Surviving as a Mature Student

Penny2myName

I have updated this tread 01.01.2012 with where I am now, from where I was when I started my course back in 2009. Three years on I am not that far on from where I was when I started my course. I now have four months to clear all debts.

On 28th September I start life as a mature student. I have 3 children, two of which are at High School. We are all due to go over to Holland for Christmas with at my sister's for 10 days. Luckily all I need to pay towards is fares to and from the airport, plus any spending money that may be required. The way my income is going to come in is going to be totally different, so I need to figure out how to budget around this complete change. I haven't budgeted for extra uni costs yet, as till my actually start date, I wont know what extra's I need to cover.


Term One
14 Weeks
28/09/2009 Student Support Loan Student £1208.79
28/09/2009 Supplementary Grant Student £969.00
Child Tax Credits £1954.96
15/09/2009 Child Benefit £185.60
13/10/2009 Child Benefit £185.60
10/11/2009 Child Benefit £185.60
08/12/2009 Child Benefit £185.60
Term 1 Total £4875.15

Living Costs A&L account (need to transfer £760 of Student loan into here)
Rent £840
tv licence £47.80
Gas £216.00
Electric £105.00
Water £93.60
Virgin Media £200.00
Term 1 Total £1502.40

Other Halifax 2 Student
Food £700.00
School Dinners £336.00
Yorkshire Wildlife £12.00
Travel Uni Fare £168.00
NUS Card £10.00
Total £1226.00

Debts Halifax 1, Covered via CTC
DFS Dining £58.92 Cleared
DFS Lounge £250.50 Cleared
Littlewoods £781.64 Cleared
Total £1091.06

Savings
Ing Direct £75.00
ICICI £95.00
Total £170.00

Grand Total £3989.46
Left Over £885.69

Shoe_Gal

Good luck with your new life

Penny2myName

Thanks hun, just hope I can keep a tight enough reign of my budget.

Penny2myName

Opened my student account and they gave me a £1k overdraft, so used it to pay of my dfs sofa, and £200 from catalogue for now. Tomorrow i plan on getting Dining suite paid off.

shaunrc

I thought that I would pop in and wish you well on what seems quite an adventure....

elantan

Mmm wonder if I should get a student account ... I thought they were just for 18 year olds ... Good luck on your journey

Penny2myName

Student loan/grant went in today, so have cleared my catalogue, and paid for 10 driving lessons. Also the O/D is now clear again. Just paid my dining suite off. Forms have gone in to become CTax Exempt, also to see if i will get any benefit towards my rent (doubt it) but once letter comes through will get this terms rent paid up front.

savingholmes

Hi just wanted to wish you luck.

On kids school dinners - any chance of packed lunches at least some of the week to reduce costs? I find it makes a massive difference....

also perhaps look at the Make £10 a day challenge as a way of upping your income

redsquirrel80

Good luck - I went back to Uni as a mature student a few years ago and made a mess of it financially so it's good to see someone planning ahead sensibly for it! Just wondered, how many people is the £700 food for?

El, anyone who's a student can get a student account so go for it.

Pippilongstocking

elantan wrote: »

Mmm wonder if I should get a student account ... I thought they were just for 18 year olds ... Good luck on your journey

At 41 and another mature student (cough!) I have one - and as Elatan says

GOODLUCK!!!!! YOu sounds pretty organised!

PS I am with savingholmes on the packed lunches - I bribed my two 13,14 to begin with and now its second nature to have a packed lunch

I bargained with DS 14 and said OK you can have this much monthly allowance (a bit less than full dinner money) but you pay all yoru lunches etc out of it - or you can make a free packed lunch and pocket the cash

Its amazing when its 'their' money how all of a sudden a packed lunch seems appealing - he mabye buys lunch on a monday now when he's tired....................................

Penny2myName

Kids are doing packed lunch till half term, but over then from when they go back till half term in February, they will be on school lunches. Daughter has begged to have school lunch on friday as its her birthday, so will let her....lol.
All I seem to be doing at the moment is spending spending spending.
£325 Morplan
£106 WHSmith
£235 Amazon
£44 Uni Art Store

Thank god I am entitled to the Higher Bursary from Uni.

Also been a bad girl and bought more fabrics and some 1920's patterns from ebay.