Money Saving Tips For Students

I have just recently finished my first year of university, and although I loved it, it was also the most expensive year of my life. This is probably because for the first time, I was living on my own and therefore had a lot more expenses than I was used too. I had no idea just expensive simple groceries and everyday tasks could be. Although I did have a job alongside my student loan, there were still months when I was genuinely struggling for money. I would say that although moving into halls during your first year is definitely the best way to settle in and meet new people, university owned student accommodation is extremely overpriced, so if you can avoid in your following years I would definitely recommend doing so. I've compiled a list of some of the things I do to save a bit of money, so hopefully you also find some of them helpful.

1. Make the most of your student discount

One of the perks of being a student is that most high street stores offer us a discount. Topshop, New Look and even Asos offer students 10% off, and a lot of restaurants do the same. If you're a bit of a shopaholic like me, using your student discount can you save you loads in the long run. If you have a student email address, you should check out 'Unidays' for all kinds of amazing discounts. 

2. Get yourself a railcard or student bus pass

If you go to university in a different town or city, travelling home every now and then can be extremely costly. Getting a 16-25 railcard can save you 30% on train fares, which is a huge saving over the course of the year. Using your student card or Young Scot card when taking the bus can also save you money on fares, so it is worth looking into if you use public transport fairly frequently.

3. Set up a savings account

Setting up a savings account is an excellent way to save a little bit of money every month. It's easy to set up a savings account connected to your current account, and that way you can add a little bit of money into it whenever you have to some to spare. You can also keep track of how much you're saving by setting up online banking. 

4. Freeze your groceries

When you live on your own, there always seems to be a lot of leftover food waste, or food that's gone out of date because you didn't manage to eat it quickly enough. My biggest tip to limit your food waste is to freeze your groceries. Things like bread go out of date extremely quickly, so if you freeze it, you can eat it whenever you want without having to constantly buy more when it goes out of date.

5. Buy your textbooks secondhand and shop around

When I first started university, I couldn't believe just how expensive textbooks were. Thirty pounds for one book seemed extortionate, especially when I might only be using it for a few months. One of the biggest ways to save money when buying your textbooks is to buy them secondhand. You can do this by either buying your books from older students who are wanting to sell their own textbooks, or through secondhand websites such as 'abebooks.co.uk'. This is where I bought most of mine from as they were super cheap and still in great condition.

6. Use the '10%' rule

This is a tip that I learnt about just recently. Whenever you get a significant amount of money coming into your bank account, such as your wages or student loan, take off 10% straight away and put it into your savings account. I haven't actually used this tip before, but I really like the idea of it, so I'm definitely going to try it out when I go back to university in September.

My Favourite Summer Scents

Now that Summer is almost upon us, I thought I would share some of my favourite fragrances for when the weather starts to get hotter. I have so many perfumes and body spray's in my collection that I found it hard to narrow them down to just four. However, these are the ones that I always seem to favour during the Summer months. 

Estée Lauder - Bronze Goddess

This one is my ultimate holiday perfume. I only ever use it when I'm on holiday, so whenever I smell it, it always brings back good memories. It has quite a strong coconut style scent, so it's fairly sweet but isn't too overwhelming. It's only available during the spring and summer months, but it is released every year. Estée Lauder describe the fragrance as "A sensuous, sun-drenched blend of Bergamot, warm Amber, Tiare Flower and Vanilla combined with a delicious creamy coconut." I would definitely recommend giving this a smell whilst you have the chance, because to me, it really is the epitome of summer scents.

Viktor & Rolf - Flowerbomb

To be completely honest, this is a fragrance that I wear all year round. I would probably say that it's my 'signature scent.' But it definitely has quite a summery feel to it as it is a very floral scent, with an almost musky base. If you don't like that sort of thing, then this one definitely isn't for you. The Viktor & Rolf website describes Flowerbomb as "harmonious sparkling top notes of mandarin and orange, middle notes of Sambac jasmine with a hint of orange tree, Catleva orchid, freesia and Cenifolia rose with a woody base note of Patchouli."

Victoria's Secret - Coconut Passion

As you can probably tell, I have a bit of a thing for coconut scented fragrances during the Summer. This one was quite a recent purchase, but as soon as I smelt it in the shop I knew that it would be perfect for on holiday. It has a very sweet smelling scent to it, with a mix of coconut and vanilla. I love wearing body sprays as I feel like they give out such a strong fragrance, whilst also being a lot lighter than a perfume. This will be perfect to just keep in my beach bag on holiday. I've had lots of Victoria's Secret fragrance mists in the past as they always smell amazing, so I'm excited to start wearing this one.

