How do young students survive financially? I’m struggling…
I have now finished university until September so my money each month has reduced quite significantly and it’s worrying me for the summer… like mentioned, university is finished now until September therefore I won’t be receiving any student bursaries or loans for a while. This is cutting my money really short and I’m worried I won’t be able to enjoy my summer because I will have literally no money despite having a good part-time job…
I am 21 and live with my mother, which I pay half the monthly shopping (there are 4 of us in the house: brother, sister, mum and me) as well as pay for the gas bill each week and sometimes buy meals, electricity for my family when needed. I have a car, which I pay under £300 for a month and only use for work as I walk everywhere else to save fuel cost. Then I have your usual monthly phone bill, music subscription etc. I have enough to pay all my bills but I am left with literally nothing after and I am constantly worrying about spending too much or buying a coffee Incase it eats into my direct debits.
I have mentioned to my work manager, I am available to do additional hours now because I am off university, which I sort of did last year. I don’t know if it’s worth getting another part-time job but then this will mean I won’t be able to take part in my sport or anything.
Is any other student struggling at the moment? It’s horrible.. I am really worried that I won’t be able to support myself or family.
I am 21 and live with my mother, which I pay half the monthly shopping (there are 4 of us in the house: brother, sister, mum and me) as well as pay for the gas bill each week and sometimes buy meals, electricity for my family when needed. I have a car, which I pay under £300 for a month and only use for work as I walk everywhere else to save fuel cost. Then I have your usual monthly phone bill, music subscription etc. I have enough to pay all my bills but I am left with literally nothing after and I am constantly worrying about spending too much or buying a coffee Incase it eats into my direct debits.
I have mentioned to my work manager, I am available to do additional hours now because I am off university, which I sort of did last year. I don’t know if it’s worth getting another part-time job but then this will mean I won’t be able to take part in my sport or anything.
Is any other student struggling at the moment? It’s horrible.. I am really worried that I won’t be able to support myself or family.
This is near and dear to my heart. Get a part time career. I don't own a car so I saved money that way. Instead I saved up some money in order to fund my holidays and monthly trips to restaurants out of town etc.
Make a list of your outgoings and look at what is necessary and what can be cut; you don't need a music subscription or to buy regular coffees. Get a notebook and for a few weeks write down everything you spend, cash and card, and see if there are any hidden spends. Make a spreadsheet so you can see several months ahead and how things will change if you have an unexpected bill or can save a bit extra.
Think ahead about your uni budget for September and do the same, so you aren't struggling again next year.
If you don't mind me asking, what's the situation with the family? Can other people contribute? Can there be savings made with household expenses? Are all the available benefits being claimed, if appropriate?
Think ahead about your uni budget for September and do the same, so you aren't struggling again next year.
If you don't mind me asking, what's the situation with the family? Can other people contribute? Can there be savings made with household expenses? Are all the available benefits being claimed, if appropriate?
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by rachel_16
I have now finished university until September so my money each month has reduced quite significantly and it’s worrying me for the summer… like mentioned, university is finished now until September therefore I won’t be receiving any student bursaries or loans for a while. This is cutting my money really short and I’m worried I won’t be able to enjoy my summer because I will have literally no money despite having a good part-time job…
I am 21 and live with my mother, which I pay half the monthly shopping (there are 4 of us in the house: brother, sister, mum and me) as well as pay for the gas bill each week and sometimes buy meals, electricity for my family when needed. I have a car, which I pay under £300 for a month and only use for work as I walk everywhere else to save fuel cost. Then I have your usual monthly phone bill, music subscription etc. I have enough to pay all my bills but I am left with literally nothing after and I am constantly worrying about spending too much or buying a coffee Incase it eats into my direct debits.
I have mentioned to my work manager, I am available to do additional hours now because I am off university, which I sort of did last year. I don’t know if it’s worth getting another part-time job but then this will mean I won’t be able to take part in my sport or anything.
