is it normal to worry about money before graduating

i'm going to graduate in a few weeks and i'm tracking at getting a first and i've been made an offer at a us university for postgrad with a scholarship but i just have to take a year out first to get it.

i'm really scared about my financial situation and it's ruining my life, i come from a working class background and it's made me very conscious about money and i keep an eye on everything. i have a 72 page budget in a folder, i keep old budget's in a cupboard and i update it at least twice a day. as it stands i should have around £28k in savings after expenses at the end of august but i'm so worried it's not enough, like what's a normal amount to graduate with because i'm scared to go outside my door rn because i'm afraid it'll make me broke?

Reply 1

AllThingsCCCU

Official Rep

Original post

by Squwils

i'm going to graduate in a few weeks and i'm tracking at getting a first and i've been made an offer at a us university for postgrad with a scholarship but i just have to take a year out first to get it.
i'm really scared about my financial situation and it's ruining my life, i come from a working class background and it's made me very conscious about money and i keep an eye on everything. i have a 72 page budget in a folder, i keep old budget's in a cupboard and i update it at least twice a day. as it stands i should have around £28k in savings after expenses at the end of august but i'm so worried it's not enough, like what's a normal amount to graduate with because i'm scared to go outside my door rn because i'm afraid it'll make me broke?

Having £28k savings after expenses by August is way above “normal” for most graduates in the UK. A lot of people graduate with very little savings, and many have overdrafts/credit cards. So this isn’t a “not enough money” problem.
A few things that usually help fast (without asking you to suddenly stop budgeting):

•

Set a “check-in window”: e.g., budget once a day (or 3x/week). Outside that window = no spreadsheet.

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Create a “fun/spend allowance” (even £10–£30/week) that you’re meant to spend guilt-free. Treat it like training your brain that spending ≠ danger.

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Define one clear target: e.g., “Emergency fund = X months of expenses.” Once you hit it, you don’t need to keep proving you’re safe.

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If you’re avoiding going out because of money fear, that’s worth getting support for: talk to your GP, your uni wellbeing service, or charities like Mind. This can look a lot like anxiety/OCD-style checking behaviours, and it’s very treatable.

Reply 2

mnot

Universities Forum Helper

Original post

by Squwils

i'm going to graduate in a few weeks and i'm tracking at getting a first and i've been made an offer at a us university for postgrad with a scholarship but i just have to take a year out first to get it.
i'm really scared about my financial situation and it's ruining my life, i come from a working class background and it's made me very conscious about money and i keep an eye on everything. i have a 72 page budget in a folder, i keep old budget's in a cupboard and i update it at least twice a day. as it stands i should have around £28k in savings after expenses at the end of august but i'm so worried it's not enough, like what's a normal amount to graduate with because i'm scared to go outside my door rn because i'm afraid it'll make me broke?

I think financial anxiety is pretty normal, being a graduate is pretty tough here, you start looking at the real world realising life s much more expensive when you look at respectable accommodation, transport, hobbies & travel; you probably notice friends who are a bit further ahead able to do things you simply can’t afford and well graduate jobs after taxes, NI and basics leave you with frankly not much disposable cash.

That said I would say a 70 page budget is pretty abnormal and your savings are probably equivalent to a £50K a year salary after taxes so you definitely don’t need to worry. Is a 70 page budget even manageable. I think you have some great habits but probably also some unhealthy behaviours which will bring you stress & anxiety. You probably need to try and blend your great habits with a healthier mindset.

Reply 3

Emma:-)

Entertainment Forum Helper, Careers Forum Helper

Original post

by Squwils

i'm going to graduate in a few weeks and i'm tracking at getting a first and i've been made an offer at a us university for postgrad with a scholarship but i just have to take a year out first to get it.
i'm really scared about my financial situation and it's ruining my life, i come from a working class background and it's made me very conscious about money and i keep an eye on everything. i have a 72 page budget in a folder, i keep old budget's in a cupboard and i update it at least twice a day. as it stands i should have around £28k in savings after expenses at the end of august but i'm so worried it's not enough, like what's a normal amount to graduate with because i'm scared to go outside my door rn because i'm afraid it'll make me broke?

Financial anxiety is normal. Quite a few people get it.
You deffo have more money than most graduates though.
How about getting a job in your gap year?