Hollister - Crescent Bay

Now this body spray has been a favourite of mine since I was about 15. I remember buying it for the first time when I was in third year at school after first trying my friend's one. This one has a very fresh and fruity style of scent to it, quite different to the Victoria's Secret one, so I love it for during the day when I'm feeling a bit sweaty. I've tried out quite a lot of the Hollister body sprays, but I always seem to go back to this one.

Review // Benefit Brow Bar

I think it's fair to say that over the past few months, I've neglected my eyebrows quite a lot. I've always been far too much of a wimp to pluck them myself, so I just kept filling them in and hoping that no one would notice how bad they were. But it's less than two weeks time now until I go on holiday, so I thought it was about time I got my eyebrows sorted.

Last week, whilst doing some last minute holiday shopping, I decided to pop into my local Benefit to see if they had any appointments available. I've heard so many positive things about the Benefit Brow Bar so I was eager to try it out for myself. They do a whole variety of different treatments, such as upper lip waxing, brow waxing and even eyelash applications. I decided that I just wanted to get my brows waxed and tinted, and I can't even explain how impressed I was with the results. I've only ever had them waxed before, so the tinting made a real difference and I was really impressed with the shape that they managed to create with my brows. They use a technique called 'brow mapping' to create the ideal brow shape for you based on your other facial features. The whole process took about twenty minutes, but I felt like they really focused on making my eyebrows look exactly how I wanted them. When the beauty expert applied the tint, she made sure that I was happy with the colour before continuing, and continued to do so until she was finished. I really appreciated that as I've had a few eyebrow disasters in the past that I wasn't exactly eager to repeat.

The only downside to the Benefit Brow Bar is that it can be quite a lot pricier than your typical eyebrow waxing would usually be, especially if you're on a student budget like me. It cost me £19.50 to have mine waxed and tinted, which I was a little bit taken aback by at first, but I was so happy with the results that I definitely think it's worth splurging that little bit extra if you have the money. The lady that did my eyebrows also said that during May, they were donating £12.80 from every wax and tint to charity as part of the "bold is beautiful" campaign, and in return they gave me a free full size 'Gimme Brow' (worth £18.50). Overall, I was super impressed with the Benefit Brow Bar, and I'd definitely recommend giving it a try if you have a counter near you.

Have you ever tried the Benefit Brow Bar? What did you think of it?

10 Fun Date Ideas

Even after having been in a relationship for a while, I still get excited about going on dates together. I know that thinking of unique ideas for things to do together, whether it be your first date or your twentieth, can sometimes be a bit tricky. So here are some of the things that I think would be fun to do for a date:

1. Go for a picnic 

Now that we're finally into summer, a picnic would be the perfect way to spend a sunny day! You can spend the day together lying on a nice big blanket and eating a delicious spread of your favourite food and drinks. Of course, this doesn't have to be just the two of you. You could go with a group of friends, which might make you feel more at ease if you and your partner are still getting to know each other.

2. Go for breakfast

This is a bit different than just going for dinner. It's a lot more casual, and can also be a lot cheaper if you're on a bit of budget. I absolutely love going out for breakfast!

3. Explore somewhere new

I think this would be a really fun way to spend the entire day together. Is there somewhere you've always wanted to visit? Or why not just jump on a train and see where it takes you? You could go together and spend the day wandering around and exploring. You never know what you might find, and in a few years time, you can go back for a visit and remember what a nice time you had.

4. Go to your favourite bar/restaurant 

Do you know a bar that does really good cocktails? You could introduce your partner to some of your favourite places to eat or drink, and it will also help them get to know a little bit more about some of the things that you like. Going for a drink is also a good way to ease any first date nerves, however, I obviously don't recommend getting completely drunk if this is your first time meeting someone...

5. Go to the theatre

This one is a little bit different to the typical "dinner and a movie" date. A theatre show would be a good idea for a first or second date if you're still getting to know each other and you get a little bit nervous trying to make conversation. I would recommend seeing something lighthearted, like a musical or a comedy, but it would also give you plenty to talk about after the show.

6. Go to the zoo or aquarium

I would love to go on a date to the zoo! It would be so much fun wandering around, looking at all of the animals. A fun date like this would also give you lots to talk about if you're still getting to know each other.

7. Go to a concert

If you have any mutual interests in a particular band or type of music, it could be fun to go and see them in concert together. The feeling you get at a gig or concert when your favourite artist comes on stage is unlike any other, so it would be really special to share that moment together. 


8. Stargazing

You could go for a walk or climb a hill, and then once you get to the top, you can wait for the sun to set and watch the stars as they light up the sky! How romantic is that?