Is any other student struggling at the moment? It’s horrible.. I am really worried that I won’t be able to support myself or family.
I am 21 and live with my mother, which I pay half the monthly shopping (there are 4 of us in the house: brother, sister, mum and me) as well as pay for the gas bill each week and sometimes buy meals, electricity for my family when needed. I have a car, which I pay under £300 for a month and only use for work as I walk everywhere else to save fuel cost. Then I have your usual monthly phone bill, music subscription etc. I have enough to pay all my bills but I am left with literally nothing after and I am constantly worrying about spending too much or buying a coffee Incase it eats into my direct debits.
I have mentioned to my work manager, I am available to do additional hours now because I am off university, which I sort of did last year. I don’t know if it’s worth getting another part-time job but then this will mean I won’t be able to take part in my sport or anything.
Is any other student struggling at the moment? It’s horrible.. I am really worried that I won’t be able to support myself or family.
I'd imagine most students do not have to contribute half of the shopping costs or run a car, so that probably helps.
Some will just dip into their overdraft
Some are fortunate enough to secure summer internships in year one (rare, but possible) and two in lucrative industries/companies that pay a significant sum pro-rata which will fund their summer activities and cover next year's uni rent and more.
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by rachel_16
I have now finished university until September so my money each month has reduced quite significantly and it’s worrying me for the summer… like mentioned, university is finished now until September therefore I won’t be receiving any student bursaries or loans for a while. This is cutting my money really short and I’m worried I won’t be able to enjoy my summer because I will have literally no money despite having a good part-time job…
I am 21 and live with my mother, which I pay half the monthly shopping (there are 4 of us in the house: brother, sister, mum and me) as well as pay for the gas bill each week and sometimes buy meals, electricity for my family when needed. I have a car, which I pay under £300 for a month and only use for work as I walk everywhere else to save fuel cost. Then I have your usual monthly phone bill, music subscription etc. I have enough to pay all my bills but I am left with literally nothing after and I am constantly worrying about spending too much or buying a coffee Incase it eats into my direct debits.
I have mentioned to my work manager, I am available to do additional hours now because I am off university, which I sort of did last year. I don’t know if it’s worth getting another part-time job but then this will mean I won’t be able to take part in my sport or anything.
Is any other student struggling at the moment? It’s horrible.. I am really worried that I won’t be able to support myself or family.
I am 21 and live with my mother, which I pay half the monthly shopping (there are 4 of us in the house: brother, sister, mum and me) as well as pay for the gas bill each week and sometimes buy meals, electricity for my family when needed. I have a car, which I pay under £300 for a month and only use for work as I walk everywhere else to save fuel cost. Then I have your usual monthly phone bill, music subscription etc. I have enough to pay all my bills but I am left with literally nothing after and I am constantly worrying about spending too much or buying a coffee Incase it eats into my direct debits.
I have mentioned to my work manager, I am available to do additional hours now because I am off university, which I sort of did last year. I don’t know if it’s worth getting another part-time job but then this will mean I won’t be able to take part in my sport or anything.
Is any other student struggling at the moment? It’s horrible.. I am really worried that I won’t be able to support myself or family.
Does the car expenditure include fuel, insurance etc? £300 a month for something you use exclusively for work is a lot out of a part time wage. Have you considered getting a different part time job that you don't need a car for? Depending on how many hours you work you could afford to take a pay cut and still be better off.
Many (most?) students live pretty much rent free at home during the summer and so will not have to make their money stretch as far. Have you discussed the situation with your mum? Perhaps you would be able to reduce your contribution to the family finances during the summer until you get your next loan. Once you graduate you may well move out and she will have to manage the house finances without your contribution.
