University Living Costs - Help
I am starting university in September (Up north)
My question is for the people currently in university - How much do you guys spend per week on things such as food, going out etc etc (per week or month)
The issue is i am going to get the minimum loan £3821.
My accommodation is i think £5300 or something like that which means a gap of around £1,500.
I want to know excluding costs of accommodation what other costs will i have to factor in? I want to get a rough idea of figures so i know beforehand on what i am up against in a way.
My question is for the people currently in university - How much do you guys spend per week on things such as food, going out etc etc (per week or month)
The issue is i am going to get the minimum loan £3821.
My accommodation is i think £5300 or something like that which means a gap of around £1,500.
I want to know excluding costs of accommodation what other costs will i have to factor in? I want to get a rough idea of figures so i know beforehand on what i am up against in a way.
It honestly depends on your lifestyle, food is doable at £25 then put £5 aside for toiletries and bin bags and the like, can't help on the nights out costs.
Now 5.3 k sounds steep for accomdation up north, is that actually the cheapest option available?
Now 5.3 k sounds steep for accomdation up north, is that actually the cheapest option available?
Original post by claireestelle
It honestly depends on your lifestyle, food is doable at £25 then put £5 aside for toiletries and bin bags and the like, can't help on the nights out costs.
Now 5.3 k sounds steep for accomdation up north, is that actually the cheapest option available?
Now 5.3 k sounds steep for accomdation up north, is that actually the cheapest option available?
£25 a month???!!??
And its university halls - ensuite
Original post by Brackshaw
£25 a month???!!??
And its university halls - ensuite
And its university halls - ensuite
Sorry £25 a week. Do you absolutely need an ensuite? you'd be in shared normally for second year onwards anyway and personally it saved me £20 a week in 1st year which covered my food.
Original post by claireestelle
Sorry £25 a week. Do you absolutely need an ensuite? you'd be in shared normally for second year onwards anyway and personally it saved me £20 a week in 1st year which covered my food.
You have top budgeting skills
Do you go out often like for food?
Original post by Brackshaw
You have top budgeting skills
Do you go out often like for food?
Do you go out often like for food?
Nope, when I lived on my own I mostly cooked for myself, lidl, a decent freezer and the occasional trip to the reduced aisle meant I ate decent healthy food
If I did ever get a rare takeaway my uni city was pretty cheap for a decent meal anyway.
Echoing Claire... Can't help with "going out" costs, really. I possibly spent on average £20-30 a month "socialising". £25 a week on food is very doable. Spend carefully. E.g. with meat you'll want something decent with a lower fat content, whereas vegetables are cheaper if you buy them fresh, and not the pre-chopped and packaged vegetables. Buy and cook in bulk. Freeze whatever you can so you have minimal food waste. Avoid branded cleaning products and other household bits. The brands seem better, but if you look at the list of chemicals/materials used, they are much the same as the supermarket value ranges.
Also consider things like buying lunches and coffees out etc. It only seems like £3 or £4 here and there but it does add up. If you really need coffee or a hot drink while you are out, buy a flask and take from home as it's much cheaper. Don't ever buy lunch from a uni canteen because it's just SO expensive.
If you're really tight for money, don't buy any textbooks if you can get away with it. You'll just have to be super fast at getting the books out from the library as soon as you get your reading lists, to beat anyone else to it.
You might also want to think about travel costs too. If you are going to be outside of walking distance from places, and don't mind cycling, maybe invest now in a cheap second hand bicycle for like £100? Much cheaper than bus fares or driving.
Finally, think about what you need compared to what you want. Many friends of mine at uni often complained they had no money.... Yet they had a brand new iPhone contract worth £40 a month. So the problem wasn't having the money, it was how they were choosing to spend it. They probably could have had a decent smartphone on a reasonable contract for half that cost. £20 a month saved already. Boom.
Hope that helps and makes you think about other ways to save money! There might be some lifestyle changes required, but you could save a fortune!
Also consider things like buying lunches and coffees out etc. It only seems like £3 or £4 here and there but it does add up. If you really need coffee or a hot drink while you are out, buy a flask and take from home as it's much cheaper. Don't ever buy lunch from a uni canteen because it's just SO expensive.
If you're really tight for money, don't buy any textbooks if you can get away with it. You'll just have to be super fast at getting the books out from the library as soon as you get your reading lists, to beat anyone else to it.
You might also want to think about travel costs too. If you are going to be outside of walking distance from places, and don't mind cycling, maybe invest now in a cheap second hand bicycle for like £100? Much cheaper than bus fares or driving.
Finally, think about what you need compared to what you want. Many friends of mine at uni often complained they had no money.... Yet they had a brand new iPhone contract worth £40 a month. So the problem wasn't having the money, it was how they were choosing to spend it. They probably could have had a decent smartphone on a reasonable contract for half that cost. £20 a month saved already. Boom.
