whats the average spend for students per week?

pivotalgubbins

I finished at Portsmouth University a couple of years ago and my weekly budget for everything exlcuding the basics (rent, food, bills, etc) was £50 - this covered drinking, eating out, buying the occasional CD or DVD. Sometimes I went over but mostly I managed to stay under, therefore allowing me to stretch the budget to expect the unexpected.

Rent was cheap in Portsmouth though, which always helped (approximately £50 a week for a shared house) and I worked my !!!!!! off every summer and during the Christmas and Easter break. I also had a pot of savings behind me just in case as well, that was a great help.

One last thing - if the loan scheme is still the same as it was, expect them to stagger it badly at times. I remember being well in my overdraft at some points but then end up with a massive lump sum to last 6-8 weeks! Budget by the week and you can't go far wrong.

How I miss Uni... though it is nice to finally have a bit of money that is actually mine!

angela110660

Son is in first year at uni and we paid his fees. He has the loan to pay his accomodation. His overdraft is nearly at the max. He works in a restaurant for a few shifts - gets meal at work and tips. This all helps with the budget. He reckons to spend about £70 per week for food, transport, books and going out.
His plans for summer? Working at an outward bound centre near home and also couple of shifts in the restaurant he worked at before uni. Wants to clear debts and put money back in the bank for next year.
Are we proud of him? You bet. Will he do it? Yes he will - whenever he has negotiated financial things in the past, he has always paid them back to us and we have made certain that we got our money. We weren't being mean but all kids need to realise that their parents do not have bottomless pockets and that the rest of the family need to enjoy life too!