Original post by rachel_16
I have now finished university until September so my money each month has reduced quite significantly and it’s worrying me for the summer… like mentioned, university is finished now until September therefore I won’t be receiving any student bursaries or loans for a while. This is cutting my money really short and I’m worried I won’t be able to enjoy my summer because I will have literally no money despite having a good part-time job…
I am 21 and live with my mother, which I pay half the monthly shopping (there are 4 of us in the house: brother, sister, mum and me) as well as pay for the gas bill each week and sometimes buy meals, electricity for my family when needed. I have a car, which I pay under £300 for a month and only use for work as I walk everywhere else to save fuel cost. Then I have your usual monthly phone bill, music subscription etc. I have enough to pay all my bills but I am left with literally nothing after and I am constantly worrying about spending too much or buying a coffee Incase it eats into my direct debits.
I have mentioned to my work manager, I am available to do additional hours now because I am off university, which I sort of did last year. I don’t know if it’s worth getting another part-time job but then this will mean I won’t be able to take part in my sport or anything.
Is any other student struggling at the moment? It’s horrible.. I am really worried that I won’t be able to support myself or family.
I am 21 and live with my mother, which I pay half the monthly shopping (there are 4 of us in the house: brother, sister, mum and me) as well as pay for the gas bill each week and sometimes buy meals, electricity for my family when needed. I have a car, which I pay under £300 for a month and only use for work as I walk everywhere else to save fuel cost. Then I have your usual monthly phone bill, music subscription etc. I have enough to pay all my bills but I am left with literally nothing after and I am constantly worrying about spending too much or buying a coffee Incase it eats into my direct debits.
I have mentioned to my work manager, I am available to do additional hours now because I am off university, which I sort of did last year. I don’t know if it’s worth getting another part-time job but then this will mean I won’t be able to take part in my sport or anything.
Is any other student struggling at the moment? It’s horrible.. I am really worried that I won’t be able to support myself or family.
Most students don't have a car and get to live gratis with mum and dad. That's how they do it. So I wouldn't listen to much to any "live within your means" suggestions - they'll come from people who don't have a clue how tight money is for you.
The only thing I can suggest is that staff are really hard to come by right now. You could try and get another job to end up working full time hours. You don't have to tell them you're a student; employers will use and abuse you all your life so feel free to do the same (let them train you over a summer and then leave for uni if you need to!)
Original post by rachel_16
I have now finished university until September so my money each month has reduced quite significantly and it’s worrying me for the summer… like mentioned, university is finished now until September therefore I won’t be receiving any student bursaries or loans for a while. This is cutting my money really short and I’m worried I won’t be able to enjoy my summer because I will have literally no money despite having a good part-time job…
I am 21 and live with my mother, which I pay half the monthly shopping (there are 4 of us in the house: brother, sister, mum and me) as well as pay for the gas bill each week and sometimes buy meals, electricity for my family when needed. I have a car, which I pay under £300 for a month and only use for work as I walk everywhere else to save fuel cost. Then I have your usual monthly phone bill, music subscription etc. I have enough to pay all my bills but I am left with literally nothing after and I am constantly worrying about spending too much or buying a coffee Incase it eats into my direct debits.
I have mentioned to my work manager, I am available to do additional hours now because I am off university, which I sort of did last year. I don’t know if it’s worth getting another part-time job but then this will mean I won’t be able to take part in my sport or anything.
Is any other student struggling at the moment? It’s horrible.. I am really worried that I won’t be able to support myself or family.
I am 21 and live with my mother, which I pay half the monthly shopping (there are 4 of us in the house: brother, sister, mum and me) as well as pay for the gas bill each week and sometimes buy meals, electricity for my family when needed. I have a car, which I pay under £300 for a month and only use for work as I walk everywhere else to save fuel cost. Then I have your usual monthly phone bill, music subscription etc. I have enough to pay all my bills but I am left with literally nothing after and I am constantly worrying about spending too much or buying a coffee Incase it eats into my direct debits.
I have mentioned to my work manager, I am available to do additional hours now because I am off university, which I sort of did last year. I don’t know if it’s worth getting another part-time job but then this will mean I won’t be able to take part in my sport or anything.
Is any other student struggling at the moment? It’s horrible.. I am really worried that I won’t be able to support myself or family.
