Meet the Team
A brief how d'ya do with the fun-loving team behind Save the Student!
Yep, that's right, we're firing pixels at you from our London yacht office.
Just one example of how we practice what we preach when it comes to saving money (amazingly our boat is cheaper than a rented bog-standard office in East London - and way more fun!) 😀
As well as those of us on this page, we can't forget to mention all those who have contributed to Save the Student since we started back in 2007. Cheers guys!
Owen Burek
Founder
Owen set up Save the Student as a first-year student back in 2007, graduating from The University of Manchester with First-Class honours in Geography in 2010.
He's dedicated his career to building content and resources to educate students about money and personal finance – all the important stuff we should have been taught in school.
In his spare time Owen loves getting outdoors, whether it's walking his dog Harry, a long bike ride, a weekend camp, sailing or a run after work.
Favourite money saving hack: Switching to digital bank Starling.
Author profile: Owen Burek
Twitter: @savethestudent
Read Owen’s 10 years of Save the Student
Jake Butler
Operations Guy
Jake graduated from uni in 2010, and loves to chirp on about how they were the best (but poorest) 3 years of his life.
Since then he's been at the heart of the STS team and vows to never stop working until every single student in the UK has saved money through using the site.
This dedication has lead Jake to being a frequent expert on both TV and radio.
His passion for saving money sometimes spills over into the realms of being a worrying addiction.
He's been known to wear shoes until breaking point just to avoid buying a new pair and refuses to go out for dinner without a money-off voucher.
Favourite money saving hack: Always haggle.
Author profile: Jake Butler
Twitter: @jaketlbutler
Lauren Nash
Digital Marketing Manager
Before coming on board at Save the Student, Lauren spent a lot of her free time hunting for deals and money off dinner vouchers. She now scours the internet for deals daily, so you guys can save as much as possible!
After growing up in Swansea and going to the University of Southampton, the excessive London prices (particularly on rent, alcohol and eating out) turned her into a professional deal hunter, to get the most out of a little.
Favourite money-saving hack: Meal prep for your lunches and always cook for four or five in the evening - even if you’re eating alone. An extra few carrots, onions etc. They only cost pennies and can bulk a meal from serving two people to serving five.
You’ll have hot, tasty meals for lunches that week and won’t be wasting money on meal deals and snacks. Lidl is a particular favourite for cheap meal ingredients.
Author profile: Lauren Nash
Twitter: @laurennash_1
Tom Allingham
Communications Director
Tom joined Save the Student as Editor back in the summer of 2017 – presumably in a vain attempt to return to his time at nearby Queen Mary University, where his days were mostly spent playing FIFA with his flatmate.
Studying in London forced him to get smart with his cash, but it was a colleague at Tom’s last job who really showed him the way of the money saver.
Since then he’s made it his mission to share this wisdom with as many people as possible, even if a few of his nearest and dearest can find it a little tiresome.
Favourite money-saving hack: Referral codes – they’re the dictionary definition of free money!
Author profile: Tom Allingham
Twitter: @TomAllingham
Laura Brown
Head of Editorial
As a student at The Courtauld in London, Laura quickly learnt that her Student Loan would disappear in no time if she wasn’t careful.
With the help of a very savvy flatmate, she set out to cut down on spending, improve her budgeting and make her money last longer.
She started journalism as a student, earning a bit of extra cash at uni by working at a student magazine. And now, as our Head of Editorial, she gets to combine her two favourite things for a living: writing and saving money.
Favourite money-saving hack: Buying unbranded food. Try a month-long challenge to only buy unbranded food, sticking to local produce and supermarket-own brand items - it’s amazing how much this can save.
Author profile: Laura Brown
Twitter: @Laurafrances96
Amy Johnson
Deal Hunter
Amy joined the team in June 2014, as Save the Student’s resident deal hunter, and when she’s not hunting down the best student deals she can find, she’s studying for a degree in Interior Design via distance learning at Staffordshire University.
As if that’s not enough to keep her busy, Amy also works as a Trainee Architectural Technician & Interior Designer!
In her spare time, she enjoys photography, reading, visiting new places and playing around with various types of CAD software.
Favourite money-saving hack: refusing to pay full price on anything.
Kayleigh Peplow-Woolf
Admin Assistant
Kayleigh joined Save The Student in June 2020 as our freelance admin assistant. She plans to study Banking and Finance at university later this year. Being a student based in London, Kayleigh won’t let the costs deter her. During her gap year, she spent time budgeting for her years ahead.
Kayleigh has always loved finding bargains and getting good discounts using student ID cards. When she’s not studying, Kayleigh enjoys reading psychology books and photographing wildlife.
Favourite money-saving hack: When shopping online, leave items in your basket for 24hrs to stop impulse buying – it is amazing how much you don’t end up buying.
Nele van Hout
Content Editor
At the age of 18, Nele moved to the UK to study English and Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. But coming from the Netherlands, she didn’t qualify for a Maintenance Loan, forcing her to get a grip on her finances quickly.
With multiple part-time jobs, a bulletproof budget, and some fantastic money-saving tips, she managed to pay for rent, bills, beers, and a trip to Japan after graduating. Aside from working as an editor for Save The Student, she also runs her own travel blog.
Favourite money-saving hack: Never do a food shop when you’re hungry!
Hannah Williams
Content Editor
At the age of 18, Hannah chose to study English Language at the University of Sussex in Brighton, completely oblivious to the fact she had chosen one of the most expensive regions after London (and without the increased funding).
She realised very quickly that the best way to ensure she could get a pint of cider down the pub and still pay the crazy rent was to work on the other side of the bar.
Hannah has always made it her mission to spend as little as possible whilst still enjoying the best things in life, and over the years has travelled extensively on a budget whilst freelance editing.
Favourite money-saving hack: Always check the supermarket's reduced items for your dinner. You can find some real treats - especially if you’re going upmarket at Waitrose or M&S!
Harry
The Dawg
Born in December 2017, Harry the Havanese is our super tough little furry office prince.
Also known affectionately by his colleagues as Haz, this pooch spends most of his working day laying on his back with zero modesty.
Favourite money-saving hack: Be a pet
Instagram: @savethestudent
You?
New Crew
We're always on the lookout for new super-powered talent to come aboard.
If Save the Student sounds like the kind of place you'd love to work, head over to our current job vacancies! We'd love to unblur your face.
