How to save money when doing a work experience placement

How to save money when doing a work experience placement Its an unfair fact of life that in this life, youll most likely be expected to complete some form of unpaid work experience. It shouldnt happen, but it does, and until we see a  substantial change in the job market, were probably just going to have to grin and bear it. When it comes to doing unpaid work, always know your rights and dont get taken advantage of. Although unpaid placements are legal, you should probably draw the line at doing unpaid work for more than two weeks after that you should ask them to pay you for your services. Weve got loads more advice on unpaid placements and whether theyre damaging here. But if you do end up completing an unpaid placement, the costs can soon rack up if youre not careful, so its important to budget and have a hunt around for some sneaky cost-cutting measures if possible. Here are some of our best tips: Expenses First things first, even if the placement is unpaid, the company might cover expenses for you, although they might not necessarily advertise it. So dont be afraid to ask what their policy is. Just remember that expenses means different things to different people. For example, if youre travelling across the country for a work experience placement, the cost of travel and accommodation alone could rack up well over £100, which the employer might consider too much. They might just think of expenses as the £3 a day you spend on lunch. So be warned that even if they do cover expenses, that might not necessarily mean theyll cover everything you actually spend. Theyll normally specify expenses up to a certain amount. One final top tip: it might be worth waiting until the end of your placement to ask about expenses. If youve worked really hard and made a good impression, then they might be more likely to boost up how much they give you (Im saying this from previous experience believe me, it works). If you ask on the first day when youre still a relative stranger, theyll be unlikely to do the same. Accommodation Getting a work experience placement that you can easily commute to from home is the dream, but isnt always possible for many people. The most obvious way of saving money on accommodation is finding a generous friend or family member willing to let you sleep on their sofa for a week or so. But again, if you dont have any connections in the area this isnt always possible, so youre going to have to bite the bullet with paid accommodation. Here are our tips for cheap living in the city: University halls of residence Many are used as hotels over the summer, Christmas and Easter periods when students are away and are often a lot cheaper than the local Travelodge. Plus you often get your own kitchen facilities so you can make dinner at night. Airbnb As the service rises in popularity, prices are starting to rise too, but its still usually a lot cheaper than a hotel. Hostels Often not ideal if you dont want to be kept awake by noisy strangers all night, but a bed in a dorm comes pretty cheap. Spareroom.com Not just for long-term lets, some people sub-let their rooms if theyre going on long holidays, and you can often find some steals on here. Be careful and obviously dont force yourself to stay somewhere you dont feel safe just to save some cash, but know there are options out there other than the obvious hotel. Transport If you dont have one already, invest in a 16-25 rail card ASAP. Its only £30 for the year (Or £70 for three years), and it will honestly save your life. Train tickets in this country are no picnic, and you can be faced with a £90 fare just to get from London to Manchester. A rail card saves you a third off the total price which can go a long way. Dont forget you can also split your fare. This is a really handy service which lets you know whether it would be cheaper to buy two separate train tickets rather than just the one. So for example, a ticket from London to Milton Keynes, and then Milton Keynes to Manchester. You wont have to get off the train (although you might have to switch seats), but you could save up to half the price. And if youre still struggling with the train fare, youve always got the good old Megabus as a back-up. It might take what feels like 10 years to get anywhere, but the tickets are super cheap, and you can sometimes get literally from one end of the country to the other for less than a tenner. Dont knock it. If youre commuting across a city, see if you can save money on the daily bus fare by cycling or walking instead even if it does mean getting up a bit earlier. Food Adjusting to working life can be tough, but dont fall into the trap of popping to the local Starbucks to grab a coffee and sandwich on your lunch break everyday. It might only be a fiver at the time, but that could be an extra fifty quid to add to the top of a rapidly increasing work experience bill, so try and take your own lunch in. Make some salads/sandwiches at home, or add an extra portion when cooking your dinner and save that for work the next day. Either way, that avocado and quinoa boost box is not worth the price tag. My main piece of advice always think long and hard about whether a work experience placement is worth the money youre spending on it. Will it genuinely help you secure a paid role or graduate position? Keep that in mind, spend accordingly and always know your worth. Connect with Debut on  Facebook,  Twitter,  and  LinkedIn  for more careers insights.