Student Costs

[142094]

When i was skint i just used to cut the visible mould off the crust and toast the remains! Someone at work told me that might have been quite stupid as the bread will have been full of mould spores but it never did me any harm!

I made the mistake of having something that looked alright to eat but was past its best. Suffice to say it reappeared later than night and I've been careful ever since.

 

[Urban Gateline]

Reading through this thread, I really gained respect and sympathy to an extent for IVO and other students who struggle just to get by. I think you're doing really well Ivo

I am in the fortunate position whereby my parents pay for my Tuition fees for my BA Business Studies course (final year) and I go to the local Uni in my area (Kingston) which is easily accessible by car in 15-20mins. I'm still living at home so no rent or bills, I spend about £50 a week on food but my parents pay this.

My most expensive outgoing is by far running my car, around £500 a year to insure it and probably another £500 a year in petrol, then add on top £40 MOT and £20 tax and any repairs, average £1200 a year total, but I need the car to get to Uni and work.

I also have a job as well as Uni, which helps to easily pay for my car and also my £35 a month iPhone contract. I don't drink much or smoke at all and I'm still single so life is cheap for me at the moment

I'm quite in favour of working during Uni, as I think it enriches the whole experience, you see how difficult it is to earn money and it's value, it's better earning it than just being given a loan or a grant which can be spent in the click of your fingers as many students don't appreciate the value of money! So long as you still have enough time to study and attend lectures I think it's doable.

 

[Ivo]

This response could take a while My responses will be in blue.

1) Shop at Farm Foods, Netto or Aldi (if you can/have any near you) None of those exist in Bath; the nearest I have of any of those (or similar) is Lidl on the outskirts of Bristol.
2) Buy things like meat and fish from the going out of date section of your supermarket. Break down the product into daily portions and freeze on the day of purchase I try to whenever possible, but rarely succeed. I usually go frozen anyway.
3) Keep your bread in the fridge. This will extend its life for toast and things for up to 10 days (worst comes to the worst just cut the mould off) Never mind the fridge; I put it in the freezer and take it out as I need it!
4) Don’t eat prepack meals. Cook wholesome stodgy filling meals. Batch them up and freeze them I tend to do neither of those. I usually just take a couple of things that go together (e.g. chips and sausages; spaghetti and mince) and cook it. Sometimes I freeze any excess.
5) Don’t go home as often/ever ( hard but necessary) I never go home when I don't need to, with the one exception of Christmas, and even then I use my bus pass to do so sometimes (13 hours...).
6) Turn EVERYTHING off. Leave nothing on standby. Even turn the microwave off to save money on running the clock. Become a Nazi on energy efficiency I would but it's all-inclusive because I live on-site so it makes no difference.
7) Don’t use a tumble drier - they cost a fortune I have no option on occasion. It's £1 a throw here, so not too bad but it can pile up. I have no otehr option, except for a miniscule towel rail.
8) Cut down everything extra you don’t need. Sky/fancy phones/Cable/Gyms/broadband package, whatever it is dump it or change it downwards (if the contract allows) None of that except what is already included. I don't even have a phone contract (I can't justify one either).
9) Close all the doors in your house. It will keep your rooms warmer longer. Sounds silly but I bet your rented house doesn’t have great insulation. Again, all-inclusive.
10) DONT use those little Tescos or Sainsburys. They rip you off in the name of "convenience" I only use those for milk and very occasional spontaneous purchases if I'm going out, e.g. croissants.
11) Walk or cycle everywhere you can Difficult in the middle of nowhere. But I don't pay for bus travel.
12) "Borrow" as much stuff as you can from uni. Charge your phone, I pod, e book etc there and not at home. Again, living on-site negates the value of this.
13) Sell anything you don’t need on Ebay I have only one thing worth selling - and that's my laptop. Everything else is worth pretty much nothing, oir if it is it so so old and/or worn I would get little if anything for it.
14) Darn your socks! (My feet rot socks and shoes!) It gets worse - apparently my mother is going to take me t-shirt shopping over Easter!
15) Don’t pay for anything you don’t need – don’t get food delivered, walk to the shop and get it yourself! Too far to walk (almost 2 miles to any shop that sells enough to justify the distance. Again, I use my bus pass instead.
16) Use markets for fruit and veg. Even meat and cleaning products you can save a fair bit doing that. I try to but am always never able to access them when they're open! I would only ever really buy mushrooms anyway.
17) Take your own lunch to uni. Cut out the pre packed butties and the takeaways Again, living on-site negates this idea.
18) If you have a credit card get rid of it if you can. It is too much of a temptation to use it for things you shouldn’t I had to get one as an emergency in the first year. I haven't used it for 18 months (I don't even know where it is; it's in my room somewhere).
19) If you can shop around for your energy supplier. No use (again).
20) See if you can get a water meter fitted. And again.
21) List out what you need for your food shopping. Stick to it and don’t buy that nice looking pie or cake! Silly but it really helps focus on your spending I do looks teak pies, but I stick to lists very well - to the point I don't tend to use one because I know it all.
22) If you have insurance think if you really need it or if you do whether you can move to a cheaper option. Ask those meerkat people! The only insurance I have is either (a) through the University or (b) through my mother's olicy which covers students when in University accommodation (or something along those lines anyway).
23) If you have a car get rid of it if you can. I have no car now and seem better off not having to fork out for petrol! I don't even have a provisional - another thing I can't afford!
24) Learn to say no to things and stick to your decision. I learned that years ago.
25) Look on the net for money off vouchers for your day out. MBus passes make this nigh-on useless. When it isn't my mother tends to give me Love2Shop anyway.
26) If you smoke try and give up! Don't even go there. I get annoyed enough when people ask for a lighter. I won't even buy them for other people, never mind myself.
27) Don’t do the lottery or gamble (if you do) – you wont win often enough to make it worthwhile (Although I used to live on my nudgie winnings!) The only time I ever do a bet is for the Grand National. Amazingly, I've won 4 out of 5 (the 5th horse died - literally...).

