23 ways to cut the cost of your holiday

Having the summer of your dreams doesn’t have to cost you the earth! You could save £100s on your holiday with these tips.

Travelling to somewhere like Dubai may always remain a little out of your league, but there’s nothing to say you can’t enjoy a truly wicked holiday for minimal dollar.
We’ve come up with the ultimate list of ways you can bag a top trip without having to break the bank and, because we’re nice, we’re going to share them with you.
Read this and you’ll never need to spend your summer in a termite infested cave on some deserted Greek island again. Unless termites are your thing of course… But that’s just weird.

21 top tips

1. Travel with friends

   No holiday of a lifetime would be complete without your bezzies to share it with you. So make sure to pack them; they can probably bring the cost down too.
   Sharing rooms and booking in groups will often lower the price , or even better if your friend lives abroad just crash at theirs!
   On a serious note though, make sure you do actually get along with these people, as you wouldn’t want to spend a week at someone’s house who you don’t actually get along with…

2. Snag cheap flights

   Perhaps one of the most essential parts of going on your jolly holiday is the flights and they can be real a deal breaker in terms of cost.
   Don’t fall for the rookie error of just typing “cheap flights” into Google and going for the first one. Make sure to always shop around for your flights; everything is online now anyway these days, so there’s no excuse not to price check. You can even get a website to do it all for you.
   Skyscanner, TravelSupermarket and FlightsDirect are all great options with a good track record of bargains, especially if you’re flexible. If you’re looking to go pro on finding cheap flights, make sure to check out our top tips.

3. Say no to in-flight extras

   If you’re flying with a budget airline, you might find your bargain prices are quickly dwarfed by a mounting list of extras.
   Some extras, such as the privilege of choosing your own seat or boarding the plane first, you’ll just have to suck up and learn to live without.
   Others, however, such as earplugs or food should simply be a case of bring your own. While you’re not allowed to take liquids on a plane you can take food, so stock up before you go to avoid extortionate prices. Just try not to bring anything too smelly!

4. Wangle cheap insurance

   While insurance might seem like a luxury you can’t afford on holiday, you’ll be kicking yourself when you end up in the back end of beyond with no hope of getting home.
   At the very least, you should always make sure you’ve got a valid European Health Insurance Card, which is totally and 100% free, so there really is no excuse.
   However, this card will only cover you for basic health treatment within the EU, so it’s really not a replacement for insurance. You might think it’s going to add on big bucks, but choose wisely and you’ll only have to shell out a few quid.
   We’ve got all the lowdown on cheap travel insurance over on a separate guide here.

5. Check out private sales

   If you’re looking for a little bit of luxury in your life, but can’t afford the hefty price tag, then make sure to check out private sales websites.
   Sites like Voyage Prive, Secret Escapes or even the Top Secret section on Lastminute.com can offer luxury bargains with up to 70% off the usual price tag.
   You will have to sign up for these websites though and they won’t appear on price comparison websites, but seriously, it’s well worth the hassle.

6. Look into house or villa rentals

   Another option for those looking to live in the lap of luxury but not wanting to shell out serious dollar is looking into villa or room lettings in prime locations.
   Sites such as Airbnb or Holiday Lettings let private individuals list their own rooms, apartments or villas and generally you can find top-notch stuff for the fraction of a price of hotels (especially if there’s a large group of you).
   Do take some care with private rentals though; make sure to check out the reviews of a place first and always go through an umbrella site like Airbnd or Holiday Lettings as opposed to a seller’s private website.

7. Brave your fears of hostels

   So it might sound like the start of a dodgy horror movie, but we promise that hostels aren’t all dingy rooms and back street murders these days.
   If you’re willing to forgo some luxury, then hostels are a great option and, for the most part, are clean, friendly and have the amenities you need. Many also have the option of private rooms as well.
   Sites like HostelWorld or HostelBookers are a great place to start and you can compare various hostels across the globe.
   Top tip: search for the best prices on the comparison sites above and then check the price with the Hostel direct as sometimes it could be cheaper (but sometimes not)…

8. Turn off your mobile roaming data

   So you’ve been good abroad, not made any calls or texts but when you get home you realise you’ve somehow clocked up a hefty hundred pound bill.
   Smartphones, for all their wonderful traits, are like black holes for data what with Facebook, Twitter, emails and more coming straight to your phone.
   So, wise up and make sure you turn off roaming data before you leave the country. The social media detox will probably do you good anyway.

