Drinks in the student union will often be the cheapest way to drink in a traditional pub environment, but there are other ways to ensure you can enjoy alcoholic drinks at the lowest price.

• The supermarkets always have offers on alcohol with frequent bulk-buying discounts on wine and beer. They are usually much cheaper than the off-licences or local shops and you can also take advantage of the supermarket loyalty schemes.
• Have a look to see if they offer boxed containers of wine – usually they are in 3 litre quantities and will last for ages compared to a bottle of wine. If you have bought a wine which you don’t like make spritzers by adding lemonade or fizzy water and lime to make it more pleasant and 'drinkable'.
• Costco and Makro are two alternative stores for bulk-buying but you need a store card. The discount retailers such as Aldi and Lidl also sell alcohol.
• Make use of fixtureferrets.co.uk to find out about any special promotions in the supermarkets.
• The large graduate employers often host presentation evenings around about September time. Often in return for sitting listening to their pitch they will have free alcohol or a redeemable voucher for their brand of alcohol.