Daughter Starting Uni? 3 June 2005 at 3:46PM edited 30 November -1 at 12:00AM in Old Style MoneySaving 103 replies 19.6K views

homealone_2

my daughter will be spreading her wings and flying off to uni in october, does anyone have any moneysaving tips i can send her off with or things to do to help before she goes. i am already filling a small new linen basket for her with all the toiletries and personal bits that will stretch her finances for the first few months. would love some other ideas if anyone has any experience
of the same

thanks

apprentice_tycoon

I would make up a little sewing /mending kit and a few buttons etc.

ms_london

Perhaps a little cook book - meals under a £1, that kind of thing. There must be plenty of student cook books around to choose from. :0)

rchddap1

Good towels are useful if I remember correctly from way back when. Another thing that would lighten their 'spirits' is a bottle or two of something. The first thing we did when we arrived was to go down to the nearest bar we could find. My parents also bought me a little stuffed toy...a duck. Not sure if they were trying to be funny or sweet.

savingmum

I definately think about the student cook book - as my ds who is only 16 has already asked about learning to cook at Uni !!! and I have told him we will go though our student veggie book and learn to cook some meals. He will take one of these with him, together with a h/m favourie recipe book which I plan to make.

I'd also put together a small DIY kit - with screwdriver, small hammer, nails/screws and duct tape - these can be got from a £ shop together with a small tool box. You can put a torch, batteries, candles & matches in as well. This sort of makes an emergency kit

Lillibet_2

Write out recipes that you use regualry & know she likes, she might like to re-create them herself if she gets a little home sick from time to time (yes, really, it does happen at first even to the most independent of us....not that we'd ever admit it!:o )

Collect together long term store cupboard items like mixed herbs, tomato puree, salt & pepper, olive oil, dried garlic, tea bags etc. Also laundry powder & a few tupperware boxes etc.

Get together a book of phone numbers/email addressess for Gran & Grandad, Auntie & Uncle, etc, all those ones she doesn't know off by heart & will be lost without if she loses her mobile phone.

Get her to set up a hotmail account if she hasn't already got one, that way she can stay in touch wherever she is & it's free.

Gather together a few basic stationary items eg post-it notes, a few different sized envelopes, sellotape, stapler etc. Also some generic birthday cards & a book of stamps to keep in stock.

Thats all I can think of for now, HTH;)

apprentice_tycoon

Because she will find buying any groceries that you can't eat or drink very boring I would send her with 'household' things, wash-up liquid, washing tablets etc including Colour Catcher cloths because she may be tempted to wash all her things together and these cloths will help (not prevent!) colours running.
Just as an aside, any forms you are filling in for financial reasons - make sure that you keep a copy, you will need all the info again for next year and it helps to have them to hand

edit - just remembered - when you make up a little medicine bag for her include some Dioralyte sachets...my son had food poisoning, I can't believe it really, he had plenty of instuctions on food hygene but I think he got complacent

Just remembered something else...try to get the phone numbers of her friends in Halls, if she doesn't answer her phone for a few hours you get VERY worried, (you tell yourself it's just the battery that's flat but your imagination runs riot!) it helps to be able to call someone else to check that all is OK

squeaky

As long as she has computer access somewhere you couldn't do any worse than point her at this site. Two places in particular, here on Old Style where we have lots of easy ideas for trainee chefs and also the Student board which, clearly, will abound with tips and help.

You might need to tie her to a chair next to you for a couple of days, but after that she'll be fine on her own

pin

A little first aid kit is always useful. Stuff like paracetamol, plasters, savlon cream, anti-acids, etc.

Also stationery is another one. Stapler (and staples), hole punch, some document wallets, files, folders, highlighters, drawing pins, paper-clips, bulldog clips, note books, file paper etc.

Js_Other_Half

Mugs, kettle, iron, portable stereo (OK not moneysaving, but still really useful...lol)

One of those big thermos flasks so she doesn't have to keep boiling said kettle. Depending on how close to you she is, would it be a thought to pay for a student rail/bus card? Or you could agree to pay X amount of return journeys so she doesn't have to worry about them.

A decent holdall to travel backwards and forwards with. Some hangers for her clothes - you could save the ones you get for free from shops until she goes? Where is she staying? Does she need bedding etc?

TV licence if necessary?

Sorry, nothing else coming to mind - I'll keep thinking though.

Midget_Karen

Depends very much where she's living - if she's in halls then she may not have access to / need to cook anyway?

Make sure she's already got loads of underwear and socks etc and doesn't have to buy more because the washing machine is being used / broken all the time! That will save some money!