9. Check your passport

   It’s all very well knowing you’ve got a passport, but just like most useful things in life, they do have an expiry date, so make sure to check before you book.
   Not only are you often refused travel if you’ve only got a short date left, renewal fees jump massively if you need a short turnaround. So to avoid any nasty surprises make sure to check out the date in advance and re-apply as soon as possible.

10. Look at package holidays

    Booking a holiday can be a complicated game, especially with all this comparison malarky and pulling all the components together.
    Even if you have saved a fortune on flights or rooms by using our tips, make sure to check out similar package holidays too; you could find they’re a hell of a lot cheaper.
    Basically, what we’re saying all the way through is check out all your options; you might find deals in places you didn’t expect.
    There’s even companies such as Invasion that run student specific package holidays.

11. Get travel guides and phrase books from the library

    Save yourself from any awkward misunderstandings without having to splash valuable funds by taking a trip to your local library first.
    You’ll find they pretty much all stock a good range of phrase books and visitor’s guides (including Lonely Planets), which you can pack with you in your luggage for free.
    Just make sure not to leave them behind or drop them in the pool or you could face a fine.

12. Call home for free

    Whenever you go abroad, you’re always leaving someone behind. And that someone is probably pooing their pants about you.
    Keeping in touch with friends and family can be a huge hidden cost of holidays and the worst bit is you don’t realise until you get home.
    Make sure you don’t fall into the calling death trap and set yourself up a Skype account for video and audio calls or join a service like WhatsApp for texts. All you need to do is find a free WiFi hotspot and you can contact away, without fear of any nasty surprises.
    Even if you can’t find free internet, it’s much cheaper to pay for half an hours access than use your mobile on foreign rates.

13. Use price comparison sites

    One of the quickest and easiest ways to compare prices on thousands of rooms and packages is to look at a price comparison site like Trivago.
    While these sites won’t be able to see anything that’s in a private sale, they will show you offers from all of the big players, and unlike some other sites won’t charge a hefty booking fee.

14. Spend your money right

    So you’ve counted out all your pennies and made a super awesome budget (we love budgets) and worked out how much you can spend on holiday. Sorted right?
    Wrong. When it comes to splashing the cash abroad, there’s a whole lot more to think about than just how much you’re allowed to burn. Always make sure to convert your money into foreign currency before you go abroad and shop around to get the best rates.
    If you’re uncomfortable with carrying large wads of cash around with you, now is probably a good time to mention travellers cheques, which have some extra security when it comes to theft or loss.
    Also make sure to check out our guide on how to get the best rates on spending on a credit or debit card when out of the country.

15. Make your own lotions and potions

    You won’t be wanting to lug around massive bottles of shampoo and conditioner around with you, but neither will you want to spend over the odds on travel size versions.
    You can pick up small empty bottles for around a pound on the high street, then just decant what you need into them. Sorted.

16. Download free travel apps

    There’s an app for pretty much everything you could ever want, so make sure to check out ones that can help you plan and keep organised.
    Google Translate has a free app to help you make sense of what people are saying on the go, while Navfree is a free to use SatNav app to stop you from getting lost.
    Make sure to download them before you go though to stop any hefty data charges.

17. Consider alternatives to flying

    So it’s holiday time, but does that necessarily mean you have to get a flight? If you don’t mind a longer haul then check out coaches – Megabus can get you to Belgium, France, Germany or The Netherlands and leave you change from a twenty.
    If you are going to Europe then make sure to check out offers on the Channel Tunnel and ferry crossings too (EuroStar); you never know where you could snap up a bargain.
    Similarly you could just make travelling all part of the fun and go inter-railing across Europe – check out our guide on how to prepare.

18. Be flexible

    So you’ve probably heard this one a zillion times before, but being flexible really will help you snag all the best deals.
    Try and stay away from typical school holiday dates and half terms too, as tour operators will really hike the prices then. Oh, and they will be lots of screaming children too and no one wants that.

19. Travel overnight

    If you’re the kind of irritating so and so that can fall asleep anywhere, it makes sense to book an overnight flight or crossing.
    Many operators will slash prices at inconvenient times, but if you’re the kind of person who could sleep through the apocalypse, you’ll still end up with a decent night’s kip anyway.

20. Go local

    Whether it’s beer or food, don’t just go for brands you know and trust – travelling is about experiencing new stuff after all.
    You’ll also find imported brands a hell of a lot more expensive, so be adventurous and try something new, even if it’s really just to save yourself money.