You should try online survey apps like Qmee. You just answer all the questions and you get between 40p-£1.50ish per survey, it can be tedious but you can can do them any time on your phone, most of them take 5-12 minutes (there are some longer ones on there, though most of them are okay). I get £70-90 a month doing them (you could get a lot more depending on how many you do, I should be doing more) and you can withdraw straight to PayPal at any time. Definitely helps to buy coffee and other things! The surveys don’t ask you for identifiable details.
(edited 1 year ago)
Thank you for all of your inputs to my question. I have forgot to mention regarding the car that I am now off uni until September, therefore I use it a lot for my frequent camping trips, hiking as well as travel to go to uni when I return back to campus 
In this time from posting this question, I have another job now so I think my money situation will be pretty okay until Uni starts again. Thank you everyone for your help and advice.
In this time from posting this question, I have another job now so I think my money situation will be pretty okay until Uni starts again. Thank you everyone for your help and advice.
Take a look at Profit Student (search 'profitstudent' on Google). They're a new brand created by students to help out financially. They use profitable casino offers to make extra income, with like guides on how to do them. They essentially aim to take the gambling element out of online casino offers.
Original post by tommyclarke
Take a look at Profit Student (search 'profitstudent' on Google). They're a new brand created by students to help out financially. They use profitable casino offers to make extra income, with like guides on how to do them. They essentially aim to take the gambling element out of online casino offers.
I never believed in gambling like a source of income. I most often loose. Maybe I'm just not lucky enough.
(edited 2 weeks ago)
If you are really struggling to buy food for your family etc try a food bank. There are so many that are scattered all across the country and their primary aims are to support low income families and provide healthy food at no cost. But to use one you will need to have a voucher in order to access this often overlooked service. Otherwise you can reduce spending costs.
Original post by rachel_16
I have now finished university until September so my money each month has reduced quite significantly and it’s worrying me for the summer… like mentioned, university is finished now until September therefore I won’t be receiving any student bursaries or loans for a while. This is cutting my money really short and I’m worried I won’t be able to enjoy my summer because I will have literally no money despite having a good part-time job…
I am 21 and live with my mother, which I pay half the monthly shopping (there are 4 of us in the house: brother, sister, mum and me) as well as pay for the gas bill each week and sometimes buy meals, electricity for my family when needed. I have a car, which I pay under £300 for a month and only use for work as I walk everywhere else to save fuel cost. Then I have your usual monthly phone bill, music subscription etc. I have enough to pay all my bills but I am left with literally nothing after and I am constantly worrying about spending too much or buying a coffee Incase it eats into my direct debits.
I have mentioned to my work manager, I am available to do additional hours now because I am off university, which I sort of did last year. I don’t know if it’s worth getting another part-time job but then this will mean I won’t be able to take part in my sport or anything.
Is any other student struggling at the moment? It’s horrible.. I am really worried that I won’t be able to support myself or family.
I am 21 and live with my mother, which I pay half the monthly shopping (there are 4 of us in the house: brother, sister, mum and me) as well as pay for the gas bill each week and sometimes buy meals, electricity for my family when needed. I have a car, which I pay under £300 for a month and only use for work as I walk everywhere else to save fuel cost. Then I have your usual monthly phone bill, music subscription etc. I have enough to pay all my bills but I am left with literally nothing after and I am constantly worrying about spending too much or buying a coffee Incase it eats into my direct debits.
I have mentioned to my work manager, I am available to do additional hours now because I am off university, which I sort of did last year. I don’t know if it’s worth getting another part-time job but then this will mean I won’t be able to take part in my sport or anything.
Is any other student struggling at the moment? It’s horrible.. I am really worried that I won’t be able to support myself or family.
It may be worth getting another part time job, just for over the summer. It doesnt have to be many hours, just a few hours a week would do it.
It may be worth looking at your outgoings and seeing if there is anything you can cut back on/regularly waste money on/anything you can swap for a cheaper alternative.
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