How to make living sustainably in London student-friendly
London is the best city in the UK (arguably the world) for both international and home students, and for good reasons too!
Boasting world-famous attractions, booming with culture and diversity, it's easy to see why students love London.
But are student prepped for living in a city renowned for its fast-paced lifestyle?
In schools, we are taught advanced maths and in-depth biology, all of which equips us for entering further education.
What we aren't taught however, is how to stay afloat in an ever-changing community without sacrificing what is supposed to be one of the most important periods of our adult lives.
If you asked students about the importance of maintaining a good credit score, or how to run a household in an economically sustainable way, they probably wouldn’t be able to give you a confident answer, and that’s not their fault!
By just talking to college students, it’s very easy to see how much we wish we were taught, and what our worries are for growing up in London.
So that’s exactly what I did!
Below are 5 examples of skills and knowledge students wish they had, and how we (of all ages) should develop these in order to sustain ourselves.
1. Building a home – what actually counts as essential?
Starting university can be a stressful time, especially if you are living away from home.
Knowing where to start is difficult, even more so when the choices and deals are endless.
Searching online can also be a rabbit hole, as everyone thinks different things are ‘essential’.
Because of this, some students end up buying things they think they might need, just because they “have it home anyways”.
However, living at home and moving into accommodations with new people are very different environments, so what might seem like common sense to have in the home you share with family members, might not be necessary for your new home at university.
To help simplify this, many companies, including UCAS, has tried to compile a list of everything students will need for living away from home.
However, what these lists don’t tell you is how to obtain these items sustainably.
So, here are some things to bear in mind when prepping for move-in day:
Go package-free – bringing your own container when buying household staples (like pasta, rice, flour, etc) is always a great way to reduce single use plastic. Alternatively, find ways to repurpose your plastic containers such as for a mini garden on your windowsill
Try sustainable toiletries – opt for flannels and face cloths over single-use cotton pads to reduce waste
DIY, cleaning edition – try doing things the old fashion way, like using citric acid (which can be found in carboard boxes) to descale your kettle
Second-hand furniture – buying brand-new furniture can be costly, especially if you decide to change accommodations during your course. Choosing second-hand furniture is a more sustainable approach, both for saving money and reducing waste
Refurbished electronics – Tablets, laptops, headphones. Just some of the types of electronics students may need for their course, and buying these brand-new can be extremely expensive. Luckily, websites like Back Market exist – websites that sell fully refurbished devices for a significantly lower price!
Storing household staples in jars instead of plastic containers is an easy way to reduce waste and take a step towards a more sustainable lifestyle
2. All things finance
Ask any student what they wish they were taught, and you’re most likely going to hear the word ‘taxes’ or something similar. And to be honest, fair enough!
Students aren’t taught how to manage their finance, except for the odd lesson on budgeting or brief mentions in Economics.
But taxes really is something that is pretty much never spoken about in schools.
Searching online can also be a rabbit hole, but by checking out this article from Save the Student, you can become an expert in the art that is taxes!
Students are often advised to have a student bank account before they go to uni.
However, we are very rarely told exactly why it’s a good idea, except for the old “it gives you 0% overdraft!” (but exactly what that means, no one knows).
So below are some advantages and disadvantages according to Compare the Market, so that you can decide whether a student account is for you.
Advantages:
Agreed interest-free overdraft – Overdraft simply refers to a form of debt that is incurred from spending more than is in your account, with a maximum set by the bank. Most student bank accounts don’t impose this fee until you graduate!
Railcards – some banks offer free 16-25 rail cards which are great for cutting travel expense (explained later)
Cash incentives – student bank accounts may even offer some form of cash incentive or higher interest rates on a minimum sum of money
Disadvantages:
Interest-free overdraft – it may seem odd that this is both an advantage and disadvantage, but the freedom of essentially overspending (to an extent) can affect your credit score (a history of all your financial transactions, expressed numerically to determine your reliability for repayment).
This score can affect your ability to take out a mortgage or credit, and how much interest you are charged on this.
Although it may seem like there are more advantages than disadvantages, it is still important you make a decision on what’s right for you specifically.
Check out the Save the Student website for a ranking of which bank is best and make sure to do your own research to ensure you choose what meets your needs!
Financial literacy is important for people of all ages – managing our finance makes living sustainably a whole lot easier!
3. Living sustainably through reducing spending and waste
London has a reputation for being unaffordable for everyone, but especially for students. However, it’s actually quite easy to survive if you know where to look.
Student discounts are a must – every penny counts when you are living essentially on your own.
Student Beans, Unidays and TOTUM, to name a few, are all free and just require you to link your university (or sixth form if you wish to get it earlier!) email, and done!
You now have access to a huge variety of discounts exclusive for students.
Food shopping might just be one of the most (if not, the most) expensive challenge students face.
Previously, shopping in Lidl’s and Asda used to be the go-to place for all your cheap alternatives.
Although this still technically remains true, there’s an even cheaper AND environmentally sustainable option – Too Good To Go!
By just browsing through the website, you will quickly see that lots of supermarkets and restaurants near you sell their unsold products to Too Good To Go, which you can then buy for a significantly lower price than typical retails.
Not only does this option save you even more money, but also helps to reduce the amount of food wasted by shops and restaurants too, making this a great sustainable option – remember sustainability is about both yourself and the environment!
Food shopping can get really expensive as a student, so make sure you are budgeting and taking advantage of good deals to help with the cost
4. Upcycling, repurposing and wardrobe essentials
Although Fast Fashion Free February has passed, this doesn’t mean that our goal to reduce fast fashion should. Keeping up with trends is not only expensive but also time-consuming and wasteful.
So how can you get out of the endless cycle that is fast fashion?
Well it’s actually quite simple. Really, keeping your bank account stable and your wardrobe current isn’t just about buying less, but buying smart too.
Minimalistic fashion is a great way of achieving this – a philosophy that places emphasis on simplicity and functionality, all whilst maintaining elegance.
Try opting for plain tops and sweaters over multiple statement pieces that don’t really match with the rest of your wardrobe.
It’s these small but meaningful efforts that make a difference in the short and long term!
Good outfits are all about layering, so focus more on base layers, such as turtlenecks – these are good all-year-round items that are sure to get you through the unreliable British weather!
Maybe even try giving your old clothes a patch job, or transform them into a complete new outfit.
Not only can it be a therapeutic experience, but also teaches you the skills for sustaining yourselves.
Limit spontaneous shops, since its these purchases that accumulate over time.
Try visiting charity shops for those chic items instead of what is supposed to be (but really isn’t) the ‘cheap’ option: fast fashion stores – you’d be doing your bank account and the environment a favour!
Charity shops can be gold mines for vintage pieces that could cost a fortune in any other store – save yourself some money and reduce waste produced by fast fashion!
5. Saving on our beloved TFL (and National Rail)
We all love exploring different places, but, more often than not, it’s the cost of our travels (to the environment and our pockets) that stops us.
Travelling across the country can get quite costly, presenting a barrier that means some people are reluctant to explore.
However, there’s an easy way around it!
Try investing in a national rail travel card, which can save you 30% off pretty much all journeys within the UK.
The cost is dependent on which age-category you fit in to, but, sticking with the students theme, 16-25 railcards come in 1-year and 3-years variations, costing £30 and £70 respectively.
Are you a frequent user of the London Underground?
You can actually link your national railcard and London oyster to get up to 1/3 off your off-peak pay-as-you-go travels.
It’s definitely worth checking out the Transport for London (TFL) website for more information on linking your national railcard and oyster.
Travelling in and away from London can be a burden financially so make sure to get a railcard if you are a frequent national-rail user