21. Take student ID

    It might not be the first thing you think to pack, but even abroad your student card could land you some nifty savings, especially at museums or galleries.
    If you’re thinking about getting an NUS Extra student card anyway, it might be worth upgrading it to an International Student Identity Card, it’s only an extra £2.99.

22. Get a “holiday job”

    Instead of saving money on your holiday why not earn it too! There’s loads of jobs out there for holiday makers from club reps and bar work to something as big as teaching English abroad (although that might be a long holiday).
    Try and pick a job that won’t take up too much of your time so that you can still have fun of course. It’s still a holiday after all.

23. Do it yourself/Backpacking

    If you are a real trailblazer, why not try and plan out your holiday on a shoestring. You could travel round Europe and try couch surfing or even go to “visit” some foreign relatives.
    It does take more effort and sometimes means giving up a lot of luxuries but the savings can speak for themselves.

     50 business ideas to start at university

Running low on cash and inspiration? Have a gander at our weird, wonderful and lucrative start-up suggestions for businesses you can start from your dorm room.

We’re not saying they’re easy, or even about easy money – but these ideas should get your entrepreneurial juices flowing, and could set you off on your merry way to small-business success. Enough monkeying around: let’s get to it!

Quick thoughts for finding your dream gig

• Do some research: what do people need or want?
• If you could provide or invent something that would make life easier, better, fairer, safer or cheaper, what would it be?
• What are you really good at or love doing? Start with that!
• Or think about what ventures might support your degree course or future ideal career.

50 start-up suggestions

1. Sell alternative quiet snacks – stomach rumblers will pay to avoid the embarrassment of rustling in lectures and the cinema
2. Upcycle and sell on free stuff found on Gumtree and Freecycle
3. Start a YouTube channel and earn a slice of the ad revenue. It could be reviews or guides related to your course subject, or pick any topic that really fascinates you (games, comedy and music do particularly well). As well as running advertising or blagging freebies, down the line you could stream pay-per-view vids if you get enough subscribers
4. Buy second-hand in-demand textbooks at the end of term and sell them to new students at the start of the new term
5. Create audio walking tours of your local area, recommending everything from hotels, museums, events, restaurants and bars. Do deals with local businesses who pay to feature, and upload your files to sites like iTunes and Soundcloud for instant reach
6. Be an ’emergency key holder': offer a base package that lets people keep a spare key with you that they can collect if they lose their own. You can add sliding fees if they want you to deliver or for unsociable hours
7. Start a magazine about your uni subject and get other students, tutors and guest experts to write for it too. The money might not be huge but your employability definitely will be
8. Set yourself an unusual goal – like living on a yacht for a year or surviving on a tenner a week – and blog or write a book about it. You’ve got a good chance of featuring in the papers too
9. Rent out your student room or house over the summer months on Airbnb
10. Run a ‘you want it, I get it’ delivery service. Evenings and weekends could see you delivering McDonald’s/beer combos, while early mornings could be coffees, newspapers or train tickets. Or just see what everyday things people run out of and buy in bulk (midnight loo roll’s got to be a winner, right?)
    