I guess you have done all of this but it does help sometimes to see it written down.

It does. Very true. Unfortunately none of it helps though!

I can add a few things to that:

28) A television needs a licence, a radio does not, you don't really need pictures I only watch iPlayer - and then very rarely (and egally of course). I don't have anything capable of accepting digital signals (we went over a couple of years ago).
29) No need to buy branded cleaning products, own-brand stuff is usually just as good I only ever buy branded stuff when it's (a) in bulk and (b) very cheap. I have some Umbro t-****s, but they were about £3 each. That's pretty much it (aside from stuff bought before I came to Uni).
30) Watch out for promotions/special offers I try to - but almost all of them relate to stuff that doesn't interest me. Like wasting myself in a club every night...
31) Always carry your student card, there are lots of student deals on things. watch out for them I carry it everywhere and keep an eye out. Very rarely of benefit though; most places that accept them are typical student haunts and I'm not a typical student!
32) If you must travel by bus, get the best deal on a student pass that you can, mine is an annual one, and pays for the equivalent of one trip per day (my average is between one and two) Not paying for the bus has been a lifesaver in Bath. If not for it I would have probably given up by now.
33) Get in touch with your Student Association, they will have lots more good advice They're useless.
34 - the important one) If you have any kind of special need (like myself and the OP) then get in touch with Student Support/Disability Advice, they can give you free equipment and lots of support. Aberdeen is brilliant for this, Newcastle was not so good Way ahead of you (as you probably know).

Great. 34 tips and not one of use.

Hmm, some good tips from DarloRich/LEGreys and I guess you can pick the ones which suit, but looking at your expenses they don't seem generally excessive: £125 a month is not really a lot on food, laundry etc. Your uni's financial advisor was correct, you are budgeting very well - it's that rent and a lack of extra income which is hitting you.

