How much to live on per week

Dunroamin

My point is simply that once students have enough money (from whatever source) to buy healthy food and pay their bills and expenses (probably around £70 per week), if they have any extra they don't spend it on buying more healthy food and other things that are good for them.

With any luck they'll fritter it away on clothes and music which is wasteful but pretty harmless, but a large number will spend it on alcohol, takeaways, cigarettes etc. To believe anything else shows a lack of understanding, not only of students, but of human beings in general.

Dunroamin

http://www.savethestudent.org/money/student-budgeting/what-do-students-spend-their-money-on.html

kayr_2

Lokolo wrote: »

My diet at university consisted of; super noodles, chips, cheese, ready meals and all sorts of other cheap foods.

Now I put on a little weight over uni but I am still reasonably healthy compared to some of my peers!

:D

I certainly have eaten less heathily at times in my life, especially as a student. A lot of us move on and change our habits. It's possible to overthink all this.

Back to the OP - £65 a week is realistic and quite comfortable (assuming not a drinker!), could probably manage on less but it all depends on circumstances. Some of my child's contemporaries get £6.5k (non repayable) plus the loan; he gets £5.5k (loan plus our contribution). He finds that irritating but that's the system and we can't change it.

~Chameleon~

Dunroamin wrote: »

My point is simply that once students have enough money (from whatever source) to buy healthy food and pay their bills and expenses (probably around £70 per week), if they have any extra they don't spend it on buying more healthy food and other things that are good for them.

With any luck they'll fritter it away on clothes and music which is wasteful but pretty harmless, but a large number will spend it on alcohol, takeaways, cigarettes etc. To believe anything else shows a lack of understanding, not only of students, but of human beings in general.

I know very few students who smoke. In fact I know very few young people in general in the 16-25 age group who smoke. It's not cool these days! :cool:

V_Chic_Chick

Don't forget that your offspring will need to pay for a deposit for their second year house at some point during the first year - this can often be £3-400, occasionally more.

A large proportion of the spending comes at the beginning of the year - quite apart from the cost of buying kitchen equipment, bedding etc., there is the cost of a bus pass, society memberships, freshers week etc. etc - and this is the case in second / third year too.

rubytuesday

wintersunshine wrote: »

That's a shame.... Come back soon....

Miss you already! blah blah blah:D

wintersunshine wrote: »

Now now - steady on rubytueday....wouldn't want ONW/Dunroamin to think that you had perfect children living in a perfect world now would you? She might start getting all nasty with you......

Aah how sweet ...bless.

Don't worry Dunroamin/ONW and I have had a few run ins in the past but I also respect her opinion at times and horror of horrors agree with her at times too.

In fact that is a more regular occurrence these days.

Dunroamin

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

I know very few students who smoke. In fact I know very few young people in general in the 16-25 age group who smoke. It's not cool these days! :cool:

There were enormous numbers when I was last in HE 10 years ago. It's either changed over that period or perhaps you're not spending time with students in the places where they're allowed to smoke?

From NHS Choices.

"Studies show that students are more likely to drink, smoke and take drugs than the general population."

BACKFRMTHEEDGE

rubytuesday wrote: »

My daughter made herself a chilli - some went in the freezer and the next day she made it into a shepherds pie which gave her two portions.

Anybody who thinks that chilli and shepherds pie are healthy food will be lucky to see their 50th birthday.

BACKFRMTHEEDGE

Lokolo wrote: »

Having a low income doesn't mean you have to have a bad diet and be unhealthy. And vice versa.

Errrr yes it usually does. Didn't you bother to read any of the articles I linked to on low income and poor diet/ health????? Or oh doh are you just going to ignore all the evidence?

BACKFRMTHEEDGE

kayr wrote: »

Some of my child's contemporaries get £6.5k (non repayable) plus the loan; he gets £5.5k (loan plus our contribution). He finds that irritating but that's the system and we can't change it.

That's very generous.