9. Go to the beach

If it's a nice sunny day, why not pack up your things and head to the beach for the day? You could go for ice cream, wander along the sea front, or even go for fish and chips! If only it was sunnier more often in Scotland, then I would absolutely love to do this.

10. Have your own movie night

If you're on a bit of tighter budget, or you just fancy a cosy night in together, then this is the one for you! You could put on your favourite film, grab some tasty snacks and cuddle under a blanket. This one can be as romantic as you please, but it can also be super chilled if you just want to relax and spend some together.

18 Things I've Learnt in 18 Years

Over the last few months, I feel like I've learnt quite a lot of valuable life lessons. It's been a tough few months, I'm not going to lie, but I've made my way through it and now I'm in a good place. So for this post, I thought I'd share just 18 things that I've learnt in my 18 years of life.

1. If people want to be in your life they will make the effort! Since moving to Stirling, it has been a common occurrence for people to say that they will come and visit me, yet they never do. It's always me that is expected to make the effort. It's taken me a while to realise that friendship works both ways, and that there has to be an equal effort from both sides for the friendship to work.

2. Manners and kindness cost nothing! This is a lesson that working in retail has definitely taught me. My parents always brought me up to be polite, but working in retail shows you just how rude some people can be.

3. Before you can let someone love you, you must first love yourself. If you hate everything about yourself, how you can allow someone else to be completely in love with you? You need to firstly accept who you are, and accept all of your flaws, before you can let someone else do that for you.

4. Always appreciate your parents and the things that they do for you! My Mum and Dad would do anything for me, no questions asked. They do everything they can to make sure that I am happy, and I truly appreciate what they do for me.

5. As annoying as it is, your parents are usually right

6. It's okay to want to help people, but always make time for yourself, too

7. Some people won't like you, but that's okay! This is one that I've had to learn the hard way, especially over the past few months. Of course, knowing that someone doesn't like you can make you feel bad about yourself, but at the end of the day, who really cares what they think.

8. Always do the things that you enjoy, regardless of what other people think

9. It's not selfish to put yourself first sometimes! I'm the type of person that would much rather do things for other people than for myself. I love seeing that the people I love are happy, but I often forget that sometimes, I need to be too.

10. Don't let people walk all over you and treat you like dirt

11. It's okay to change direction! I still have no idea what career what I want to pursue once I finish university, but that's okay. You don't need to have your entire life completely planned out, as you never know what might happen one day.

12. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you feel lost! I've always been quite independent and I like to do things by myself, but this can sometimes be to my detriment. If you need help, always ask for it. Don't struggle with something just because you're too proud to show your softer side.

13. Apologising is a strength, not a weakness

14. People will always have their opinions, but you don't have to agree with them! But by the same token, other people do not have to agree with your opinions. Never push your ideas and opinions on to others.

15. When you have the chance to start over, always give it your all

16. Don't be afraid to be on your own! I love having some time to myself, but I sometimes have too much of it and I tend to get a bit lonely. But over the past few months I've realised that it's okay to go and get a coffee by yourself or to go and get something to eat.

17. People change

18. Losing someone that you love will be one of the hardest things you ever have to deal with

An Open Letter To My Grandma

On the 4th of February 2014, my Grandma sadly passed away. She was diagnosed with cancer just 11 months before, and those few short months were the quickest of my life. My Grandma was one of the most important people in my life, and her lack of presence in my life is something I still struggle with every day. Our relationship was truly special. My Grandma would've done absolutely anything for me, and she taught me so many valuable lessons about life. This post is particularly personal for me, and I debated about whether to publish it or not. But my Grandma was a wonderful lady, and my blog is a place where I express a lot about what's happening in my life, so that's why I'm choosing to upload this.

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Dear Grandma,

It's been a couple of years now since the last time we were together. I can't believe it's been that long. It feels like only yesterday that I was by your side, holding your hand and wishing that things were different. A lot has happened over the last two years. If only you could see for yourself how much I've changed and grown up. Every day, something new happens that I want to call you up and tell you about. It breaks my heart not being able to do that, but I know that you're watching over me and helping me along the way.


As soon as I turned 17, I started learning to drive! I know that you were so excited for me to start my lessons. It was all thanks to you and Grandad for saving up all that money for me and buying my lessons for my birthday. I can't thank you enough for that! Less than 9 months later I passed my test and was on the road all by myself, if only you could've been here to see me.