You might look into Bath's various tourist sites, or buff up on history and set yourself up as an occasional tour guide? Tried that already. I lack the confidence necessary to give tours to people I don't know.

Re 2 - What's your course? Education. You mention placements. Is it possible to do the course without being in Bath? If you only have to be in the uni itself once or twice a week you could consider living elsewhere. Obviously you have to add travel costs but you may be able to rent in the location of your placements, so they might come down or stay the same. I live on-site so that's kind of hopeless...

Reading through this thread, I really gained respect and sympathy to an extent for IVO and other students who struggle just to get by. I think you're doing really well Ivo Thank you

Sorry guys - not of any use. I do of course wish it was; thank you for trying

 

[WelshBluebird]

1) Shop at Farm Foods, Netto or Aldi (if you can/have any near you)

Great if you do.
Sadly in Bath Sainsburies is really your only option.
There is a Morrisons, but unless you drive then I really wouldn't suggest struggling with all your shopping from there (its a way out from where most people live).

11) Walk or cycle everywhere you can

Again, for both unis in Bath that isn't really possible.
Just a sad fact of coming to uni in this amazing city really. I knew it would be more expensive than elsewhere. Still don't regret it though.

 

[Ivo]

11) Walk or cycle everywhere you can

Again, for both unis in Bath that isn't really possible.
Just a sad fact of coming to uni in this amazing city really. I knew it would be more expensive than elsewhere. Still don't regret it though.

Never mind the Universities; with all the hills it isn't really an option period. But then, the two combine to make it even worse for your end, when you have to go uphill constantly for upwards of a mile (I wouldn't enjoy that!).

 

[Clip]

4) Don’t eat prepack meals. Cook wholesome stodgy filling meals. Batch them up and freeze them I tend to do neither of those. I usually just take a couple of things that go together (e.g. chips and sausages; spaghetti and mince) and cook it. Sometimes I freeze any excess.

Honestly make sure you do cooking that will last you for a couple of days. At least you'll know you're getting a good meal. Id suggest a lasagne or similar where you can just take chunks off and add chips.

I still cant get over how much your rent is though-thats shocking.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Never mind the Universities; with all the hills it isn't really an option period. But then, the two combine to make it even worse for your end, when you have to go uphill constantly for upwards of a mile (I wouldn't enjoy that!).

If I didn't have to go up to the uni, say I worked in town or something, then I'd be fine just walking everywhere (it only takes 20 mins or so to walk into town from where I'm living in Oldfield Park).

But yeah, there's no chance of walking up that hill all the time. I have done it once or twice, but thats it. Walking down isn't as bad, but still not something I'd like to do everyday.

It has to be kind of the same down your way though. From what I remember, the entrance to Spa's campus is past a dual carriage way? Not really sure, I only went there by accident (I am an idiot when it comes to getting off a bus in the right place when I don't know the area).

 

[Badger]

Interestingly, due to some new developments up the road, the flat I'm in this year has gone from £115 a week to £92 a week. I could really use that kinda cash :I

 

[WillPS]

I can empathise - I'm now about £6k in debt (student overdrafts & credit card) at the end of 4 years of study.

 

[Ivo]

From what I remember, the entrance to Spa's campus is past a dual carriage way?

The A4 dual-carriageway - yes. You pass under it just after the Twerton tunnel en route to Bristol TM. It is on the A39, literally 100 metres after the roundabout (the end of the dual-carriageway) where said road starts.

Not really sure, I only went there by accident (I am an idiot when it comes to getting off a bus in the right place when I don't know the area).

Your lot seem to be world-class at that.

 

[DarloRich]

Ivo - You can save money if you cook more filling wholesome meals. If you need any advice give me a shout. I am not talking about Gordon Ramsey standard just simple healthy things. It also helps to impress those you may wish to "form relationships" with!

