots of digital ideas and suggestions for what you can bring.

How to Avoid Using Technology as an Excuse for Procrastination

In today’s world, most of us are so used to having our electronic devices on hand at all times, that we often struggle to remember what life was like before these devices went everywhere that we went. While modern smartphones are amazing pieces of engineering, they can be both a blessing and a curse. Their advanced capabilities mean that while they can help to accomplish a lot of useful tasks, they can also be a persistent distraction that keeps us from doing what we need to.

Procrastination has always been a challenge of course, it is not something which suddenly appeared alongside the smartphone. However, for some people, technology turns a minor character flaw into a debilitating problem. The good news is that help is here! It is possible to keep yourself surrounded with all the latest and best tech without succumbing to the scourge of procrastination! Here are some simple things you can do to make sure that your tech is helping and not hindering your efforts at being productive.

Put Your Phone Away!

This is the most important tip of them all! Phones are great, but when the time comes to do some work and to actually get stuff done then you should only use your phone when it can help you to accomplish whatever you are aiming for. This does require self discipline, so it’s best to keep your phone well out of sight so that it doesn’t tempt you.

If you have a draw or somewhere nearby where you can hide it out of sight, then do so. If you still can’t keep yourself from picking it up, then perhaps ask your significant other if they can take it from you. If your significant other isn’t cooperative, or even nonexistent, then every time you catch yourself wasting time on your phone, stop and put it in another room before you get back to what you’re doing.

Find Good Background Noise

Some people can only work in silence, whereas others find that with no external sounds they are unable to focus their minds. Each group will never understand the other; they are fundamentally different experiences of the learning process and so what background noise, if any, helps a person will depend on them individually.

Some people find that music helps them to concentrate. This isn’t necessarily the music that they would normally listen to for fun, although it can be. Finding the right background noise is mostly a case of trial and error so try some different genres of music. Some people find background voices helpful, in some cases familiar and predictable voices are preferred whereas others prefer voices that they don’t know and haven’t heard so their brains can’t preempt the next words.

Remember to Unwind

It is important that you reward yourself for working well and avoiding procrastination. Websites such as Big Samo are full of free browser games to play. Or you could always reward yourself with a bit of Reddit browsing, whatever floats your boat!

Technology is both a friend and an enemy, but with a few minor adjustments and some self-discipline, you can make your technology an ally in your quest for productivity!

Strategies in day trading – an Introduction

As the term suggests, day trading refers to trading in the stock market over the span of a day. This is significant in the fact that the trade can start at the beginning of the market day, and has to be completed before the closure of the trading day. The strategies that are employed in day trading are entirely different from that used in regular trading, and let us further understand it better. Here is an introduction to making money with strategies in day trading and Admiral markets.

Types of stocks that is suitable for day trading

The normal way in which stocks operate is such that the changes are less visible in a single day, but the price may rise or fall over a consecutive number of days. For this reason, a trader will often buy a stock and keep it with him till the market value for it goes above a certain amount, and he will then sell it off to obtain the difference in price as the profit. In this case, the amount invested in a single stock may be sufficiently low, as it is likely that the change in value will be significant over time.

In the case of day trading, the candidates for purchase are different. You need to find stocks that are more volatile in nature and undergo fluctuations in the market price significantly over the course of the day. Only then can you sell or buy it when there is a difference in the price. Also, since the changes are not too drastic, you will have to invest a larger amount in a single stock to gain a substantial profit. This can also increase your risk, should the value nosedive instead of increase.

Targets and selling style

The way a trader operates in the market will depend on his personal trading style. Not everyone is equally inclined to take risks, and wait for a stock to go to the highest possible rate. The ones who want to bank on a profit at a safe level prefer the style of scalping. Here they sell off their stocks soon after the price increases, without waiting to see if it will go further and reach a higher price.

A riskier approach is fading. Here, an Admiral markets trader begins to short stocks, as soon as the price rises upwards. The trader has to keep track of how the market performance for the stock is. Unlike scalping, where the price is the only determining factor, in fading the trader also tracks how other buyers are responding to the stock price change, and will accordingly make his sale. If it is done properly, the profits are high and significant in this style. However, a good understanding of how the market works, and predicting it appropriately is required, and this method is suggested only after you’ve been trading in the market for a while.

A simple and straightforward strategy is to pivot your sale or purchase based on the stock’s highest and lowest price at a day. To put it simply, you buy the stock at its all-time low of the day and sell it when it touches the all-time high. Continuously monitoring the market becomes necessary to make sure your sale goes through at the right time.

More and more people today are turning towards the momentum strategy, where they base their decision to buy or sell a stock based on what the news reports and trends suggest it. Here, the target is dependent on whether a stock is predicted to rise or fall by market analysts and experts. There is a risk, as there is no guarantee of whether this will be right or wrong. However, following the Day Trading Strategies is always benefitting.

