Student life on a budget
26 February 2025
This article was written by Sustainable Festival Management BA(Hons) student Sam.
Being a student can be expensive, but there are many ways to approach living at university on a budget.
I’m Sam, a 2nd year student studying Sustainable Festival Management. In this blog, I’ll share some of my favourite Falmouth-specific money saving hacks and budget-friendly fun things to do, covering food, transport, fun activities, night-life and more, so you can start off university with some great insider info!
Food
Cooking and meal sharing
From my experience, it’s always cheaper to cook than to eat out or order in, and this can be turned into a fun activity amongst friends if you share meals! Many students here have regular nights where friends pool together for meals or take it in turns to cook for each other – if you’re living with other students, this can be so easy. We’ve been doing a regular communal Sunday roast in our house, and it’s been really fun!
Penryn Produce veg box
This is a weekly box of locally grown organic veg that gets delivered to campus. It usually costs around £5, and easily contains enough vegetables to last you a week or more, and it tends to last longer than stuff you buy in a supermarket! It’s especially good if you’re into cooking, and a great way to eat healthily on a budget.
Too Good To Go
One thing Falmouth has a lot of is great places to eat. Too Good To Go is an app where local businesses offer food they otherwise wouldn’t sell for much cheaper prices at the end of the day. You’ll find anything from selections of pasties and baked goods to full meals for around £4 – it's a good way to enjoy Falmouth’s great food options without breaking the bank.
Nightlife and fun activities
'Grassfed' nights at the Cornish Bank
This is a live music event that's free entry and happens every Tuesday with some of the best local bands coming to play, and has become a bit of a social hub since it started a few months ago. It’s a great mid-week night out without having to spend money on tickets.
But that’s not it! Falmouth has tonnes of amazing free music and events happening every week. My top tip is to follow local venues such as The Cornish Bank, Chintz and Fish Factory on Instagram and check at the start of the week for all of their event listings – you'll find anything from DJ nights and live bands to karaoke, pub quizzes and more!
Make the most of the beach
One amazing thing about being a student in Falmouth is having a practically endless source of fun activities on your doorstep. If you’re into surfing, swimming, kayaking, paddleboarding, sunbathing, beach BBQs, hiking or anything else, you’re in a great place! In the warmer months, the beach becomes a great spot to hang out without spending any money – and it kind of feels like you’re on holiday!
Transport
Buy your bus tickets in bulk
Public transport expenses can add up over time. A great way to get cheaper bus tickets in Falmouth is by downloading the First Bus app and making use of the ticket offers for students. You can buy a whole term’s bus pass, or a bundle of 5 day tickets for almost half of what it’d cost to buy each ticket individually. I didn’t discover this until the end of first-year, and was relieved when I did!
Lift-sharing
Another way to save on transport if you drive (or have a friend who drives) is by lift-sharing around Falmouth. Splitting the fuel costs works out cheaper for everyone, and it can also be a nice communal activity. I currently live in Falmouth but study on the Penryn Campus, so sharing lifts to and from university a few days a week has been very convenient.
Bonus tip!
Keep up to date with the Students' Union. The SU exists to improve the overall experience of students in Falmouth, and they have several initiatives related to budget-friendly living. One of these is the campus Swap Shop – a way to pick up preloved items you might need for free, or to reuse stuff you no-longer have use for. They also have lots of money-related advice available on their website, and can be a useful point of contact if you have your own ideas for initiatives to bring to the university.
I hope some of these tips come in useful, and that this blog demonstrates that life at university on a budget is not only doable but fun too! Many students are in exactly the same boat with this stuff, and a lot of the things I have mentioned are central parts of the student community here. I hope to see you at Falmouth next year!
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