Stuff like Lasagne, Spag Bog, stew, soups, caserole, shepherds/cottage pie etc. Stuff you can make a big pot of this kind of stuff, batch it and freeze it. Fill it out with cheap stuff like root veg, pulses, split barley. Also do a menu plan and use that to drive your shopping

If you havent got a "discount" supermarket nearby try the market. Is there not an indoor our outdor market in bath? Fruit and veg will be cheaper and you can pick up non branded things like bog roll and cleaning fluids for next to nothing. It must be open on a weekend

Buy a clothes horse and save your £1's on the drier. Put it in your room and no one will ever know

 

[CC 72100]

Buy a clothes horse and save your £1's on the drier. Put it in your room and no one will ever know

I echo that one! Driers are £1.50 a time here, I bought an airer at the start of the year from argos for something like £8.99. Over the course of the year probbly saved me £20, and will carry on using it next year too

 

[Greenback]

I echo that one! Driers are £1.50 a time here, I bought an airer at the start of the year from argos for something like £8.99. Over the course of the year probbly saved me £20, and will carry on using it next year too

I used to dry my clothes by hanging them up on coat hangers in my room. I used every available space - door and cupboard handles, curtain rails and shelves, anything not to have to put money in the dryer at the launderette!

I also agree with DarloRich. I used to make big batches of casseroles and cottage pie, and then stick them in the freezer until later. I used to save time as well...

 

[LE Greys]

33) Get in touch with your Student Association, they will have lots more good advice They're useless.

I guess that's a reminder of how much depends on people, same for Student Welfare at Newcastle. I was too used to how good Aberdeen was, since they had done everything on a semi-amateur basis. Most of the people they had helping were students themeselves, prepared to work out-of-hours and would usually answer the phone. Newcastle employed a professional agency . . . and they were never there when you needed them. You got the sense that they didn't care, just wanted to do their jobs and get on with it. Met my "mentor" three or four times and just gave up.

 

[142094]

The rents seem quite steep - I paid around £250/£275 a month.

 

[90019]

I carry it everywhere and keep an eye out. Very rarely of benefit though; most places that accept them are typical student haunts and I'm not a typical student!

Where have you asked?
In my experience, a lot of places do student discounts without actually advertising it.

 

[Ivo]

A lot of places advertise in the windows, but otherwise if they are places that I think even might do discounts - Peacocks [assuming they still exist] being an obvious one - I will ask them. Most of the time I get a "No, sorry" back, unless it is the kind of place I would almost never visit but a more typical student might go to more.

 

[90019]

A lot of places advertise in the windows, but otherwise if they are places that I think even might do discounts - Peacocks [assuming they still exist] being an obvious one - I will ask them. Most of the time I get a "No, sorry" back, unless it is the kind of place I would almost never visit but a more typical student might go to more.

You might as well ask everywhere.
It doesn't hurt to ask, and really the worst case scenario is being told that they don't have a student discount.

 

[Clip]

Was just thinking about his randomly today(I didnt havea lot to do) but have you signed up to cashback sites and thier free daily clicks and also survey sites?

Yeah you may have to work hard to get a return but if your bored for an hour every day then its not long to complete them all and build up a little bit of cash or vouchers(I think Mysurvey give you amazon) boring but as Mr Tesco says - every little helps.

 

[NY Yankee]

Do they have Target or Walmart in the UK? If so, those are great places to save money. Based on what I've heard, London is quite expensive.

 

[Clip]

Do they have Target or Walmart in the UK? If so, those are great places to save money. Based on what I've heard, London is quite expensive.

We dont have them but we have something similar in a TK Maxx for clothing but for food shoping we have discount places like Lidl and Aldi who import european foods much cheaper then the main supermarkets but nothing on the scale of a wal-mart of Target

 

[Nym]

We dont have them but we have something similar in a TK Maxx for clothing but for food shoping we have discount places like Lidl and Aldi who import european foods much cheaper then the main supermarkets but nothing on the scale of a wal-mart of Target

*coughs* Asda...