Hope that helps and makes you think about other ways to save money! There might be some lifestyle changes required, but you could save a fortune!
Original post by Brackshaw
I am starting university in September (Up north)
My question is for the people currently in university - How much do you guys spend per week on things such as food, going out etc etc (per week or month)
The issue is i am going to get the minimum loan £3821.
My accommodation is i think £5300 or something like that which means a gap of around £1,500.
I want to know excluding costs of accommodation what other costs will i have to factor in? I want to get a rough idea of figures so i know beforehand on what i am up against in a way.
My question is for the people currently in university - How much do you guys spend per week on things such as food, going out etc etc (per week or month)
The issue is i am going to get the minimum loan £3821.
My accommodation is i think £5300 or something like that which means a gap of around £1,500.
I want to know excluding costs of accommodation what other costs will i have to factor in? I want to get a rough idea of figures so i know beforehand on what i am up against in a way.
I spend about £25 a week on food shopping
£15 a week on takeaways/going out
£20 a month on laundry services
£30 for the train fare back home (I go back once every 4 weeks)
I pay for my phone bill which is £60 a month
That's the essential stuff, but I'd probably spend about 50 quid more for the month on treating myself with some new clothes or something
Wow, that's over 300 a month.
Original post by Jackieox
I spend about £30 every two weeks for food shopping
Don't really go out so can't help with that.
£50 a month on train travel to get to my job
The gym was £200 which i paid upfront.
And your halls are expensive.. Last year I was in Ensuite halls and I paid £4500 total... (£109 a week)
Don't really go out so can't help with that.
£50 a month on train travel to get to my job
The gym was £200 which i paid upfront.
And your halls are expensive.. Last year I was in Ensuite halls and I paid £4500 total... (£109 a week)
You spend £15 a week on food? How?! Even 25 is a struggle for me. I once spent 40 but that was when I feeling rich
Original post by cherryred90s
You spend £15 a week on food? How?! Even 25 is a struggle for me. I once spent 40 but that was when I feeling rich
I don't tend to eat much so i'll buy a big bag of potatoes, some frozen veg, then sausages, chicken, bread and ham for sandwiches and that's all i really eat =P
If you're concerned about money and that much short for accommodation you shouldn't be getting an ensuite room unless you need one for medical reasons, it's just plain silly and money you don't have down the drain.
As for how much I spend per month:
food: £100
socialising or eating out: £40
Toiletries: £5-10
Miscellaneous (replacement clothes, treats ect) £40 on average
Travel (not paid monthly, pay £120 in September and £120 in January. Covers transport for most of my duration at uni.
As for how much I spend per month:
food: £100
socialising or eating out: £40
Toiletries: £5-10
Miscellaneous (replacement clothes, treats ect) £40 on average
Travel (not paid monthly, pay £120 in September and £120 in January. Covers transport for most of my duration at uni.
Literally the same as me, i think i wont be spending much more than £30 a week on food, but nights out is probably gonna be more ;/
Original post by Brackshaw
I am starting university in September (Up north)
My question is for the people currently in university - How much do you guys spend per week on things such as food, going out etc etc (per week or month)
The issue is i am going to get the minimum loan £3821.
My accommodation is i think £5300 or something like that which means a gap of around £1,500.
I want to know excluding costs of accommodation what other costs will i have to factor in? I want to get a rough idea of figures so i know beforehand on what i am up against in a way.
My question is for the people currently in university - How much do you guys spend per week on things such as food, going out etc etc (per week or month)
The issue is i am going to get the minimum loan £3821.
My accommodation is i think £5300 or something like that which means a gap of around £1,500.
I want to know excluding costs of accommodation what other costs will i have to factor in? I want to get a rough idea of figures so i know beforehand on what i am up against in a way.
Hello,
It really depends on your personal preference on what you want to do.
When I was in my first year I had around £80 a week to live on from Student Finance and this helped with various things.
When I first started off I began shopping alone and spending around £25-£30 on shopping a week for myself - however, I began shopping with my friends in halls and ended going to spend around £10-£15 instead.
This left me with around £60 and then I used to go out every Tuesday for Student Nights so that's nearly another £30 for alcohol, cigarettes, entry fees, taxis and takeaway - but I soon left this lifestyle in first year. Then I had a little money to spend on whatever else I wanted.
In second year I've struggled a bit more with money. I went down to £33 a week because of how expensive my student house is but my mother managed to match that money so I still had around £60 a week to live on and then I still did the same shop with my flatmates and was only spending around £10 and that shop could last 1-2 weeks depending on how well we cooked etc. Again various expenses where included - but yeah, that's how much I spent on living costs.
I hope this gives you a little insight.
Good luck!
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