I finished high school with pretty good grades and managed to get an unconditional offer for the University of Stirling. I got off to a bit of a rocky start at university, but now that I have changed my degree, I'm so much happier. You'd absolutely love the campus! There's so much wildlife and a beautiful loch that you would have loved to wander around. I've just finished my first year, and whilst it's been quite an eventful few months, I couldn't have done it without you and Grandad. I know that you had been saving for my tuition fees since I was only a baby, but since I don't need to pay for my fees in Scotland, it went towards my rent. In order to repay you, I will make sure that I do my very best and try as hard as I can to hopefully finish university with a first in my degree.

Christmases and birthdays aren't the same without you. I miss your Christmas dinners and the huge chocolate cake that you always used to make me for my birthday. My mum makes Christmas dinner now, and she does an amazing job, but I think we all miss your presence around the table. I wish you'd been here to celebrate my 18th birthday with me. It was a pretty big milestone in my life. We all went for dinner as a family though, Grandad too, and I had a great time. Everyone made it super special for me.

I think that's pretty much everything that I wanted to tell you. I miss you more and more every day, and it breaks my heart that you aren't here to witness all the amazing changes that have been happening in my life recently. Sometimes it hits me that you won't see me graduate or be at my wedding, and you won't get to meet my future children. That always makes me tear up when I think about things like that. My goal in life is just to make you proud, and I really hope that you are. There has been a huge gap in my life since you left. The relationship that you and I had was unlike any other. You were always there for me, and I felt like you truly understood me. You taught me how to be the best that I could be, and I value every moment and memory that we had together.

I love you with all of my heart.
Jade x

Review // Palmer's Cocoa Butter Moisturisers

I'm ashamed to admit that since starting university, I've become a little bit lazy when it comes to moisturising and skin care. However, it's only a few weeks now until I go on holiday, and I don't want to have scaly looking legs whilst I'm sunbathing. So I decided that I needed to do something about it. Whilst wandering around Boots trying to find some sort of miracle worker, I noticed that a large number of the Palmer's range were on offer. When I was younger, my mum would always use one of their moisturisers, so I was fairly familiar with the brand. I decided upon their Coconut Oil Body Lotion and their Natural Bronze Gradual Tanning Moisturiser. I was really impressed with the effects that both products had and I honestly can't recommend them enough.

Natural Bronze Gradual Tanner Spray Lotion

I've always been a fan of gradual tanning moisturisers. They're perfect for giving me a healthy 'sun kissed' glow whenever I'm feeling a bit ghostlike. Last year, my go-to gradual tanner was the Dove Summer Glow Moisturiser which comes in two different shades, however I felt like it could often be fairly streaky. So when I saw that this one was on offer in Boots, I thought I might as well give it a try. The product comes in a continuous spray bottle which makes it easy to apply for even coverage, and the product quickly absorbs into the skin. It is full of natural ingredients, such as pure Cocoa Butter, Vitamin E and Coconut Oil, which are fantastic for the skin. Not only does it give a really subtle glow to the skin, but it also leaves my skin feeling silky and soft. However, I think my favourite thing about this product is the smell. It has a gorgeous chocolatey scent that I just can't get enough of every time I apply it. I even put it on Jordan so that he could appreciate how good the scent was!

Coconut Oil Body Lotion

The main reason that I bought this product was to help get some moisture back in my skin, as it was starting to feel really dry. Which is obviously not a good look when you went to get your legs out. The Coconut Oil Body Lotion is supposed to provide 24 hour moisture, which I definitely felt like it did. I apply the lotion after a shower and give it a few minutes to soak in before getting dressed again, but it definitely isn't sticky and it applies really well. The lotion is made from completely ethically sourced ingredients, such as Coconut Oil and Tahitian Monoi Oil, and is infused with Tiaré flower petals. It also has a really natural coconut scent that isn't over powering. I'll definitely be taking this body lotion on holiday with me to rehydrate my skin after long days in the sun. I would definitely recommend this product if, like me, you suffer from particularly dry skin.

What are some of your favourite moisturisers? Do you have any recommendations?

Holiday Clothes on a Budget

It's less than a month until Jordan and I go on holiday and I seriously cannot wait. This will be the first time that I've been on holiday without my parents, and it's really shocked me just how expensive it is for one week in the sun. I've been trying to get as many of my holiday clothes as I can within my budget, and I've done pretty well so far as I still have some clothes from last year that I can take. All of my shopping has been done at Asos, Primark and Boohoo, which are my favourite places to buy clothes. Of course I will be taking much more than this on holiday, but I thought for this post that I would show you some of what I've been buying to maybe give you some inspiration if you're going on holiday anytime soon!

