I'm on the minimum SAAS loan (Scottish thing) and I won't be getting any money from home. I also can't go back home over the holidays, so I've factored in 3 months of average rent in Glasgow.
The minimum SAAS loan (the one I'm getting) is £4750. I also plan to work 20 hours a week in a minimum wage job (a regime I have experience of and can comfortably manage alongside studying) for 40 of the 52 weeks, which comes to £5760. In total, this is £10510.
If I can trust my calculator, I have £50 a month left over after accounting for:
Accommodation (£4665 for 9 months)
3 months rent (average rent in Glasgow - £750 per month)
Food (£40 a week budget over 52 weeks)
Books (£150 - I will be an economical law student)
Dentist (£22 a month - I really want nice teeth)
Mobile phone contract (£30 a month)
Haircuts (£10 every 6 weeks - though I might push it to every 4)
Hopefully, that comes to a bit under 10 grand. I should then have a little over £500 left, which gives me a monthly excess of about £50.
My plan is to put the remainder towards going out. Is this enough to maintain a (relatively introverted) social life? And in the purely hypothetical scenario that I was dating someone, would I be able to afford a date a week (if I gave up on the rest of my social life)?
I'm open to working more hours. There is also the remote possibility that I get an older boyfriend with his own flat who I can stay with over the summer, which pretty much removes all my financial worries. I obviously don't want to rely on that though.
If I save well during the rest of this summer, I should also have about £700-800 in savings. I'd prefer to keep this as an emergency fund though. I'm also really not keen on overdrafting unless absolutely necessary.
I would also really welcome tips on how to keep food costs down. This is my first ever proper budget, so don't be surprised if my numbers are unrealistic.