How do you manage financially as a student??
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Re: How do you manage financially as a student??Well, full time work is usually 37.5 hours a week isn't it? Minimum wage for 18-20 year olds is £4.96/hour, so you'd get at least (by law) £186 a week for full time work. So over 3 months that's £2418 on minimum wage. Which, correct me if I am wrong, is over 2 grand.(Original post by WarriorInAWig)
Half agreed. I'd be very, very interested to know which employer will give you so much money for 3/4 months work supposing we're only talking about full-time jobs here.
My advice, whilst at uni, be a tour guide like I was, work at a local shop or bar, work for your uni as a part-time catering staff, or if you're inclined to teaching, take part in the Students Associates Scheme if there's one near you. -
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Re: How do you manage financially as a student??If you're a student and you're spending more than £60 on a night out, you're not doing it right(Original post by krussel)
I seriously don't understand how students manage, especially during freshers week. I'm planning to somehow raise £300 pound to blow on freshers, but after that I know you drink and go out a lot as a student, but the government grants/loans don't exactly leave everyone with much spare cash after you've paid for your accommodation. At home on a night out I generally spend a lot, pre drinks I usually spent between 10-20 pounds, then around 30 on the night itself. I know for fact I couldn't do this as a student.
I was thinking about an overdraft, but how long do you have to pay back an overdraft? Surely theres no point taking an overdraft out if you know you can't pay it back anytime soon...
So yeah, any ideas?
Seriously though I have found that the general consensus is that nights out as a student at uni are much cheaper than regular nights out at home. We can get triple vodkas mixed with blue WKD for £1.50 where I'm at
They used to be quadvods but apparently that was illegal or whatever 
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Re: How do you manage financially as a student??The most I have ever spent on a night out was £30. That was in Fresher's Week, 3 years ago or thereabouts, and I still bring it up in conversation. I can't imagine doing that with any regularity.
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Re: How do you manage financially as a student??I'll need to learn the ropes, that triple vodkas thing sounds awesome(Original post by Evangelica)
If you're a student and you're spending more than £60 on a night out, you're not doing it right
Seriously though I have found that the general consensus is that nights out as a student at uni are much cheaper than regular nights out at home. We can get triple vodkas mixed with blue WKD for £1.50 where I'm at They used to be quadvods but apparently that was illegal or whatever
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Re: How do you manage financially as a student??Jesus, thats how much I spend now(Original post by Aeschylus)
The most I have ever spent on a night out was £30. That was in Fresher's Week, 3 years ago or thereabouts, and I still bring it up in conversation. I can't imagine doing that with any regularity.
. The most I've spent is like £115, on one of my birthdays when I was in a horrendous way. I was buying EVERYONE expensive drinks.. apparently anyway.
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Re: How do you manage financially as a student??My point was that it's not as easy to get a job these days, much less a short-term AND full-time one, hence I was implying OP may get something but it won't rake in lots, however money is money at the end of the day. Good luck with the job hunt!
To the quoter who mentioned internships, I didn't even think about OP doing that over the summer. However quite a few internships will have all been snapped up by now. -
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Re: How do you manage financially as a student??Lol they are and they taste dangerously good(Original post by krussel)
I'll need to learn the ropes, that triple vodkas thing sounds awesome
They will wreck you 
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Re: How do you manage financially as a student??Look up whether you can get any grants other than those from the government. I get one from the Bailley Thomas fund because my dad worked in a brewery that shut down and this guy left loads of money in his will to help people through education. Pretty awesome.
Other than this.. budgetting.
Someone's already said to work out howmuch you have a week. I find that if I get the money out at the start of the week, and only pay for things in cash,t hen this saves al ot.
No takeaways. It's so tempting as a student to get takeaway every night to save cooking, but they're so much more expensive than making your own food. Pasta, rice, and possibly potatoes are the way forward. They're so cheap, and it's really easy to make sauces to go with them, or buy sauces when they're on offer (sometimes it's cheaper to buy ready made stuff). If you really can't be bothered to make food, co-op own brand ready meals are edible apparently.
Vegetables are cheaper than meat. Put lots of them in food to bulk it out. Also, if you make a big batch of food, you can freeze some and save money in the future.
Buy own brand stuff. It's cheaper and just as good to eat.
Bulk buy. If I'm bulk buying things I cut into next weeks budget a bit, because it'll save money in the long run. Only bulk buy things you regularly use though.
Don't spend money on unnesarsary stuff. Yeah, you're on your own and don't have people restricting what you do any more... that doesn't mean you have to spend £100 on clothes or whatever every week.
Honestly though, i don't see why people feel the need to go out and drink so much. I'm a first year and I've been out maybe 20 times this year. Maybe that makes me boring... but I know my purse has suffered less than most peoples in my flat. Try drinking cheaper versions of drinks I guess. Own brand vodka instead of smirnoff. I personally have been drinking Irish Meadow instead of Bailleys all year, and am very happy with this
. Currently on Ballycastle. They all taste around the same. In fact the Ballycastle is actually almost nicer than Bailleys. It's really sweet xD.
