Expect the unexpected

Financial planning for a rainy day

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National Student Money Week activities

Get your finances ready for the unexpected during the 10th anniversary of National Student Money Week

This February, we have lots of digital initiatives to help you prepare your finances for a rainy day. Check out all that's happening this month:

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Top 5 rainy day finance tips

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Tip 1

Start budgeting

It pays to plan ahead

A budget is a plan for your money: you map out your income and your expenses and make sure it all balances. Once that's done, you'll know you've got everything covered, and you'll have the peace of mind that comes from planning ahead. Learn more about budgeting here.

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Tip 2

Set up an emergency fund

Prepare for the worst, hope for the best

An emergency fund should be between three to six months worth of your total expenses. That way, you can have enough to survive for a quarter of a year or more if you find yourself in financial difficulty. Learn more, here.

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Tip 3

Build a support network

A trouble shared is trouble halved

When you’ve got people to rely on, you can share your thoughts, your feelings, your troubles — and your expenses, too. Sharing study materials, meals, and transport costs might seem like small savings, but they add up to make a big difference. We are here for you, take a look at all our free guides and learning resources.

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Tip 4

Look into insurance

Manage your risks

If any of your belongings are essential — if you need your bike to get to university or work, or if you need your laptop to get your work or your study done — then you should look into personal contents insurance before it’s too late. Otherwise, you might not be able to replace the things you need if there’s an accident, or if something is stolen. Learn more, here.

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Tip 5

Know where to go for help

Don’t try to do it alone

When times are tough, there’s nothing wrong with asking for help — whether that means asking your family for support, looking into government assistance, or applying for student hardship funds. Speaking to Student Services at your university, checking the gov.uk website, or taking a look at Blackbullion's Funding page are just a few good places to start.

Free e-book

A pocket-sized book with all the financial planning strategies you need for a rainy day.

Download NSMW e-book brochure

Live financial planning webinars

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Join our two part webinar series on:

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23.02.2021

Financial wellbeing in COVID times

  • What is a recession and why is one coming: understand the impact of macro events on your life.
  • Assessing your current financial situation: how to work out where you are and how to get where you want.
  • Developing financial goals: how to set your personal, big-picture objectives.
  • Identifying courses of action: take steps to turn goals into reality.
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25.02.2021

Building financial resilience for all (and any) time

  • Developing a strong foundation: learn how to withstand any financial situation life throws at you.
  • Budgeting like a boss: why the B-word is the most important word.
  • Getting out of debt: because that’s where your power will be.
  • Saving for investment: the basis of building wealth.
  • Practical steps for turbulent times: prepare for the unexpected.
Sign up to the webinars

*Only available for students at participating universities

Barclays

Get a student account that helps you budget for life at university and beyond.

A student account is a current account with extra features you can use to manage your money while studying and after graduation. You can have your income paid in, then you can make payments by debit card, contactless, Direct Debit and standing order.

The Barclays student account has an app that helps you track and manage your money. It also offers tips on budgeting and planning for your future.

Barclays is sponsoring NSMW for 2021 - they have a mobile banking app and Student Additions account. They can also provide several ways for you to track your money.

With the Barclays Student Additions account you get

  • Fee free student banking – you don’t have to pay to open or use your account
  • Access to the Barclays app1 enabling you keep tabs on your spending and bills as well as being able to open a separate savings account
  • Access to Perlego2 – an online library of over 500,000 academic and nonfiction books. You’ll have to open your account by 31st March to have a free 12 months subscription to the library and you need to register with Perlego before 30th June 2021. T&C’s apply
Barclays app

Get the Barclays app and open a Student Additions current account

Download Barclays from the app store button Download Barclays from the play store button

1. Terms and conditions apply. You must have a Barclays current account, be aged 16 or over and have a mobile number to use the Barclays app

2. Perlego T&C’s Terms and conditions apply

Barclays Bank UK PLC and Barclays Bank PLC are each authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority Registered office: 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP

Participating organisations

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About

The National Student Money Week will take place around the country throughout February 2021. It’s the UK’s biggest money awareness week for students and this year we’re focusing on expecting the unexpected.

Delivered by NASMA and supported by Blackbullion (the financial education platform for students) in partnership with Barclays, our mission is to help everyone learn how to withstand any financial situation life throws at you.

Nasma logo Barclays logo Blackbullion logo