11. Create an alternative yearbook using a print-on-demand publisher and sell copies and advertising space
12. Start a film screening club (or stick with the ever-popular student club night)
13. ‘I queue for you’: stand in-line or hang on the phone so someone else doesn’t have to
14. Convert someone’s entire CD catalogue into MP3 files they can play on their phone. It’s easy enough to do using software like iTunes but can take hours. Which is where you come in
15. Start an accommodation reviews site for your campus or town
16. Set up a Skype language course or conversational practice for learners around the world
17. Buy packets of seeds cheaply and sell pot plants or fresh fruit/veg. You can grow lots of things without tons of equipment – some veg will even thrive in old wellies or grown indoors. Just keep it legal
18. Lend a hand to the local elderly with doing their online grocery shopping
19. Make and sell audio or e-book versions of out-of-copyright set texts, particularly if they’re hard to find (think medieval literature or 18th-century science tomes)
20. Be the go-to finder for folk who’ve lost something irreplaceable or want to buy something hard to find. Use the web as well as local contacts and retail knowledge to track down the impossible… for a commission
21. Freelance. Whether it’s related to your current course or your dream career, offer your skills to peeps who need web design, illustration, writing or admin support. You’ll get CV-plumping experience to boot, too
22. Create food hampers that parents can order and have delivered to their kids – think student essentials in long-life eats or healthy stuff they’re probably not getting enough of
23. Run a couple of matchmaker events for your campus
24. Make bespoke photo albums: use a site like Lulu.com to produce professionally printed books or magazines and add hand-crafted touches or notes to make each one unique
25. Offer a transcription service that types up lecture recordings, or use your graphic design skills to produce handouts for tutors
26. Create a swaps site that matches owners with lenders: think clothes, services, bikes or books – or maybe one that matches students who want to see the UK with those who live in other towns
27. Organise student event trips to other cities or festivals – get a good deal on a coach and double your money on the tickets
28. Design an app that lets students vent about their course or campus anonymously and compare experiences around the world
29. Offer to sit for stock photographers or source models for them. Or just grab a camera and have a go at shooting and selling your own snaps. Try newcomer www.picfair.com, where you set your own prices
30. Produce a campus e-newsletter and take paid advertising from local businesses, or do deals to offer readers discounts and competitions
31. An annual gift or card service where you select and post cards and presents so subscribers never forget important birthdays or anniversaries
32. Be a market research consultant and sell your services to local or national businesses who want to know what students think about their stuff
33. Pay a flat amount to a freelance graphic designer to create popular web graphics or icons, and sell them on a marketplace like GraphicRiver for recurring income
34. If there’s something every one seems to have lurking in a spare bedroom, it’s unused home gym equipment and a pile of good intentions. Buy or beg the kit at bargain rates to re-sell or re-home with local schools, gyms, offices or personal trainers
35. Offer to collect or wait for deliveries for a fee (saving someone else the time or cost of rearranging a missed package)
36. Create a portfolio website that bands and musicians can use to connect with local events or businesses
37. Start a home-made smoothie or sandwich business for local firms: they phone you their orders in the morning and you deliver on the dot at lunchtime 
38. Turn your best photos or artwork into posters (good sellers at the start of term!) – check out www.truprint.co.uk
39. Start an essay proofreading business
40. Create a local guide – think magazine, website or app – that helps freshers make the most of their new town: the best cafés, cheapest deals, or hidden gems
41. Start your own travel exchange: put together packages of budget flights, accommodation and events and co-ordinate it between a uni abroad and your own
42. Sell a uni essentials welcome package – stationery, kitchen kit, discount vouchers – that can be delivered to freshers’ rooms ahead of their first day
43. Start a tutoring service for school students struggling with the subjects you’re acing. Offer online courses or webinars to reach more folk
44. Be a sports coach for local or uni teams
45. Collect other students dirty laundry and take it to the launderette for a markup
46. Design a motivational app that logs lecture/seminar/gym attendance and awards points, vouchers or gifts for achievements or penalties for slacking
47. Start an outdoor fitness trail on MeetUp.com, leading groups of people to different/unusual locations to work out without equipment while seeing the sights
48. Offer a CV design or review service
49. Design cases that disguise gadgets and make them less attractive to thieves. Think phone covers that look like pencil cases, or a laptop case that looks like a ring-binder. Recycled materials get you bonus points
50. Run a recurring subscription service where customers get a beauty box each month, or a music album, book or selection of gourmet snacks – works for just about anything!

The golden rules

Keep your stellar start-up ideas on track with some common sense:

• Don’t do anything illegal
• Don’t compromise safety to make a buck
• Don’t skimp on your studies
• Check any rules your uni/insurance provider might have about running a business. Get the tax facts and know where you stand
• Make sure you sound-out any rules about plagiarism if you intend to sell your notes or essays
• Check whether you need a licence, insurance or qualification
• Don’t just think in terms of the money – doing things that help your community or local charities can do just as much for your CV or personal satisfaction.

Everyone has great ideas, but very few actually turn their dreams into concrete reality. Whether you’ve got a world-changing concept or just want to make some extra cash, you’ve got to make a start before you can have a start-up. Good luck!

            Make money from YouTube videos

Remember that viral video you laughed at yesterday while chowing down on your doughnuts? That video could have earned the maker more than £100,000.

We’re not kidding when we say you can earn some serious dollar from YouTube videos and it might just be the funnest money making gig like EVER.
While it sadly isn’t as easy as clapping your fingers and the money appearing in your bank account like magic, making money out of YouTube videos is still a relatively simple concept.
And, in an effort to help you earn some dollar, we’ve put together this step by step guide. Send us some of your earnings maybe?

How to make money from YouTube videos

• How much money can you make?
• How does it work?
• What do you need to get started?
• How do you make your videos the bestest?
• How can you make even more?

How much money can you make?

