Living below your means

Queenie

Never read that

But I do have a book with instructions on how to make a fat quarter cat I really must get around to it!

Eliza252

Queenie wrote:

Never read that

But I do have a book with instructions on how to make a fat quarter cat I really must get around to it!

What is a fat quarter cat?!

Queenie

It's a cat made from a fat quarter

A "fat quarter" is basically a quarter yard of fabric, half width. Quilters buy they to vary their fabric stash because it works out cheaper than buy by the yard

jazzyjustlaw

Curry_Queen wrote:

But you presumably live in either HOR or furnished shared accommodation. It's not quite the same as maintaining your own household. I know cost of living is high where you are but those of us on benefits still have to pay those prices too and we don't have parents helping us out in "holidays" or providing food parcels at the start of term

I had my own flat to maintain. I have been on benefits and a student and to be honest they are hard in their own way but it was more difficult as a student to be honest.

Anyway we have all had to struggle and some of us still do. So lets help each other and find some more tips to get us through eh?

jazzyjustlaw

Eliza252 wrote:

Yep, totally agree re: student income.

nb. this is not a dig in any way to people who rely on benefits for an income - in my opinion student loan is totally different issue - I chose to go into higher education whereas most people on benefits didnt have a choice to live on 4K
- in fact dont really understand the benefits re student loan discussion on going - we are all in the same boat either way - 4K per annum doesnt stretch far however you came by it!

I also got the 4k a year student loan and had to work a 20hr a week job in order just to cove my rent properly
Paid 1k a year fees, parents couldnt give me any money - but because means testing said otherwise I didnt qualify for any hardship funds!
It really seriously affected my studies and was SO frustrating - leaving lectures early/falling asleep in them because so exhausted from extra work - so I could afford to go to them in the first place seemed to stupid.
It definately affected my final marks and now ironically I am finding it hard to get any funding for a post-grad course which I have been offered because I have a 2:1 not a 1:1. Also, have a really boring grad job that I hate just to pay off all the debt I acrued while studying
- get out the violins cus I'm in winge mood today!

On the bright side - I tell myself all the time, there are people much worse off, who never even had access to education in the first place - so we are still massively wealthy in comparison. Plus I am now spend-thrift genius, I know how to stay alive on £5 a week and reckon this will make me a millionaire by the time I am 30. so there - yah boo, to silly policy formulators!

I am going to stop wingeing now as its not really relevant to this thread!

In law to go far you need an 2.1 only know about 3 people who got a 1st in Law at the uni I went to as they are rare. I got a 2.2 a high one mind but that was because I had to study work and look after my daughter. I am just glad I got it. I know with all the right support and money I could have done better. My lack of money now stops me from qualifying as Solicitor and I have to go through the Legal Executive route first.

But I must say there have been times before studying and I was on my own with a baby and benefits that I could not eat every day as I could not afford to so I know how lucky I am.

squeaky

jazzyjustlaw wrote:

But I must say there have been times before studying and I was on my own with a baby and benefits that I could not eat every day as I could not afford to so I know how lucky I am.

You must have learned a lot about managing a small budget that you can share with us then.

I'll leave you a space...

moggins

But at least you did it, you got your education and have something to be proud of. My parents were very old fashioned and didn't believe it was worth educating a girl. I had to think myself honoured that I was allowed one year at college getting a secretarial diploma. My two older sisters were forced into factory jobs as soon as they finished school.

Now I have the time and the energy to get some further qualifications I can't afford it because we can't find the fees on one wage

crana999

Curry_Queen wrote:

Oh I know that there are many students much worse off and I don't agree with the system as it is today, as it stops many many people from poorer families gaining a decent education which should be an essential part of life and not dependant on parental income.

Sorry if I came across a bit stroppy but I can truly see both sides of it and you have my sympathies as a student today as do people on benefits

Yeah, I'm sorry if it came across as me having a go at people on benefits because I obviously don't think it's an easy life at all.

I was more having a rant at the government who seem to have some completely inconsistent and stupid policies. (Some? perhaps most?)

having a bit of a bad day today my HMS is going through a bad patch so i am probably a bit tetchy. and I'm not looking forward to 4/5 more years of Mr Blair. I don't really like any of the main parties, and I'm not old enough to remember properly when the Tories were in, I was only 10 when Labour came into power.

I voted independent (and my guy did pretty well, he got 1/3 of he votes labour got in my area, beating the lib dems and only 500 votes below the tories), but something about 5 more years of batty politics depresses me.

Off to give blood in an hour with two new willing victims. Hopefully all the tetchiness will be in the part of the blood they take. Some poor hospital patient is really going to irritate their visitors

squeaky

.

Ok, this thread is drifting away from its intended topic which was HOW to live within your means rather than what the means are or why they are where they are. My fault. Sorry.

But can we get back on topic please?

jazzyjustlaw

I really do not know how I survived at times I lived on the child benefit which was £7.25!! I will have a think whilst I am at Yoga tonight. I remember having to think can I afford margarine or not and that my friends invited me round for meals now and again.