I hope you enjoy uni and don't end up spending too much.
OH.. Overdrafts. If you're sensible with money you can take out your whole overdraft, and put it into a savings account. I'm not that great at keeping track of things so I've not done this, but I know some people do. -
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Re: How do you manage financially as a student??Simplest way to save money as a student - avoid binge drinking and spirits.(Original post by krussel)
I'll need to learn the ropes, that triple vodkas thing sounds awesome -
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Re: How do you manage financially as a student??(Original post by krussel)
Hahaha, it seems a lot but its really not!! I don't finish the whole bottle clean, but 3/4 at least, when you're making mixers and you are doing shots within say 4 hours its easily done. A 10 pound bottle isn't enough on its own, maybe with a few beers though. There is a bottle in between I think but I can't remember how much it is.
a £10 bottle is fine if all you're using it for is mixers.
Another good way of getting drunk is on cheap bottlse of wine. Do you actually remember your nights out witht hat much alcohol in you though? It just seems like such a waste! I'd much rather go out during the day for meals/walksw ith people. (My uni's by the sea though so I guess it's different...) -
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Re: How do you manage financially as a student??Thanks bud! No point taking out an overdraft unless I know I can pay it back though! Would rather spend money thats mine.(Original post by MizzlaMiz)
Look up whether you can get any grants other than those from the government. I get one from the Bailley Thomas fund because my dad worked in a brewery that shut down and this guy left loads of money in his will to help people through education. Pretty awesome.
Other than this.. budgetting.
Someone's already said to work out howmuch you have a week. I find that if I get the money out at the start of the week, and only pay for things in cash,t hen this saves al ot.
No takeaways. It's so tempting as a student to get takeaway every night to save cooking, but they're so much more expensive than making your own food. Pasta, rice, and possibly potatoes are the way forward. They're so cheap, and it's really easy to make sauces to go with them, or buy sauces when they're on offer (sometimes it's cheaper to buy ready made stuff). If you really can't be bothered to make food, co-op own brand ready meals are edible apparently.
Vegetables are cheaper than meat. Put lots of them in food to bulk it out. Also, if you make a big batch of food, you can freeze some and save money in the future.
Buy own brand stuff. It's cheaper and just as good to eat.
Bulk buy. If I'm bulk buying things I cut into next weeks budget a bit, because it'll save money in the long run. Only bulk buy things you regularly use though.
Don't spend money on unnesarsary stuff. Yeah, you're on your own and don't have people restricting what you do any more... that doesn't mean you have to spend £100 on clothes or whatever every week.
Honestly though, i don't see why people feel the need to go out and drink so much. I'm a first year and I've been out maybe 20 times this year. Maybe that makes me boring... but I know my purse has suffered less than most peoples in my flat. Try drinking cheaper versions of drinks I guess. Own brand vodka instead of smirnoff. I personally have been drinking Irish Meadow instead of Bailleys all year, and am very happy with this. Currently on Ballycastle. They all taste around the same. In fact the Ballycastle is actually almost nicer than Bailleys. It's really sweet xD.
I hope you enjoy uni and don't end up spending too much.
OH.. Overdrafts. If you're sensible with money you can take out your whole overdraft, and put it into a savings account. I'm not that great at keeping track of things so I've not done this, but I know some people do. -
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Re: How do you manage financially as a student??You're ever so welcome.(Original post by BIG-DAVE)
Quite well thank you very much. -
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Re: How do you manage financially as a student??Let me guess...Exeter or Brighton? Wine is a good idea, it easily does the job and is cheap. I do remember most the nights, just some things are a bit of a blur but I prefer it that way..I can remember what I've done just its not entirely clear however I do remember doing it!(Original post by MizzlaMiz)
a £10 bottle is fine if all you're using it for is mixers.
Another good way of getting drunk is on cheap bottlse of wine. Do you actually remember your nights out witht hat much alcohol in you though? It just seems like such a waste! I'd much rather go out during the day for meals/walksw ith people. (My uni's by the sea though so I guess it's different...) -
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11p packs of noodles? And an awful lot of alcohol?(Original post by ibelongtoslytherin)
Either get a job or start budgeting. We never tend to spend much money when we go out (max £10 for a round of shots) because we pre drink a lot for a long time.
Worst case scenario: You've spent all your money on alcohol and have no money for food, live on tescos value supernoodles (11p)
OHMYFRIGGINGOD, get me to uni now , 2 years to go
This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
. Currently on Ballycastle. They all taste around the same. In fact the Ballycastle is actually almost nicer than Bailleys. It's really sweet xD. 
