[Pankeu]

Hey there!

I'm currently in Sixth Form and I'm starting at university in September 2012 and I'm obviously excited (finally leaving my family!) and now that my exams are about the start, the prospect of living on my own is getting closer and closer.

So any ideas on how to budget food, clothes, travel, entertainment, etc?
I'll be living about an hour or so away from my family, it takes about 45 or so by tube and I intend to bring a bunch of canned food for my first week, e.g. canned pineapples (they're seriously yummy), kidney beans, bags of rice and a few bags of fresh vegetables and fruit (I love broccoli, carrots and potatoes).

Also, any idea how much a launderette costs? My friend said they're about £1.50 per load.

[MehMachine]

A lot of unis should have facilities for student to wash things in their first year. Get a student bank account closer to the time and paying for stuff by card will really help you know exactly where your money is going. Eat what you need to and dont binge on crisps etc... You already sound like a healthy eater though... Basically don't be reckless, when your in shops with friends or whatever ore a bar. Try not to be like in sixth form where you would end up walking away with something which might last 30 mins and then you have nothing/are hungry again. Try and think about the cost effectiveness of stuff before you buy it. Also switch phone contracts or other fixed outgoings to cheaper providers if you can.

Meh,

[jelly1000]

(Original post by Pankeu)
Hey there!

I'm currently in Sixth Form and I'm starting at university in September 2012 and I'm obviously excited (finally leaving my family!) and now that my exams are about the start, the prospect of living on my own is getting closer and closer.

So any ideas on how to budget food, clothes, travel, entertainment, etc?
I'll be living about an hour or so away from my family, it takes about 45 or so by tube and I intend to bring a bunch of canned food for my first week, e.g. canned pineapples (they're seriously yummy), kidney beans, bags of rice and a few bags of fresh vegetables and fruit (I love broccoli, carrots and potatoes).

Also, any idea how much a launderette costs? My friend said they're about £1.50 per load.

Firstly as far as food goes- get your parents to take you to the supermarket near the uni before they leave you so you have fresh food as well.

Launderette depends on the uni- at UEA its £2.20 per wash and 50p per 10 mins tumble dry cycle.

[26daystoworkwith]

Use a spreadsheet to keep track of your weekly budget, split into categories like food/washing/night out/clothes and so on so you can see how much you're spending.

Work out how much loan you have left after rent (and direct debits/phone contracts ect) and divide by the number of weeks until the next loan instalment to get a weekly allowance, take this out in cash at the start of the week and don't use your debit card - that way you can't spend more than your budget.

Learn to ask yourself 'Do I really need this?'

Buy budget/own brands as they're a lot cheaper and you probably won't notice the difference in quality (apart from meat, tends to be fattier and have more water in if you buy the cheapest)

Make a meal plan for the week before you go food shopping, work out what ingredients you need and then stick to the list to avoid impulse buying food.

My uni charges £2.50 for a wash and £1 for 50 mins tumble drying.