My tips as a student travelling on a budget

I am currently a student at Coventry University about to begin my final year in BA Journalism. I currently live at home and commute to university which means I don't have to spend money on university accommodation, just my car finance and petrol to drive to and from. I also work a part time job at Sainsbury, although that only just pays the bills.

So... how do I afford to travel as much as I do?

My first tip is saving. Over lockdown I was able to save up majority of my pay checks and put a couple of hundred into a separate savings account. I also receive some money from family members weekly/monthly which I put straight into my 'travel account'. My best piece of advice would be to do it as routine, you can't miss money you never had laying around in the first place.

Prioritise. As a student, it is way too easy to spend a month worth of pay on one night out. Student night at Kasbah nightclub still leads to a painful. morning checking the bank. I know for me personally if I plan on saving anything during a month, I have to be selective about my nights out. I now limit myself to two nights out per month, unless there is an occasion or the odd spontaneous pub crawl...

Look before you book. Yes, the easy option is always an all inclusive package holiday straight from on the beach or love holidays and for a summer trip it usually is the best deal once you've filtered low to high and chose the least questionable room. However, if you're anything like me and would rather spend a weekend anywhere other than my hometown, use platforms like sky scanner and Airbnb. I visited Germany for 2 nights for under £100, flights and accommodation included.

Weekday travel. If you're a student, use it to your advantage, if you have a Tuesday morning lecture and not another till Thursday afternoon, that means a Tuesday afternoon flight 2 nights somewhere no more than an hour to two away, back by Thursday lunch. If you're in full time work, use your holidays strategicly. Book off a Thursday and a Friday, fly out Thursday night after work and return Sunday morning, this gives you time to relax before returning to work on Monday and flying on a Thursday is commonly cheaper than on the Friday.