Money is a sensitive topic.
It’s hard to talk about money, even with close friends. It can be so closely tied to how we see ourselves - there’s often shame in talking about our experiences with it.
At the same time, it’s easier now more than ever to find ourselves running into money problems.
The availability of Buy Now Pay Later and other borrowing options can make it easy to lose track of spending, while on-demand investing and gambling apps promising huge returns can lead to big money troubles. That’s why it’s important especially now to share our money experiences and learn from each other.
This is where our new ‘Spend Stories’ campaign comes in.
What’s Spend Stories all about?
We want to encourage open and honest communication around money, so you don’t feel like you’re going it alone. That’s why during Spend Stories, we’re inviting you to share your financial wins as well as any lessons you might’ve learned the hard way.
Across two weeks in June and July, our Instagram Stories will become the place for you to:
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Have the chance to win money (see more below) 💰
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Share something money-related - this can be something you’re proud of, something you’ve learned or a mistake you’ve made 🗣️
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Discover resources to help you if you need it 🔍
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Read about other students’ money experiences - it’s comforting to hear from other students to see you’re not alone and to learn from them, too!
Why should I get involved?
There’s £50 up for grabs during each of the two instalments of Spend Stories – that’s one in June and one in July.
The lucky winner will be picked at random and will be paid £50 - or can ask us to give a £50 donation in their name to their charity of choice.
How do I get involved?
The dates for Spend Stories 2024 are:
- 3-7 June
- 1-5 July
All you have to do is reply to the question sticker on our Story to submit your entry during these dates. Tell us about anything you’ve spent money on, and whether or not it brought you value, or if it led you to a tough lesson learned. It can be anything from an electric toothbrush to a pair of Sambas!
You can submit as many entries as you’d like - each story you share will count as one entry into the prize draw!
To be included in the £50 prize draw, make sure you've created a free Blackbullion account. There, you'll also be able to develop your money skills and browse scholarships, bursaries and support funds you may be eligible for in our Funding Hub.
You'll also need to be studying at one of our partner universities of colleges - you can find a list of those here.
You can still take part even if your university or college isn't a Blackbullion partner, sharing your experiences and reading the other student submissions, but you won't be eligible to win the £50 prize draw.
Full terms and conditions for the prize draw can be found here.
Examples from previous years
For inspiration, check out what some students shared with us last year:
We’re looking forward to reading your entries! 🙌
In the meantime, if you’re struggling it’s always worth speaking to your university or college’s student support department to find out about the help available to you. Other places to get support / useful resources include:
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Blackbullion website
