The Student Room Group

£90 a week budget?

Is this a good budget to have? I'm stressing because I've been spending so much recently,, my maintenance loan is being drained (poor financial decisions of a uni student). This is after rent and a bus pass, but this budget also includes laundry which is £11 a week, so around £80 left over.
You should do a budget yourself to find out :smile: Other than laundry (and excluding rent), you should consider food, transport and assorted bills such as your mobile phone bill or gym membership if that's your kind of thing... basically, think of everything you can think of that you'll spend money on and see how much you expect to spend a week. However, I think £90 a week is plenty - I'm personally living on less than £50 a week, studying in London, and having a healthy social life. It's also usual to spend a great deal of money in freshers week and a little after, while you're getting used to uni life and to manage your money, so don't worry too much about it, just budget and then control your spending to meet the budget and/or adjust as necessary :smile:
Original post by sticklobster
Is this a good budget to have? I'm stressing because I've been spending so much recently,, my maintenance loan is being drained (poor financial decisions of a uni student). This is after rent and a bus pass, but this budget also includes laundry which is £11 a week, so around £80 left over.

That's an awful lot on laundry. I'm guessing you're doing two loads a week - both washing and drying? Consider buying an airer for your room to dry some of your lighter clothes on - leave the tumble dryer for towels/bedding. Also, make sure you save up your washing so that you have a full load - doing small/partial loads is a waste of money.
Reply 3
Original post by sticklobster
Is this a good budget to have? I'm stressing because I've been spending so much recently,, my maintenance loan is being drained (poor financial decisions of a uni student). This is after rent and a bus pass, but this budget also includes laundry which is £11 a week, so around £80 left over.

Have you considered getting one of those portable, foldable clothes washing thing?

Something like this: https://rb.gy/wviqi
Reply 4
In my opinion, this budget should be more than enough to cover our expenses. I've taken into account various aspects, such as daily necessities and occasional entertainment. Of course, individual spending habits can differ significantly, especially when it comes to expenditures on food and entertainment. However, based on my personal estimation and past experiences, the allocated budget would undoubtedly suffice for my needs and lifestyle. 😊
By the way, I recently came across an interesting article discussing popular leisure activities among Italians. It highlighted the prominence of certain forms of entertainment, including insights on gambling preferences. If you're interested, here's the link to the article: https://www.statoquotidiano.it/23/09/2022/i-giochi-dazzardo-piu-amati-dagli-italiani/952344/. It sheds light on the cultural inclinations and trends related to leisure choices in Italy. Understanding these preferences might offer additional insights into our own spending habits and help us make more informed choices regarding our entertainment expenses.
(edited 10 months ago)
Original post by sticklobster
Is this a good budget to have? I'm stressing because I've been spending so much recently,, my maintenance loan is being drained (poor financial decisions of a uni student). This is after rent and a bus pass, but this budget also includes laundry which is £11 a week, so around £80 left over.

Hi there!

I've been budgeting as a student for quite a few years now and £80 is definitely enough to live off after excluding rent, bus passes and laundry!

For me, I spend between £20-£40 on food per week (depending on how much I need, if I've ordered a takeaway etc) meaning that the rest I can spend on social events, saving or days out!

I hope this helps you at little !

- Rebecca, UCLan

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