Is this a realistic SOA for starting uni?

[Deleted User]

£30 seems a bit much for the mobile.. if you are near to the end of a contract you should be able to drop that down (i negotiated a £20 contract that included free home broadband and a reasonable phone)

Tixy

Old style board will help you out with basic cooking - you can learn things like spaghetti bol and other meals with rice & pasta dead easy. Your staff discounts will certainly help as will looking out for the reduced 'yellow' sticker items.

Gas & Elec can be done for those sorts of figures but you need to be mindful of the amount you use so you don't end up with a big bill (Jumpers & slippers are essential, as are making sure you turn off everything not being used). Never accept an estimated bill, always ring up with your own readings.

Are there 3 of them living there at the moment? Will you be trying to get a 3rd housemate?

beccad

If you're with O2 for your mobile you can get broadband for £7.50 per month...

Jesthar

Hey littlepinkstars!

if you're a completely novice cook, I can recommend the book 'Student Grub' by Jan Arkless, a lifesaver for me when I had to learn to cook for myself! It really is excellent as it goes through everything in basic steps, and is also a lot cheaper than many similar books, Amazon have it here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Student-Grub-Jan-Arkless/dp/1899606149/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1248361826&sr=8-1

I can also thoroughly recommend getting a slow cooker (I have an Morphy Richards oval 3.5 litre model) as they are great for cheap bulk cooking; I can make an eight portion batch of bolognese sauce for about £5.

Oh, and don't forget to factor in the cost of course materials and text books etc. They can be pretty big sometimes...

~Jes

Idiophreak

Looks like a tight budget to me, but it depends on how much of the student life you're going to do, I guess - a couple of clubs and drinks a couple of times per week and your entertainment budget could well be at least doubled...

Still space in your budget for that, I guess, but with the low grocery budget too, things could get tight...Your budget also doesn't include any kind of books, supplies etc for uni - do you have an idea how much these may be?

littlepinkstars44

Tixy wrote: »

Old style board will help you out with basic cooking - you can learn things like spaghetti bol and other meals with rice & pasta dead easy. Your staff discounts will certainly help as will looking out for the reduced 'yellow' sticker items.

Gas & Elec can be done for those sorts of figures but you need to be mindful of the amount you use so you don't end up with a big bill (Jumpers & slippers are essential, as are making sure you turn off everything not being used). Never accept an estimated bill, always ring up with your own readings.

Are there 3 of them living there at the moment? Will you be trying to get a 3rd housemate?

Thanks, i think i will definatly become a regular over on the old style board if this all goes ahead! I don't think the bills will be too much, as my friend works full time, and i will be at uni all day, then work at night. All all we will really have on, when we are home are the laptops, washing machine now and again, hair straightners for like 5 mins a day.

There are 3, but it is only a 2 bed room flat...confusing i know. Her ex still lives with her, and they still share a room. But they are both ok with that for now.

littlepinkstars44

Idiophreak wrote: »

Looks like a tight budget to me, but it depends on how much of the student life you're going to do, I guess - a couple of clubs and drinks a couple of times per week and your entertainment budget could well be at least doubled...

Still space in your budget for that, I guess, but with the low grocery budget too, things could get tight...Your budget also doesn't include any kind of books, supplies etc for uni - do you have an idea how much these may be?

this will be my 4th year of being a student (been at college previously) so to be honest a few nights out a month does me fine, which are just usually to gigs then home.

I really don't know how much books and that will be, i already bought all my notebooks, folders etc from Tesco last week. So all i need now are the books. Hoping i can just get them from the libary when i need them, and only the buy the ones that i really need

littlepinkstars44

beccad wrote: »

If you're with O2 for your mobile you can get broadband for £7.50 per month...

Thanks, will look into that

Itsarandom

From my student days the most important things i remember were:


1) no matter what anyone says, beans+toast/noodles isn't viable at all, I would try to find an extra 10/20 quid a month for your groceries somewhere - or go veggie for x number of days a week. I also heartily recommend taking a flask of coffee/bottle of water + sandwiches into university with you. It is far too easy I found to buy into the subway lifestyle when you are feeling peckish because all your classmates are! Even just buying a cheap packet of biscuits and putting one in your bag each day can save you a minimum of 2.50 a week.

2)Although a bit harder in your first year - go and find out what the year above you is being recommended in books - then get ready at the end of your term to check them out of the library. This way you can save yourself the scrabble of trying to get that book you only get announced in the lecture slides and fight the horde running to the library. Be mindful of library fees for being late! Some universities also run second-hand books stores, remember to check them out as well.

littlepinkstars44

Itsarandom wrote: »

From my student days the most important things i remember were:


1) no matter what anyone says, beans+toast/noodles isn't viable at all, I would try to find an extra 10/20 quid a month for your groceries somewhere - or go veggie for x number of days a week. I also heartily recommend taking a flask of coffee/bottle of water + sandwiches into university with you. It is far too easy I found to buy into the subway lifestyle when you are feeling peckish because all your classmates are! Even just buying a cheap packet of biscuits and putting one in your bag each day can save you a minimum of 2.50 a week.

2)Although a bit harder in your first year - go and find out what the year above you is being recommended in books - then get ready at the end of your term to check them out of the library. This way you can save yourself the scrabble of trying to get that book you only get announced in the lecture slides and fight the horde running to the library. Be mindful of library fees for being late! Some universities also run second-hand books stores, remember to check them out as well.

Thanks, i will be making sure not to bring money with me, just my bus pass, water and my home made lunch
Don't have the choice of going veggie for a few days a week, as i have a fruit and veg phobia When i lived on my own before, i lived of Tesco 8p noodles, (are they still 8p??) toast and tuna pasta!!

I'm not sure if i will be staying onto 4th year, as i don't think i'll get anymore funding from SASS, as this will be my 3rd year getting a loan and bursary from them. So i think i will only be at uni for a year