Check my budget - what costs have I missed?

TrojanH

Can anyone check what I have missed for my recurring expenses budget:

EXPENSES:

•

Rent - £130 per week (42w)

•

Food - £40 per week (roughly, heavy meat content, will adjust when I go)

•

Gym - £5 per week (£180 per year from the Uni, if I dislike there are cheaper options at £12 p/m but without swimming)

•

Mobile - £2.50 per week (£10p/m but if I buy a new handset its a 1-off)

•

Movies - £5 per week (probably won't go every week so £5 is enough to offset other stuff I might do as well, plus 2for1 makes it cheaper)

•

Haircut - £3 per week (something around a tenner for a haircut probably once a month, might have to adjust when I actually get to uni and see how often I want one)

•

Toiletries - £5 per week (probably cheaper than this but who knows)

•

Phone Insurance/Travel/Breakdown - £2.50 per week (£10p/m packaged Natwest account)

TOTAL: £193 per week
INCOME: £281 per week (10,700/38 per academic week. actual income will be around £381 with a job)
DIFFERENCE: £88

One-off stuff I haven't included are things like Books, Phones, Clothes, Deposits, etc. I just want to know the recurring costs. Books would also probably be infrequent and not too expensive as I am studying Computer Science and not something like Law.

Anyways guys, does that look right? Have I accounted for all the recurring costs? What one-off costs am I missing?

(edited 7 years ago)

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Reply 1

Kevin De Bruyne

Original post by TrojanH

Can anyone check what I have missed for my recurring expenses budget:

EXPENSES:

•

Rent - £130 per week (42w)

•

Food - £40 per week (roughly, heavy meat content, will adjust when I go)

•

Gym - £5 per week (£180 per year from the Uni, if I dislike there are cheaper options at £12 p/m but without swimming)

•

Mobile - £2.50 per week (£10p/m but if I buy a new handset its a 1-off)

•

Movies - £5 per week (probably won't go every week so £5 is enough to offset other stuff I might do as well, plus 2for1 makes it cheaper)

•

Haircut - £3 per week (something around a tenner for a haircut probably once a month, might have to adjust when I actually get to uni and see how often I want one)

•

Toiletries - £5 per week (probably cheaper than this but who knows)

•

Phone Insurance/Travel/Breakdown - £2.50 per week (£10p/m packaged Natwest account)

TOTAL: £193 per week

One-off stuff I haven't included are things like Books, Phones, Clothes, Deposits, etc. I just want to know the recurring costs. Books would also probably be infrequent and not too expensive as I am studying Computer Science and not something like Law.

Anyways guys, does that look right? Have I accounted for all the recurring costs? What one-off costs am I missing?

Once a month for a haircut is interesting :tongue:

you can kind of gauge how often you go (based on when you're at home) but at the same time you might try something new, but that doesn't matter too much in the grand scheme of things.

Books - do not buy them unless you 100% know you need them and/or have spoken to a student in the year above to confirm whether they're useful or not, and whether they're available in the uni library or not.

Apart from that that sounds pretty good.The other tiny thing is fees for societies and maybe any associated costs.

Reply 2

TrojanH

Original post by SeanFM

Once a month for a haircut is interesting :tongue:

Haha yes.. I can't really recall how often I get my haircut done. I had one yesterday but can't really remember how far apart the last one was... so I'll have to find out soon :P

I'll be sure to ask a few people a year up on if a book is good or not.

Are you sure there aren't many other expenses? Everyone makes Uni sound super expensive? Do they just have less of the loan and drink more?

Reply 3

user73867

Original post by TrojanH

Good budgeting so far.

I would also add in travel costs, coaches, trains home etc. Buses around town or are you happy to walk?

I assume you're living in halls, so no water/gas/electric/council tax to worry about.

I would build in a bit of flexibility for "fun money" whether that's to drink or go see a film, if it's built in you don't feel guilty for overrunning.

SS

Reply 4

niteninja1

Original post by TrojanH

Can anyone check what I have missed for my recurring expenses budget:

EXPENSES:

•

Rent - £130 per week (42w)

•

Food - £40 per week (roughly, heavy meat content, will adjust when I go)

•

Gym - £5 per week (£180 per year from the Uni, if I dislike there are cheaper options at £12 p/m but without swimming)

•

Mobile - £2.50 per week (£10p/m but if I buy a new handset its a 1-off)

•

Movies - £5 per week (probably won't go every week so £5 is enough to offset other stuff I might do as well, plus 2for1 makes it cheaper)

•

Haircut - £3 per week (something around a tenner for a haircut probably once a month, might have to adjust when I actually get to uni and see how often I want one)

•

Toiletries - £5 per week (probably cheaper than this but who knows)

•

Phone Insurance/Travel/Breakdown - £2.50 per week (£10p/m packaged Natwest account)

Travel?

