How do i survive on £10 a week?!

OP

Original post by Tiger Rag

Ask for a current year assessment.

Yep tried that, for some reason they didn't take this into account and i called them and they said it would only apply for second year student finance :frown:

sad times for me

Reply 64

OP

Original post by Kyrstface

Sounds like a year of rice and gravy for you. Surelu even if your parents are on minimun wage they would have some to send you? Or get a job yourself

They barely have enough money as it it, let alone giving me money on top of that which just makes me so sad. It's starting to feel like uni is more aimed towards the more wealthy and not people in my situation.. yep, applying for jobs as we speak

Reply 65

OP

Original post by claireestelle

Find cheaper accommodation, better have worse accommodation than not be able to feed yourself

I don't think the uni accommodation comes much cheaper if i'm being honest, also i have accepted my room and paid the deposit

Reply 66

OP

Original post by stripystockings

Also, if you don't want an actual job, doing odd jobs is easy and useful. There's got to be families around the area whose kids you could babysit - plus, you can usually use their TV or spend the time studying. Or houses that you can clean. Print off some flyers and ask local shops if you can put them in the windows.

I'm worried about if i'm not able to get a job, especially in a small town which is full of students also wanting jobs :frown:

Reply 67

999tigger

19

The pther thing you should do is be applying for Christmas jobs as soon as they become open. that way you could pay off your overdraft.

Reply 68

SMEGGGY

21

Original post by Laurajayne1

My student finance has come through and i have worked out i will only have £10 a week to live on, how the hell am i going to live on this? Does anyone have any tips on living on such a *****y income??? Also my parents can't help me out as they both work on minimum wage. Im so so so so so annoyed. Am i just not going to be able to have a social life? Is shopping in pound land going to be my life now?

I can easily live on that as,I'm very careful with money. You can buy lots of food and other things if you shop using your brain. Shopping in Poundland can cost more as,some items costing a £1 there are available for 89p in another shop. /Or even cheaper)

Lidl bag of frozen Chips - 50p
Sauages 20 - 89p

Frozen items last longer than a week unless you eat them everyday

Pasta 33p Morrisons
Pasta Sauce 34p
Tuna flakes in brine 45p

Can make a healthy tuna & pasta meal (23p Mash Potato Tesco) to make a Tuna & Pasta Bake

Chicken Drumsticks 5 for £1 Morrisons....

See all you can do if you put your mind to it? Soap etc can be bought to which you won't need to replenish unless of course you're eating it then do buy it weekly....

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Reply 69

doodle_333

19

Original post by Laurajayne1

I have to get four trains home so it looks like i'll never be going home again haha. It's also stuff like books, makeup, cleaning products, hygiene products and trips organised by the uni that i won't be able to afford :frown:

Original post by SophieSmall

Find a cheaper accommodation. Problem solved.

Or as several people have said and you have ignored each time....get a job.

^^^ this - You need cheaper accommodation, end of.

I know there are people showing how you can 'manage' on £10 a week but seriously that is NOT viable. Aside from the fact you will be miserable if you can never go out, never party, never go on a trip, never have a take out, never grab some chocolate to treat yourself etc and being miserable is not a good way to get good university grades - if you have to get four trains you're probably looking at a months budget for a train home... presumably you at least need to go at christmas... speaking of which, buying even basic presents for a few people will set you back another MONTHS budget, buying a mascara is going to be a whole weeks budget, if you need a course book (most will be in the library but occasionally you do have to buy something) that'll be a week-a month gone... every time you get your period you'll be using half a week's food budget just on feminine hygeine produces... and you have no way to make those deficits back up - how depressing will it be to be living on plain rice and pasta, never going out or socialising and STILL be dropping further and further into your overdraft?

Getting a job is a very good idea but like you've said, there are no guarantees. I imagine you should be able to find something if you're not picky (think unpopular jobs or jobs with *****y hours - telesales, support work, shops with crappy reputations etc) but you need to seriously commit to the job search because you will end up dropping out as things stand at the moment. Really you should have already worked full time over the summer as you could have tripled or quadrupled your yearly budget if you had.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 70

Sugar_1998

12

Did you get your student finance figure minus it by accommodation then divide by 52 as that would be the most logical reason why the figure is so small

Reply 71

username1559803

3

You need to call student finance and check if the amount is correct. If both parents are on minimun wage you should have no issue with finances.
If (and this is unlikely) the amount is correct consider moving to a cheaper room at uni or renting privately.

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Reply 72

niteninja1

Original post by Laurajayne1

My accommodation will cost £5,800 overall. My overall student finance = £6,200
That leaves £400 for 10 months
£400 divided by 10 = £40 per month
So, £10 per week

According to the student finance calculator your parents would have had to earn 40k+ last year for you to only get that much.

Reply 73

niteninja1

My family income was 27k for 6 of us last year now it is now 9k I made them aware of this when I made my application, they then did a current year assessment.

I am studying in London I get

£10702

-5240.20 for 38weeks accommodation

Leaves

5461.80

/38

Leaves me

143.73
- £35 a week for food
-£20 for travel
-£7 for food

Leaves me

£81.73 a week

Also hate to tell you but the way the payments fall you may actually be negative for your first two payments and then only get it back on you last.

Reply 74

postexamtalk

12

Original post by niteninja1

My family income was 27k for 6 of us last year now it is now 9k I made them aware of this when I made my application, they then did a current year assessment.

I am studying in London I get

£10702

-5240.20 for 38weeks accommodation

Leaves

5461.80

/38

Leaves me

143.73
- £35 a week for food
-£20 for travel
-£7 for food

Leaves me

£81.73 a week

Also hate to tell you but the way the payments fall you may actually be negative for your first two payments and then only get it back on you last.

Can you explain what you mean by your last statement pls

Reply 75

niteninja1

Well student loan is paid in 3 chunks which are not quite equal as seen below

However rent at most uni's doesn't fall in similar sized chunks as seen below

Attachment not found

So for the first 16 weeks I will have

£1325.26 left

Same for second set of 16weeks

Then on last six weeks I will have

2811.28 left over.

So I will have double the money for 10 weeks less than the other periods due to the lower rent.

I am planning on using my savings until the final payment then topping them back up

Hope that makes sense

(The image at the bottom should be in the middle)

Reply 77

Napp

Embrace your inner niggard.

Reply 78

radel1999

3

go online print all the free sample coupon u can find(assuming u have a printer) that should handle food. for leisure where the tightest lbd u have, that should handle drinks when ur out. And if u need cash donate ur plasma, i hear u can get up to 50 bucks.

Reply 79

Tiger Rag