As students across the UK head to their universities and colleges to start the new year, a high street bank is encouraging them to eat healthily whilst staying within a budget.

Although for some observers a bank encouraging another section of society to stay within a budget might seem a tad amusing, given last year’s bail-outs of the banking sector.

Nonetheless, Lloyds TSB has launched its ‘Budget Cook Off’ section of the Savvy Saver student hub, an all round guide for students, advising them on how to manage finances during their time at University. No doubt a part of the guide will advise students against helping out prime ministers by rescuing banks, or buying toxic mortgage debts from the US.

Included in the range of Lloyds TSB tips is information on how to make sure a healthy diet is maintained throughout the day, even when students are pushed for time, or under stress from upcoming exams or deadlines. The ‘Budget Cook Off’ section also advises prospective students on how to find the best deals on food in the shops and habits to avoid, such as junk food, eating out and paying ridiculous bonuses to people who pretend to work for a living, in order to make the most of their money.

The Lloyds TSB bankers are obviously taking students to their hearts, having conducted some research into what some might see as the blatantly obvious. The pin-stripes discovered that out of a thousand 17-25 year olds who hoped to start a degree course in the autumn, some three quarters of would-be freshers thought that money management was especially important in the current economic environment. Maybe the remaining quarter of would-be freshers were children of bankers, with no real need to worry about money.

Catherine McGrath, director of current accounts, Lloyds TSB, chirruped:
“We want to do everything we can to support young people manage their finances responsibly, but also have fun and enjoy their studies. We hope the hub will show them that it is possible to study on a budget, and also that they’re not alone in being concerned about looking after their pennies during their degree course.”

How kind, although maybe a deeper understanding about student cash-flow might have been a better consideration.

Guest Article by Neil Camp