Dividing your risks

As with any trade, it is recommended that when you involve in day-trading, you diversify your portfolio. Investing all your money in a single or selected group increases your risk, should the trade go in the opposite direction. Rather than take this risk, it is suggested that you invest smaller amounts in a range of stock options, so your losses are covered, should it occur. So, what are you waiting for? Follow the strategies and you will be surely benefitting.

Timing is everything in stock trading

When to enter and when to exit in stock trading?

Breakout is one of the right phases for both entry and exit. Breakout is when stock prices rise a little over two or more percent or when demand far exceeds supply. Avoid risking taking decisions of buying and selling stocks in conditions like lower sales, new legal problem faced by the company, bear market, certain situations affecting the earnings of the company which affects its position and pace in the market, etc.

Selling stocks is as important as buying the right stocks

Analyzing the growth of the stocks is important and when the growth is constant it is better to take a call as once it starts again there might either be decrease or increase in its value. Dividends are a clear indicator for selling stocks especially when the company is either reducing the dividend or stopping it completely because this is a sign indicating towards loss which means selling will save you from incurring a loss.

Whenever the value of stocks drops by 7 or 8% from its original buying price it is an indicator that you will have a great loss if you stick on to it. Selling away such stocks is the right move to avoid further loss. When the stocks move up to 20 to 25% their value then sell them to incur profit and reinvest in other stocks before the value drops down. Hoping for an increase above that may prevent you from selling it for which you can retain some of the stock and sell the remaining to have a good gain. Selling stocks is as important as buying stocks because the profit in stocks is always on the papers which if needed to be cashed require you to sell them when the value is high. If you are a novice in stock trading; then it is always a good idea to follow the Trading Tips.

Smart digital marketing tips for beginners

Everything is better placed in today’s world, and the competition is fiercer than ever. Businesses are working on various strategies at a time to be sure that they stay ahead of the competition and have their voice heard. However, one needs to be smart to stay on the top. So, here are some smart digital marketing tips for beginners so that they stay ahead from the very beginning.

1. Realize what you are marketing for

Investing time and money in brand awareness or lead generation is not an easy task. Building brand awareness and letting people know about your products and services will be possible only if you are targeting the right people. For this, it’s important to know what you are marketing for and accordingly decide on having a digital marketing strategy.

2. Social media advertising

While working on a digital marketing plan, you cannot keep social advertising out of your campaign. Social media advertising is courses in today’s holder and any brand missing out on it will have to face the consequences of the same. Social media is a place where you get to know a lot about your potential customers and competitors.

3. Learn about the requirements of your audience

Knowing what your audience wants is a deal maker in today’s world. Being customer centric and focusing on user experience will help you and spending less and getting a higher return on investment at the earliest. Along with this, you need to focus on an increasing quality as well. One should not assume that they can get away with poor quality if the marketing strategy is too good. Someday your marketing strategy will feel because of your quality. So, be careful about it.

4. Optimizing campaigns

You’ll find more than one reason to test your options and make sure that your campaigns are optimized. In the process, you need to consider email marketing, PPC advertising, organic social media marketing and SEO. SEO is one of the most important sections, and if you are not considering it, you’ll fail to reach your target audience. Using SEO best strategies will help you in tapping into a search engines data and understand what your customers are searching for. With this, you can have directed efforts and make sure that nothing gets out of hand.

5. Managing your time effectively

Managing your time effectively is an art, and you need to learn it at the earliest because there will be times where you’ll be juggling multiple projects in a day, and it will lead to stress if you are unable to do so. With this, you should understand that you are not the only one who has to master this art. So, stay with or ahead of the competition and manage your time effectively.

Budgeting as a Student

It is the way of life for many students to be on a perpetually tight budget. It is widely known that students are not the best at saving money, and many people believe what they do save gets spent on alcohol, takeaway food and nights out. However, there are many essentials that you will have to budget for as a student, and you’ll need to find the best deals in order to save as much money as you can. Living arrangements change all the time at university, so there are always household items which need to be bought, as well as things for your course, and a budget for some spending money for you on the side. Therefore, you need to find the best deals on your purchases to try and reduce the amount that you spend, and really limit yourself to only buying necessary items most of the time. Here are a few things you may need to budget for as a student, and some examples of methods you can utilize to try to save money.

Textbooks

Depending on your course and how long you are going to be studying, it’s likely you will have to spend a lot of money on course books alone each year. There may be some part of you which believes that your textbooks might not be a necessity, but unfortunately, your textbooks are recommended to you for a reason. While there might be a lot of other things you would rather spend your money on, don’t forget that your number one priority at university is to learn and achieve your full potential, and your textbooks contain a lot of the information which you will need for the course. Therefore, textbooks should be the first thing which you consider spending your money on. Compare prices of textbooks across a range of different sites and stores to try and reduce the amount you will have to spend. It is also possible that your university will offer a package price if you buy all of your textbooks for the year in bulk, or alternatively, you could purchase second-hand books from older students who don’t need them anymore.

