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student loan and living fees- is this about right?

So I'm hopefully going to Durham next year and I'll be living in self-catered accommodation. I've just heard back about my student loan and deducting accommodation fees I'll be living on about £50 a week during term time. I'm not hugely worldly so I don't know if this is enough or too much or not enough... I've heard mixed feedback about whether or not that's do-able, and I'm not sure if I should be asking my parents for any supplements or if I can do it on my own. Does this sound about right for living fees or will I struggle?

(I like to think I can be quite decisive and economical but I still want to be relatively comfortable)

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Original post by picklescamp
So I'm hopefully going to Durham next year and I'll be living in self-catered accommodation. I've just heard back about my student loan and deducting accommodation fees I'll be living on about £50 a week during term time. I'm not hugely worldly so I don't know if this is enough or too much or not enough... I've heard mixed feedback about whether or not that's do-able, and I'm not sure if I should be asking my parents for any supplements or if I can do it on my own. Does this sound about right for living fees or will I struggle?

(I like to think I can be quite decisive and economical but I still want to be relatively comfortable)
its not much..especially if anything goes wrong. its doable but something always comes up and youll have to budget well.

would your parents be able to step in if yeh needed them to?
What I do so I don't struggle I am not sure if you can do this but I get a summer job, then that money I save and it lasts me throughout the year.

So while other students are poor I roughly have 1,000 in the bank. I aim to make around 1.8k from the summer each year.

50 pound sounds okay but sticking to it is hard :wink:
Original post by trustmeimlying1
its not much..especially if anything goes wrong. its doable but something always comes up and youll have to budget well.

would your parents be able to step in if yeh needed them to?


hullo there :smile:

they would be able to but I don't think they'd want to, they think it's important I learn to live on a tight budget and I agree but I also want to have a bit of flexibility and to be able to have a bit of fun on top of that. I could ask them for £10 a week on top of that perhaps, is 60 or 65 reasonable?
Original post by urbanlocations
What I do so I don't struggle I am not sure if you can do this but I get a summer job, then that money I save and it lasts me throughout the year.

So while other students are poor I roughly have 1,000 in the bank. I aim to make around 1.8k from the summer each year.

50 pound sounds okay but sticking to it is hard :wink:


My parents told me to get a job during term time but I think that would be really hard in first year. I have a month-long job lined up in the summer but I'll only be making about £400-500 from that. Is that a good safety buffer?
Original post by picklescamp
My parents told me to get a job during term time but I think that would be really hard in first year. I have a month-long job lined up in the summer but I'll only be making about £400-500 from that. Is that a good safety buffer?


My parents told me to get a job while at university (I am in my first year) My answer was: NO

In my eyes after university you will be working until at least the age of 65... Therefore why would I struggle through university alongside having a job.

When as soon as I leave uni.... It will be work work work work until I die.

Some of my friends have a job while at Uni It is a good idea but I decide not to have one... Even if you work 1 day a week the money really helps. My girlfriend is at ASDA and she works 1 day a week.... That means 200 pound a month but... that 200 pound really helps her out.

So a job is a good idea but I just decide to work in the summer.
Original post by urbanlocations
My parents told me to get a job while at university (I am in my first year) My answer was: NO

In my eyes after university you will be working until at least the age of 65... Therefore why would I struggle through university alongside having a job.

When as soon as I leave uni.... It will be work work work work until I die.

Some of my friends have a job while at Uni It is a good idea but I decide not to have one... Even if you work 1 day a week the money really helps. My girlfriend is at ASDA and she works 1 day a week.... That means 200 pound a month but... that 200 pound really helps her out.

So a job is a good idea but I just decide to work in the summer.


That's a good point, I'll say that next time they ask haha. So what is a comfortable but not excessive amount? 60-70 pounds?
Original post by picklescamp
That's a good point, I'll say that next time they ask haha. So what is a comfortable but not excessive amount? 60-70 pounds?


You're university is outside of uni right? and 60-70 pounds for what? :smile:

btw reply in an hour or so lectures!
50 is more than enough, food will only be half of it and the rest easily pays for clothes and toiletries and a phone contract
How many weeks did you divide that by? Whilst your contract might be some 42 weeks, you won't be at uni for that many weeks, therefore, you may have more than £50 a week to live on. But you'd also have costs such as travel home and textbooks to buy.
Original post by urbanlocations
You're university is outside of uni right? and 60-70 pounds for what? :smile:

btw reply in an hour or so lectures!


For living fees, as opposed to £50 a week
Original post by picklescamp
hullo there :smile:

they would be able to but I don't think they'd want to, they think it's important I learn to live on a tight budget and I agree but I also want to have a bit of flexibility and to be able to have a bit of fun on top of that. I could ask them for £10 a week on top of that perhaps, is 60 or 65 reasonable?
its more could they step if yeh needed fifty quid the very odd time as yeh should learn to balance that budget. should be grand if yeh put your mind to it.

btw long time no chat. hope youre well x

Original post by picklescamp
My parents told me to get a job during term time but I think that would be really hard in first year. I have a month-long job lined up in the summer but I'll only be making about £400-500 from that. Is that a good safety buffer?


part time work is doable in first year.
Original post by Tiger Rag
How many weeks did you divide that by? Whilst your contract might be some 42 weeks, you won't be at uni for that many weeks, therefore, you may have more than £50 a week to live on. But you'd also have costs such as travel home and textbooks to buy.


I divided by 40. Travel is one of my concerns as i live a long way away.
Original post by picklescamp
For living fees, as opposed to £50 a week


Yeah that sounds a lot :smile:

Some people live off a lot less so you wont struggle :smile: Just budget
Original post by picklescamp
I divided by 40. Travel is one of my concerns as i live a long way away.


There's many way to get round that, look into megabuses and buy tickets to go home for the holidays a while in advance.
Original post by picklescamp
I divided by 40. Travel is one of my concerns as i live a long way away.


Railcard and buy in advance. I can't remember who it is now; but one (is it just one?) of the banks gives away a free student railcard with their student bank account.
You have more than enough left over for food.

But it depends on your other expenses. If you have to use the buses a lot it may not be enough. You may not be able to travel home as often as you would like or go out/ spend as much as you would like.

But £50 a week is more than doable if it's just for food, toiletries and socialising.

You could always get a part time job on the weekend instead of asking your mum/dad for money (unless you're one a course like nursing and medicine in which you already have work placements). Even just 10 hours a week, which is really very little work and should be easily manageable will give you an extra £53 a week. I have friends in final year doing a lot more hours and managing just fine, which means you should really be able to work just fine in first year. You could also work and save up during summer.

And your parents are right, you do need to learn to live on a small budget now. It's better to learn now while you have support around you than learn in 20 years time if something bad happened like you lost your job and you have no idea how to cut back your expenses to live on a tight budget.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by trustmeimlying1
its more could they step if yeh needed fifty quid the very odd time as yeh should learn to balance that budget. should be grand if yeh put your mind to it.

btw long time no chat. hope youre well x



part time work is doable in first year.


I'm good thanks, hope you're ok too.

Yeah they're definitely in a position to do that, they'll be swimming in cash now they don't have to pay for my private education aha, although I don't exactly want to ask even more of them as they've already done so much
Original post by Tiger Rag
Railcard and buy in advance. I can't remember who it is now; but one (is it just one?) of the banks gives away a free student railcard with their student bank account.


I already have a 16-25 railcard if that's what you mean? Or is this one different?
Original post by picklescamp
I already have a 16-25 railcard if that's what you mean? Or is this one different?


Yeah, it's the 16-25 railcard

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