Manchester may not be the most expensive city in the world, but you’re probably going to spend a fair amount each month on coffee, groceries, toiletries and fun on the weekends. If you’re coming to Manchester this September, or if you’re already here but lost on how to save money, here are some deals and discounts you should be taking advantage of!
Pret subscription
This one is pretty well known, and for good reason. For £25 a month (as of July 2022), you can redeem 5 drinks a day, hot or cold, fancy or simple, from any branch in the city. What’s more, your first month is half price! If you find that you’re getting a £2.50 latte every day, you could be saving 20 lattes worth of money with this subscription. The shop on campus gets very busy, however, there are also branches near the Town Hall, in the Arndale Centre, and loads of other places.
Prime Student (and Deliveroo Plus)
Need bed sheets, pillows, cutlery, storage units, notebooks and pens, and other essentials, but don’t know how you’re going to go out and carry it all back to your student accommodation? I got all of these from Amazon while I was quarantined and thanks to Prime Student, I not only got the subscription half price and delivery free, but I also got to save with Prime discounts on various items.
What’s more, with a Prime subscription, you can get Deliveroo Plus for free. If you have groceries you need to be delivered, you get delivery for free on orders above £25!
Student ID privileges
A lot of stores and food places offer a nice 10% discount if you present your Student ID at the counter. Need shampoo and antiperspirant from Superdrug? Looking for a new read from Waterstones? Craving noodles from the Arndale Food Court? Carrying your Student ID around will save you a few pounds here and there which really adds up in the long run.
Moreover, many ticketed events offer student prices! Ice skating, mini golf, and many cinema’s provide cheaper student tickets.
Meal deals – they’re a steal
Hungry between lectures? Near Sainsbury’s or Co-op? If you’ve seen my culture shock TikToks, you’ll know that meal deals were a pleasantly surprising and foreign concept to me. A main, snack, and drink for £3-4 will help you save quite a lot, if you haven’t pre-prepared your own lunch. Even if you’re not thirsty when you go to grab a sandwich and fruit, take a juice or Redbull anyway. You’ll need it later and you’ll basically be getting it for free.
OurPass
This one will really only apply to you if you’re 16 or 17 (which I was when I started university) and haven’t bought a Stagecoach bus pass yet. This year, invest a small upfront payment for an OurPass to get unlimited bus travel across many services in Greater Manchester, and lots of other youth deals from their website.
UNiDAYS
Need new electronics or clothes? Want to get free Microsoft courses? Want to be privy to tons of other perks? Having a UNiDAYS account will introduce you to deals and discounts happening across all the different markets and gives you codes to save money on your purchases. Don’t you just love being rewarded for being a student?
These are all Dorsa-tested-and-approved deals, and I hope you can make good of these. If you’re considering making a purchase, do your research first to see how you can pile those pounds and which sales you can take advantage of.