The NUS Card is a discount card that is available for students only giving various discounts on high street stores. Unfortunately, to be eligible for the card you have to be in further or higher education which includes college, university and Sixth Form students. If you are one of these people this card is definately worth checking out as it has helped me out quite a lot.

So it started when I was in Sixth Form and we were given an assembly on this card. It really intrigued me as at the time I had very little money and was scraping by on wages and tips from a job in a restaurant. Any discount to me was great as it could help to fund all the clothes and shoes I longed for (sad I know). So without a doubt, I went on to the NUS Extra website to read all about the card and what it does.

Basically, you have to sign up online by filling in your details and sending off a photo of you. This photo then gets transferred on to your card so you can prove it is you when purchasing goods with it. The NUS Extra card itself is £10.00 and is valid for a year up until the end of that academic year. It can also be upgraded to an ISIC Card which is the International Student Identity Card and can apparently get you worldwide discounts for an extra £1.00 although I have found no use out of it other than I.D.

Your card either gets delivered to your home address or through your place of study. I had to pick mine up from where I study and it usually goes through to your Student Union. It only took a couple of weeks to come through and the great thing was that you could track your NUS Card, and it basically took you through all of the stages such as when it was processing it to when it was being dispatched and finally delivered.

The card itself is simply like a credit or debit card that you can easily just put into your purse or wallet, and so far the £10.00 I have paid for it has been completely worth it as I've saved about four times that in discounts due to my spending habits.

This would be a pointless review without me telling you the discounts you can get. These do vary and you can keep checking on what they are currently by going on to their website. Some of the best discounts you can receive are for the following places (yes, there really is something for everyone!):
- Amazon
- Play
- Matalan
- McDonalds
- Pizza Hut
- Superdrug
- Staples
- Odeon Cinema
- La Senza
- JJB
- MegaBus
- Halfords
- New Look
- BSM
- Interflora
- AA
- Topshop/Topman
- Missguided
- Oasis
- Miss Selfridge
- Apple
- & Various Other Stores

As you can see there is a vast range of places you can use your NUS card and even though it is often only around 10% off, this can make a huge difference when you add up how much you are buying over a year, particularly when you're on a low income as most students are. I've found the NUS card has helped me from treating myself to outfit for a night out to buying gifts for birthdays. It's just really helpful and a great investment I think.

It's also worth checking out when some retailers do a special student discount. I recently went into New Look and they often hold a 20% off for students at certain periods of the year.

Obviously, the card does have some disadvantages such as only lasting for one year, and it isn't free unlike some other cards. I do find that it is worth getting though as it can be used at so many places. Unfortunately, only students are able to purchase this and you do have to give proof that you are in higher or further education and must be 16 or over to buy one.

Needless to say, if you fit the criteria it's worth looking at getting one of these for the great discounts you can save. Thanks for reading this review.