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Is it possible to live off £20 a week?

If I dont get a job this year then I will only have about £87 a month.
Is it possible to buy food,drink and bus fare with £20 a week?

Reply 1

cpj1987

15

Depends where you live and how far you're going on the bus.
I could easily live off £20 a week, but then, Preston's cheap.

Reply 2

bluenoxid

13

You would struggle a lot. You will need to get a job quickly.

Reply 3

whatever...

I'd say if you dont go out clubbin, for a drink or meal, only buy "cheap" food like Asda "smart price" etc yes you cud.

But i do recommend you to get a job!!!

Reply 4

upagumtree

OP

12

I really really want a job but what if I apply to loads of places and don't hear from any of them?Or get an interview (unlikely) but dont get the job?IN short,what if I find I jsut can't get a job?! :frown:

Omg,this is so scary,I've never been poor before!

Reply 5

whatever...

upagumtree

I really really want a job but what if I apply to loads of places and don't hear from any of them?Or get an interview (unlikely) but dont get the job?IN short,what if I find I jsut can't get a job?! :frown:

Omg,this is so scary,I've never been poor before!

I'm sure you'll be fine, I'm in pretty much the same situation except that I've found my first job..(which is bar work at the SU bar)

So you could ask your uni if they got any jobs for students i'm sure they do!

Reply 6

la fille danse

17

I couldn't do it.

Reply 7

ArSeNiK

Its possible, but unless you have the self control of a rock, then forget about it. My suggestion is find a decent department store. They recruit all the time. Just be the best you can be and you will get the job.

Reply 8

ninetyeights

you didn't tell us how much bus fare is...

if you think about it, if you buy a tub of butter for 50p that will last you for two weeks. same with a large pack of dried pasta. bread is cheap, if you buy some cheap sandwich fillers (i.e: marmite, peanut butter, w/e) then you should be fine for lunch-times. dinners will be harder, but i guess if you cut out unhealthy (and usually expensive) junk foods then it'll be a great ease on your budget.

i'd suggest buying fresh fruits which are filling and also cheap. cans of soup or w/e are cheap, and each can has 2 servings so you can always keep the other half of the can in the fridge and have it the next day.

things like microwave meals or cheese are usually expensive, so i'd steer clear of them.

also if you're getting a job, try a supermarket. don't employees get discounts?

Reply 9

Doodahdoo

13

What about your parents, is there no way of asking them for any funding, at least until you get a job?
xo

Reply 10

upagumtree

OP

12

Simulatio

What about your parents, is there no way of asking them for any funding, at least until you get a job?
xo

I'd really rather not since I would prefer to fend for myself but I dont mind £20really.Less food and less alcohol +less money on bus fare and more walking = weight loss :biggrin:

I'm sure I could go into my overdraft too.
Thanks everyone :hugs:

Reply 11

romeosbitch

15

My friend lives off £20 a week and still have money spare to go out, she lives near preston though and someone else has already said that is a cheap place to be!

she shops regularly at asda and doesnt even really live off that much smart price stuff, although she does end up buying 3 lots of ham for £4 etc

and bus fare, sometimes you can get discounted stagecoach fare if you're a student, and also look out for day rider type bus fare things, and then of course, get on a stop later and off a stop earlier and save yourself some money there too.

Reply 12

nikki

9

I used to pay about £15 per week for food and drink (excluding alcohol). Biggest tip I could give you is to check how much you pay per 100g or 1kg rather than comparing prices directly, sometimes things seem cheap when really you're just getting less.

Reply 13

Vikrum

I'm using my overdraft. And am pretty resigned that at the end of first year i'm probably gonna be £2K overdrawn, and will need to work it off over the summer.
But even with a job, it's the only way i'm gonna be able to survive.

Reply 14

Matteh

Haha 2K, planning on buying a small country?

Reply 15

Vikrum

Hardly. £100 a month to live off. And then i've got another overdraft to pay off the overdraft on a current account, and to cover my accomodation fees.

£2K wouldn't even take 2 months to work off in a full time job.
And i get at least 4 months off over the summer. Sorted.

Besides. My loan doesn't cover my accomodation and i'm getting no support from anyone else. How else do you think people live if they don't just work and accept the inevitability of being horrendously overdrawn? Just so long as you work it off over the summer so you're afresh for 2nd year... who cares. Very fortunate if Mummy and Daddy can give you handouts, but not everyone is in such a fortunate position.

Reply 16

Matteh

The fact your loan doesn't cover your accomodation means your family are obviously fairly sorted means wise though.

Reply 17

punktopia

3

I know someone who tried to live off £10 a week. She failed at uni, and also at life.

Reply 18

Vikrum

Matteh

The fact your loan doesn't cover your accomodation means your family are obviously fairly sorted means wise though.

Doesn't mean they're supporting you though...
And there are lots of people in the same position!

If you've lived away from home for 2 years owning your own money, the government may not see you as living independent from your family, but your parents still bloody do! And rightly so!

That's what the thread was about... people who are gonna struggle money-wise asking for advice. It's not for people to get on their high-horse spouting off about buying small countries, get money of your folks, wah wah. Be a bit more sensitive.

Reply 19

Hotspur Warrior

You could live off £20 a week, but would never, ever, ever have any money for anything other than the essentials. No evenings out, no clothes, no CDs or DVDs... I'd definitely recommend getting a job, even just a few hours a week. Ten hours a week would get you £50.

Is it possible to live off £20 a week?

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