To add some context, Asda is a Leeds based supermarket and hypermarket chain that is owned by WallMart.

There are discounters, but I have found that quality suffers, hence why I am not looking forwards to moving to London that much. Looking forwards to the job, not the place, hence, not going to be living in London, Heartfordshire or Essex

 

[Badger]

Yeah Asda (Walmart) is even one of "the big four" supermarket chains. They have a hefty amount of the market. I don't think it's quite a Walmart though, from what my Canadian friends who work there say, Walmart doesn't really focus on food, it just happens to sell it? Asda is probably at least 60% food in the hypermarkets and moreso in the smaller shops.

Poundland is actually good for some things, not for everything (not for almost anything really) but there are the occassional mega bargains to be had on groceries. They also sell bread and milk which, depending on where you live, can be a hell of a lot cheaper than a supermarket. You save 18p on Sainsbury's here on a bottle of milk but you save 50p on buying from my local Coop..

If you ever buy bottles of coke (I know that's not a necessity, but it happens, need a drink, grab a coke) buy two cans instead, you get 160ml more and it works out cheaper in a lot of places (Tesco Extra a bottle of coke is £1.25 where two cans come to £1.22). But that's a silly moneysaving tip to be honest as the real answer is to take a bottle of water out everywhere!

 

[Clip]

*coughs* Asda...

To add some context, Asda is a Leeds based supermarket and hypermarket chain that is owned by WallMart.

There are discounters, but I have found that quality suffers, hence why I am not looking forwards to moving to London that much. Looking forwards to the job, not the place, hence, not going to be living in London, Heartfordshire or Essex

Asda are nothing like a Wal-Mart though which is why i never mentioned it - they're just owned by them.

The best thing about London though(are you moving to london or the surrounding towns?) is that the corner shops are much better value for their fruit and veg and that then the supermarket.. Loads of them every where.

 

[yorksrob]

I find the big 4 supermarkets (Morrissons in my case) usually have their own brands of the basics such as beans, pasta washing powder etc at reasonable prices. They tend to do a good choice of the higher end goods as well, which I've not tended to find at the discount stores whenever I've looked around them.

 

[RJ]

Student costs are quite expensive, especially as uni is well over 100 miles away from home, paying to live in halls and I commute to London pretty much every week. but I find ways of keeping my head above water. Admittedly I'm not at all disciplined in terms of budgeting and spunked an extra £800 at the beginning of the semester, just to get an ensuite room. I have had pretty much zero in terms of handouts from parents since I got my first job was 16. That said, I work pretty damned hard. As I say, I've worked since I was 16, whilst in 6th form and I was working full time in a ticket office, whilst doing A-Levels so I think I deserve a relatively high standard of living, whilst enjoying having quite a lot of spare time during the week to do what I want to, such as capricious rover trips or society activities by day and socialising by night.

These are some of the things I do to save;

Use of Priv for UK railway travel.
Use of TfL free travel pass for London
Doing the laundry infrequently, though it means having a helluva lot of clothes at uni!
Taking advantage of special offers, such as half price Ribenas
Drinking at the Students Union and predrinking, instead of spending at the bars in town
Use of voucher and reward schemes to make savings

 

[Zoe]

Use of Priv for UK railway travel.

You can use priv in Northern Ireland?

Use of TfL free travel pass for London

So you are a a member of staff and a student at the same time?

 

[RJ]

You can use priv in Northern Ireland?

So you are a a member of staff and a student at the same time?

Probably not, but I have a FIP pass as I have been a railwayman for more than a year, which is essentially a euro Priv.

And yes, that is correct

 

[Zoe]

And yes, that is correct

Not both full time though? Even part time it can't be that easy to fit shifts around your lectures.

 

[RJ]

University is full time, work is part time, manage it somehow