Reply 5

john2054

Original post by TrojanH

Can anyone check what I have missed for my recurring expenses budget:

EXPENSES:

•

Rent - £130 per week (42w)

•

Food - £40 per week (roughly, heavy meat content, will adjust when I go)

•

Gym - £5 per week (£180 per year from the Uni, if I dislike there are cheaper options at £12 p/m but without swimming)

•

Mobile - £2.50 per week (£10p/m but if I buy a new handset its a 1-off)

•

Movies - £5 per week (probably won't go every week so £5 is enough to offset other stuff I might do as well, plus 2for1 makes it cheaper)

•

Haircut - £3 per week (something around a tenner for a haircut probably once a month, might have to adjust when I actually get to uni and see how often I want one)

•

Toiletries - £5 per week (probably cheaper than this but who knows)

•

Phone Insurance/Travel/Breakdown - £2.50 per week (£10p/m packaged Natwest account)

What about beers. And yes you should budget in for buying a book or two, and the odd memory stick, to save your work on? Also do you need a new laptop, you need to take that in to consideration as well?

Reply 6

niteninja1

My budget

£10702 for the year (London)
- 5240.20 rent 38weeks
Leaves
5461.80/ 38

Leaves

143.73
-£35 food including toiletries
-£7 phone
-£20 travel
Leaves
81.73 a week for anything else

Reply 7

niteninja1

Who uses memory sticks that's so retro

Original post by john2054

I'm a computer science student and haven't used one in 2years

Reply 8

TrojanH

Original post by Supersaps

Aye, I've thought of travel costs but fortunately the city is actually quite compact (Newcastle). I would normally add bus/taxi but without sounding too cheesy... I realise how much more I walk with games like Pokemon GO so I'll probably just continue walking around. To and back my home city is a tenner all in on the train, but I can probably get a lift from parents as they'd travel up here for all sorts anyway.

Yep. Living in halls :wink:

I don't think students pay council tax either so that's good to know for next year.

Yeah absolutely, definitely considering a buffer for entertainment and what not. I just wanted to summarise the basic expenses I'd need for a week so that I'm aware of how much exactly I need. I'll factor in the fun money separately after the essentials.

Reply 9

TrojanH

Original post by john2054

Ah. I don't drink. Orange juice for me. Nectar of the Gods that stuff.

Yeah pretty sure books are either minimal or nonexistent. Cloud storage is free baby! I bought my Macbook after my AS results and that will probably last 4+ years (3 years of warranty as well). I do think I may need a phone. Have the same one since Year 11 but as it's only got 16gb it's dying on me. I believe that the 7 will have no audio jack so I'll wait for that and if it's true I'll pick up a cheaper 6S.

Reply 10

Napp

You're forgetting;
Cocaine
Escorts
Vodka
Lawyers fees
Fines for stealing a policeman
Various sundry expenses.

Reply 11

TrojanH

Original post by Napp

You're forgetting;
Cocaine
Escorts
Vodka
Lawyers fees
Fines for stealing a policeman
Various sundry expenses.

sorrah thats what i did on my gap yahh

Reply 12

#ChaosKass

Original post by john2054

A laptop is by no means essential for uni, let alone a "new" laptop. There are always plenty of computers available for use around campus.

Reply 13

cherryred90s

Original post by #ChaosKass

A laptop is by no means essential for uni, let alone a "new" laptop. There are always plenty of computers available for use around campus.

A laptop is pretty essential as not all work will be completed in the library

Reply 14

john2054

Original post by #ChaosKass

A laptop is by no means essential for uni, let alone a "new" laptop. There are always plenty of computers available for use around campus.

Yes but that depends on how close you live to the campus, and how much time you want to spend working at home doesn't it? I couldn't have done my degree without one,i know that much!

Reply 15

Sabertooth

How can you afford the data for Pokemon GO for 2.50 a week? Is data really that cheap in the UK?

Reply 16

#ChaosKass

cherryred90s

A laptop is pretty essential as not all work will be completed in the library

Original post by john2054

Yes but that depends on how close you live to the campus, and how much time you want to spend working at home doesn't it? I couldn't have done my degree without one,i know that much!

Well I survived without one, plus I lived off-campus and did a computing-heavy degree.

Reply 17

john2054

Original post by #ChaosKass

Well I survived without one, plus I lived off-campus and did a computing-heavy degree.

You did well then. I couldn't do without mine.

Reply 18

TrojanH

Original post by Sabertooth

How can you afford the data for Pokemon GO for 2.50 a week? Is data really that cheap in the UK?

I think you over estimate how little data Pokemon go actually uses. Think about it - most of the data is just your GPS coordinates, it hardly ever downloads actual images or bandwidth heavy stuff.

I've found that without touching FB, YouTube or other things and using data for games, snapchat and emails I barely go over a gig a month.

£10 gets me 2.25GB of 4G. WiFi at home and wifi in the city.

Reply 19

TrojanH

Original post by #ChaosKass

Well I survived without one, plus I lived off-campus and did a computing-heavy degree.

A lot of extra wasted time for not buying a essential equipment that you would have bought anyway. I bet you own a laptop now? All the extra commute and time gone to relay to computers when it could have been spent on work or fun.

I'll need a laptop anyway for Swift development as the Uni has only PCs