Travel

It is likely that you will want to travel back and forth between university on occasion, so it would be worthwhile to put some money aside to pay for your travel costs. If you drive, then you will need spare funds to maintain your car, and also to pay for regular costs such as maintenance, MOTs, and petrol expenses. Alternatively, you can always travel home via public transport, and you can utilize a variation of methods to try and save money on train fares. There are normally different discounts accessible to students to reduce travel costs and make journeys more affordable, so have a look to see what is out there and available to you. You can also compare fare prices on different websites to see what the cheapest ticket price you can get is. Booking at least a few weeks in advance of your travel date will also save you money and ensure that you get the best deal available.

Clothing necessities

Everyone needs new clothes, so don’t feel bad about creating a clothing budget for yourself. However, you should take into account that there is a difference between buying yourself a new pair of jeans after you spilled something on them on a night out, and buying those £200 shoes that you’ve had your eye on just to ‘treat yourself.’ As a student, your treats will unfortunately now be limited to an early morning £2 coffee after a late night of studying. Try and find cheap clothes through clothing swaps and supermarket brands, rather than purchasing high-end fashionable clothes. If you are a fan of fashion, you might be able to find designer clothes for a lower price in charity shops and thrift stores.

Food shopping

Despite what many students believe, you cannot live your entire university life off of frozen chicken nuggets and takeaway pizza, especially as takeaways will cost you a lot of money in the long run. Doing weekly shops in a local supermarket will save you money on food, and there are certain buying tips which will help you to keep to your budget. Firstly, you should write a strict list of essentials you need for the week, and work out the meals you plan on making, as this will stop you from buying unnecessary purchases. Look for reduced price items which are close to their use-by date, and then you can freeze them at home and keep them for at least a month after you buy. Don’t forget that widely recognized brands are more likely to put their prices up, so look for own-brand alternatives.

Stationery

Stationary is a must have for every student. Depending on your course, you may need more stationery than other people, such as art supplies for a fine art degree. However, the basics that everyone will need would be an assortment of pens, and a few different notebooks for each module of your course. You may also want to invest in items such as highlighters and colored pens, as these make good study aids. Get yourself a few bookmarks for your textbooks. It could also be beneficial to you to buy a diary in which you can write down any important dates, deadlines and events. You may find it worthwhile investing in your own printer, as otherwise you will have to pay to get any work printed through your university or at your local library. Alternatively, you could pitch in with your flatmates to buy one between you. Student discounts, such as UniDays or an NUS card will give you money off of stationary in a range of different stores.

Kitchenware There are a few kitchenware essentials that students need for university, such as plates, bowls, cups and glasses. Due to student antics, it is possible these may be broken or become lost, so you may need to replace them from time to time. You may also need to invest in cutlery, saucepans, cutting boards and other utensils such as bottle openers and can openers. If you plan on doing a lot of baking, then you may need more unusual items such as whisks, or you may want other cooking apparatus like a toasted sandwich maker. However, you should consider what essential items are, and what you can do without buying.

Bills

Living away from your parents can be a big learning curve for many students, especially as you will have to start taking on more responsibility. There are several bills you will have to start paying for yourself, such as your rent. Decide with your landlord what payment plan works best for you to pay your rent: often that will be a choice between bi-monthly, monthly, a sum per term, or a paying for the year upfront. Sometimes it can be beneficial to pay as much upfront as you can, so that you don’t have to worry about keeping up with large monthly payments. You will also have to pay water and electricity bills, so it is important that you monitor your usage of these commodities to try and keep bill prices as low as possible.

Remember that you will need a Television license if you plan on watching live TV, and that includes on computers. Try and stick to Freeview rather than buying TV boxes as this will reduce your costs. If you want more channels, consider subscriptions like Netflix, and you will also find that student deals are available to you; if you and your college friends all use Netflix, then you could share an account and split the costs. You will also have personal bills to consider outside of the household. Your phone contract can be an expensive bill, especially if you use minutes or data outside of your plan. Sites such as HandsetExpert allow you to compare different phones and plans through price comparisons and deals, which is a great way to keep your costs down.

Other household items

Depending on whether you are sharing a bathroom with other people, or if you have your own en-suite, the things that you will need to buy could vary. You will definitely need your own towels, but for items such as bath mats, you can decide between you and your flatmates who buys what. There are other household items which you could benefit from, such as a drying rack if you don’t have a tumble dryer. If your bed is uncomfortable, then you can always invest in a mattress topper to help you get a better night’s sleep. In order to make your student accommodation homelier you can add a few home comforts such as plants, ornaments and photographs, but again you need to decide what where you can save money but not buying these items. There are also a few miscellaneous items which you may find it worthwhile to buy, such as a first aid kit, and a lockable box to keep your most valuable items in.

There will always be a temptation to spend large amounts of money on items that you don’t truly need, so really try and stick to a strict monthly budget, and consider how your purchases will affect you in the long run.