FAQs – The ultimate guide to budgeting at university

Moving away from home can be challenging in many ways, but being in charge of your own money can be one of the trickiest ones. In fact, in our recent survey, 37% of UK students found it difficult to manage their finances and budget effectively when living away from home.

So, how do you actually manage your money wisely whilst you are at university? Well, we’re here to reveal all of our secrets. Check out our answers to the most popular student budgeting questions below…

Why do I need to budget at university?

First and foremost, budgeting at university is important to ensure your income stretches the entirety of your time away from home. If your only income is your student loan, you will need to make sure it lasts all the way until your next payment. No one wants to be hunting down the side of the sofa for spare change!

How much money do I need for university?

According to recent surveys, the average living cost of a student living away from home is £924 per month. Of course, this is entirely dependent on your lifestyle – if you have takeaways twice a week and become a regular at the local pub, you can expect those living costs to increase dramatically.

What should a university budget include?

When you are looking to create your own budget, the first thing you need to consider is all of your fixed monthly outgoings.

Fixed monthly outgoings include:

• Rent
• House bills including electricity, water, and gas
• Phone contracts and internet (Wifi or fibre)
• Car, home, or tech insurance
• Subscriptions such as Spotify, Netflix, or Amazon Prime
• TV license

Once you have totaled this up, you need to move on to your variable outgoings. For this, we will just focus on the essentials to begin with. Take an average figure if you’re not sure. And no, takeaways don’t count as essential (sorry!).

• Grocery shopping
• Transport or fuel (car, train, bus etc.)
• Course essentials (textbooks, etc.)

Once you have a figure for those, add them together, and this total is your essential monthly costs.

Take this away from your monthly income (student loan and any additional income) and you have discovered your disposable income. This leftover figure is what you can afford to spend on your hobbies, social and leisure activities, clothing, décor (did someone say house plant!?), and yes, even takeaways.

If this figure isn’t what you expected, or doesn’t seem enough to live comfortably on, there are things you can do to ensure you remain secure whilst at university...

How do I make sure I don’t run out of money?

If your budget is looking a little unhealthy, it’s time to delve into your banking app and see where your precious pennies are going. Most banks will help you decipher where you are spending your money by categorising your outgoings into handy groups, including ‘eating out’, ‘grocery shopping’, and ‘entertainment’. Taking a closer look into these records can help you identify areas where you can reduce your unnecessary spending.

For example, if you see that £100 of your monthly outgoings is attributed to eating out, why not set a goal to half that by next month? This will add an extra £50 to your savings pot, making sure you have a safety net in case of any unexpected bills. If you do this over a few categories of non-essential spending, you’ll be well on your way to a healthy budget plan.

How can I make my money stretch further at university?

If you are relying on your student loan to get you through your time at university, but it seems as though it won’t be enough, there are a few ways you can boost your budget.

• Get a part time job – most student unions and student accommodation providers offer help to find part-time jobs for students in need of a little extra income. Often these jobs can be found on campus, such as in the canteen or library, or as an accommodation ambassador. You may even be able to find a job that suits your course subject, if you’re lucky! Alternatively, there are hundreds of part-time retail or food jobs that become available each year as students rotate out of university and into full-time work. These jobs will often provide flexible hours so you can manage your shifts around your lectures and social plans, too.
• Become a tutor – as you gain all of the impressive knowledge from your course, you actually have the skills to mentor younger pupils who are working at a lower level than you. You can set your own prices for tutoring, and can even run online classes if you don’t want to pay for travel expenses. It’s a no-brainer.
• Take advantage of student discounts and freebies – being a student means you have access to a world of discounts, exclusive sales, and freebies. Some codes can get you up to 50% off essentials (and non-essentials for cheeky little treats) so it’s definitely worth taking a look when you are in the market for something to see if you can save a few pounds.
• Check if you are entitled to additional support – you may be entitled to extra financial support from the government or your university. Have a chat with your student union to see if you qualify for any grants or bursaries that can help to take the pressure off.
• Change your providers – it is great practice to use comparison sites to check if you could be getting a better deal on any of your fixed payments or subscriptions. Oftentimes, switching provider on your gas, electric, insurance, or phone bills can save you hundreds of pounds. Never be too shy to drive a hard bargain – if you don’t ask, you won’t get! Another top tip is to check for any bank accounts who are offering a cash incentive to switch. It is an easy process, and an easy way to stash a couple hundred quid for free. Sign up to newsletters like Martin Lewis from MoneySavingExpert too for the best tips, tricks and deals out there.

So, now you have the answers to the most commonly asked questions, are you ready to become a budgeting maestro? Remember, always speak to your student union or a reliable information source if you need help with money during your time at university. They are there to help!

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