News release - Student's frugal lifestyle pays off
February 6 2009
A student whose extreme thriftiness left him with cash in the bank instead of a debt – has turned his penny-pinching skills into a thriving business which is helping thousands of students to save money.
Southampton Solent University graduate Steve Burford has just won a national award for his hugely successful student debt-busting website.
Steve's cash-saving site – wealthystudent.co.uk – has been named this year's winner of the Men's Health/3 NOMAD (No Office Mobile and Driven) competition for best internet start-up.
He beat strong competition from a range of online entrepreneurs to the title – which includes a £5,000 cash prize - plus latest technology from mobile phone company, 3.
Steve's money-saving website – which offers students money-saving opportunities ranging from burger and cinema vouchers to advice on where to bank overdrafts – is getting more than 60,000 hits a month.
Meanwhile, his book Defeat Student Debt is flying off the shelves and has just reached number one in Amazon's student living section.
Steve was able to set up his business through the University's government-funded Student Placements for Entrepreneurs in Education (SPEED) which gave him start-up training, mentoring and financial support.
He came up with the idea after his own frugal living skills left him in the rare position of having money in the bank after graduating.
Steve – who was named in the Observer newspaper's Future 500 entrepreneurs list – is delighted with the website's success. He said: "Winning the award is amazing. The cash and technology supplied by 3 will enable me to move on to the next stage. I want to promote a new social network – wealthystudent.mobi – so that students will be able to redeem local vouchers on their phone"
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