Boohoo

Most of the pieces that I bought from boohoo were for me to wear in the evenings when we go for dinner and things like that. I was really impressed with some of the things they had online this year. As you can probably tell, I absolutely love anything off the shoulder, I just think it is so feminine and will look great with a tan. Everything from boohoo is so affordable, so I'd definitely recommend it if you're on a budget.

Kate Full Lace Midi Skirt - £15

Zoe Paisley Print Off Shoulder Playsuit - £12

Helen Off The Shoulder Playsuit - £15

Lucy Stripe Ribbed Bodysuit - £14

Tamsin Off Shoulder Skater Dress - £15

Anne Coin Back Sundress - £15

Ella Front Ruffle Cold Sleeve Maxi Dress - £18

Primark

Primark is always a favourite when it comes to shopping on a budget. I didn't buy an awful lot in there this year, but some of their new swimwear is gorgeous. I fell in love with the white swimsuit that I bought. It has an open back and is quite revealing across the front as it ties behind the neck. I think it looks so much more expensive than it actually was.

White Swimming Costume - £15

Black Bikini Top - £12

Lace Hem Denim Shorts - £12

Red Geometric Print Drawstring Joggers - £8

Asos

Last but not least is Asos. I didn't buy much at all from Asos this year, but I fell in love with the sunglasses that I bought and really wanted to include them in this post.

AJ Morgan Exclusive Round Sunglasses With Flowers - £15

*If you see anything that you like, just click the picture and it will take you directly to the item. The only things I couldn't link were from Primark as they do not have a website for online shopping yet.

I do not own any of the pictures included in this blog post

A Letter To My 14 Year Old Self

I've never been particularly confident about myself or my appearance, and throughout school I often felt like I didn't really fit in. I only had a small group of friends, but that was fine for me, as I preferred having a few close friends instead of many acquaintances. I was also a very nervous teenager. I struggled to order my own food in a restaurant, and I hated going up to the till in a shop for the fear of being judged. But I've changed a lot over the last four years, and I wish I could tell my fourteen year self just how happy she would be a few years down the line.

When I turned fourteen, I started taking a particular medication that made me pile on a lot of weight. I went on a family holiday to Majorca, and it wasn't until I got home and saw the pictures that had been taken that I realised how much weight I'd put on. I was quite a slim child growing up, so my weight gain was extremely noticeable. I was so embarrassed. This completely shattered my confidence. From then on, any time I went on holiday I would be worrying that people were looking at me and judging me, and I refused to have my photo taken.

This carried on into my school life. I was always worried that people thought I was fat or ugly, and because of this I really struggled to socialise. I remember sitting in classrooms praying that the teacher wouldn't ask me to do anything, as I hated the attention being on me. I stayed pretty quiet unless I was with my group of friends, and I never did anything out of my comfort zone. I also struggled massively when it came to boys. I physically could not talk to them. I was so worried about being judged, that I wouldn't even order coffee in Starbucks if it was a male behind the counter. That sounds ridiculous to me now.

I would say that my home life also suffered. I had a lot of built up anger and emotions that I frequently took out on my parents. I also have a little brother who was only 3 at the time. He always needed a lot of attention, and I often felt a lot of jealously towards him. Being 14, there were times when I needed my parents attention too, but because my brother was so young, I didn't really get it as often as I probably needed. This caused a lot of resentment on my part. Looking back, I regret this a lot. I've always been extremely close to my parents, but between the ages of 13 and 15, my relationship with them involved a lot of arguing and shouting. 

My worries about my weight and appearance are still something that I struggle with today. I've lost over a stone since then, but even after having weekly sessions with a dietician and a psychologist, I still have days, or even weeks, where I look in the mirror and feel horrendous. But I now know that if the only bad thing someone can say about me is that I'm fat or ugly, then I must be a pretty decent person on the inside. That's all that really matters in the long run. 

There are so many things that I would like to tell my 14 year old self if I could: You are so special and loved. You are smart and caring and everyone around you loves you exactly that way that you are. Things do get better, and in a few years time, you'll be so much happier than you are right now. Stop liking that boy who has no interest in you, he turns into a bit of idiot and you'll wonder what you ever saw in him. You'll have a huge argument with your best friend, but don't worry, you make up a few months later. Just don't be stupid on social media. You'll lose someone extremely close to you, and you'll be sad for a while. But you'll get through it and you'll be stronger than ever. You'll go to university and study something that you love and you'll be closer than ever with your family. You also fall head over heels in love with a boy that loves you exactly the way that you are.

My life is definitely not perfect, but I'm in a good place right now and I'm happy. I still have days when I feel down or self conscious, but compared to how I was at 14, I'm so much happier. I'm excited to see what the future has in store for me, but it's also nice to look back and be thankful for everything that has made me who I am today.