Straight in there with the killer question, you shrewd lot. Well, the answer is a bit of a mixed bag really, if we’re honest.
While you might be lucky and find a video clip of yours goes viral and earns you £100,000 (like the guy who uploaded a clip of one of his son’s biting the other one’s finger), this is very unlikely. That said, if you have got something funny, by all means give it a shot.
You’re much more likely to build up revenue by getting an audience through constant content, whether you’re making vlogs, cat videos or just talking about custard creams.You might remember the tale of 17 year old Fred Pye – he hit the news recently for earning £24,000 a year by making walk-throughs for Grand Theft Auto.
But as we said, it isn’t all like this. Livie Rose, a beauty blogger from Brighton says her pay fluctuates from thousands one month to £50 the next, and some people only report a few pounds here and there.

What can you realistically expect?

As a benchmark you can expect to make around $1.50/1000 views. This means that 1million views = $1500… That’s around £880 to us English folk.
However, keep in mind that a lot of the channels (such as Epic Mealtime) sign advertising contracts with certain companies or even promote their own merchandise, like T-shirts, which can earn them even more on top of their views alone.
It’s hard to put a total on this but the possibilities are endless depending on what your videos are about.

How does it work?

The basic deal with this is Google Adsense, a nifty little programme that allows you to monetise (we love that word) your website or videos with adverts.
After you’ve signed up with the beast that is YouTube and built a decent amount of followers and views you’ll receive an email asking if you want to monetise your videos. You’ll then be able to select videos you want to earn dollar on.
The basic gist of this is companies pay Google to advertise on your videos and you’ll get a cut of the profit.
Just to be clear, you can’t monetise any videos with copyrighted material in them. So no nicking other people’s stuff y’hear?

What do you need to get started?

Depending on what you’re planning on filming you’ll need to get your setup sorted from the beginning.
There’s no point having good content if you’re filming it on your iPhone. A decent setup goes a long way towards showing that you’re serious and having people respect your videos.
You’ll need:

• A decent camera – Quality is important and you’ll need to record your videos in full 1080p HD.
• Video editing software – Both PCs and Macs have pretty decent video editing software (Movie maker & iMovie) but Adobe Premier is a decent option for advanced users.
• Sound recording equipment – Most cameras come with a microphone but if you’re looking for top sound quality you might need to purchase a decent microphone.
• Lighting – This is not an essential but some top Youtubers swear by it.
• A decent backdrop – If you’re filming a vlog or pieces to camera you might want to set up a decent backdrop. You can stick with plain white or jazz it up a bit with a collection of posters for example.

How to make your videos the bestest?

As we said before, the way this works is you get popular then you get paid. You can’t sign up to monetise videos no one has watched yet.
It makes sense really, who wants to pay to advertise on a billboard no one walks past? Yet while building up a decent audience might seem daunting, there are some easy tips that might help you get there sooner:

• Choose your genre: One of the most popular genres on Youtube is gaming walk-throughs but it’s a pretty competitive. Take some time to think about what you can do well and whether you think you can make a success of it. Other genres that work well are: product reviews, comedy, how to’s, sports and films.
• Choose a good username: Sounds trivial, trust us, it isn’t. You need to make your username memorable and steer clear from numbers and random characters. Yes, that means Xxx_ponysrock92_xxX is a no go. Sorry.
• Catchy relevant titles: Make your title both catchy and relevant. That way people will remember it, and more people will stumble across it if they’re searching for something similar.
• Upload regularly: You won’t build an audience if you stop posting! Remember, the longer you keep that audience locked in, the more monies you get.
• Be original: There’s nothing wrong with tried and tested formats such as reviews or cat videos, but you have to make sure you stand out from the crowd. Go forth and be different kids!
• Show your enthusiasm: You need to be creating videos about something you love. Having a passion for your videos will show! If you don’t love what you’re doing you’ll soon get bored and the videos will start to show that. The passion comes first and the money comes second…

Always make sure to follow the rules too; no inappropriate content, copyright or spamming. Play nice and you’ll be fine.

How do you make more?

If you’ve built up a pretty sizeable base and have a dedicated audience, there is one other avenue to explore aside from Google Adsense and YouTube itself.
Patreon is a great little web tool that allows your fans to sign up and donate money directly each time you post something new.
The key to this is building up an audience that appreciates you – if they like what you do the chances are they can be persuaded to part $1 or more each time you upload. Yes it’s US money, but money is money!
Also, as mentioned above, you can approach companies to talk about advertising or at the very least free sample for you to review/talk about.
You might even want to branch out into creating your own merchandise once/if you make a name for yourself.
Some of the big shots on here are earning about three thousand dollars everytime they post a new video. Yes you read that right.