Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that £500 a month is enough for a child at uni

555 replies

FunnysInLaJardin · 04/02/2024 20:39

we will pay his accommodation and his tuition fees will be paid, so this will just be for food and travel etc

OP posts:
Gymsharking · 11/02/2024 11:23

It’s so very sad that some parents are happy for their child to live on £20 a week food budget. If you can’t afford it that is fine, but there’s no reason to sound so chirpy about it.

I hope that poor young lady doesn’t develop health conditions in the future due to lack of nutrition / varied diet. It’s very tough on the menstrual cycle and general mood and concentration levels when you’re not getting what the body needs.

I don’t think she would be able to afford meat on that. It’s one thing to be voluntarily vegan, it’s entirely another to be forced into it due to poverty.

Some sound positivity gleeful about this.

wombat15 · 11/02/2024 10:57

SecondUsername4me · 10/02/2024 23:25

I'm not on a low income.

Show quote history

They will probably need to live at home or take a gap year then because the minimum loan won't even cover rent now in most places.

SecondUsername4me · 10/02/2024 23:25

wombat15 · 10/02/2024 23:20

You wouldn't have to as your DC would receive a full loan if you are on a low income.

Show quote history

I'm not on a low income.

wombat15 · 10/02/2024 23:20

SecondUsername4me · 10/02/2024 22:59

It can be done though. Needs must, and all.

We would be nowhere near financially capable of sending dc 500pcm for food and fun. It's half our families entire food and fun budget, and they are one of four of us.

Show quote history

You wouldn't have to as your DC would receive a full loan if you are on a low income.

ShineOnBrightly · 10/02/2024 23:03

That's only about 3 pints a day.

SecondUsername4me · 10/02/2024 22:59

wombat15 · 10/02/2024 22:39

Sounds really repetitive, boring and lacking in variety particularly of fruit and veg. It doesn't sound like much food either, particularly for someone young and active.

Show quote history

It can be done though. Needs must, and all.

We would be nowhere near financially capable of sending dc 500pcm for food and fun. It's half our families entire food and fun budget, and they are one of four of us.

wombat15 · 10/02/2024 22:39

SecondUsername4me · 10/02/2024 20:23

Bag of porridge, bag of frozen berries - breakfast
Jar of coffee
I can make spaghetti bol x 5 portions for about £6 so there's 5 dinners.
Loaf of bread, block of cheese, cucumber and cherry Tom's for lunches
Bunch of bananas
4x baked potatos, butter and 2 tins tuna, mayo.

I reckon you could carefully eat on 20 a week.

Show quote history

Sounds really repetitive, boring and lacking in variety particularly of fruit and veg. It doesn't sound like much food either, particularly for someone young and active.

Splety · 10/02/2024 21:40

And the other thing is all the store cupboard stuff that isn’t mentioned

oil to cook the spag Bol in
butter for the sandwiches
milk as mentioned
teabags
whats in the spag bol? Carrots celery onion? Tomato puree? Tinned tomatoes? Is pasta included in the costing?
salt and pepper

there are a lot of assumptions made about what is in the store cupboard, or how this is funded.

Splety · 10/02/2024 21:30

owlsinthedaylight · 10/02/2024 21:22

Well if they were to add on another £5 they could get a fruit and veg box, so I think it still illustrates comparative budgeting pretty well.

A fruit and veg box for £5? With enough fruit and veg in for a week? Bargain.

owlsinthedaylight · 10/02/2024 21:22

Well if they were to add on another £5 they could get a fruit and veg box, so I think it still illustrates comparative budgeting pretty well.

Splety · 10/02/2024 21:18

Sure I missed the banana and frozen berries

its just not enough fruit and veg though is it to be healthy? Of course it’s possible - see 30p Lee. It’s not healthy to eat like that every week.

owlsinthedaylight · 10/02/2024 21:16

Splety · 10/02/2024 20:57

No milk
No fruit
very little veg
not great is it?

Show quote history

I thought the milk was implied by the porridge and coffee. Tomatoes and cucumbers are veg. Bananas are fruit. I don’t think the poster was suggesting the same every week - just giving an example.

Splety · 10/02/2024 20:57

SecondUsername4me · 10/02/2024 20:23

Bag of porridge, bag of frozen berries - breakfast
Jar of coffee
I can make spaghetti bol x 5 portions for about £6 so there's 5 dinners.
Loaf of bread, block of cheese, cucumber and cherry Tom's for lunches
Bunch of bananas
4x baked potatos, butter and 2 tins tuna, mayo.

I reckon you could carefully eat on 20 a week.

Show quote history

No milk
No fruit
very little veg
not great is it?

SecondUsername4me · 10/02/2024 20:23

wombat15 · 10/02/2024 18:33

Pretty hard to spend just 20 pounds a week on food nowadays without being undernourished. Sounds very depressing. I very much doubt your DD is living on 500 pounds a term.

Show quote history

Bag of porridge, bag of frozen berries - breakfast
Jar of coffee
I can make spaghetti bol x 5 portions for about £6 so there's 5 dinners.
Loaf of bread, block of cheese, cucumber and cherry Tom's for lunches
Bunch of bananas
4x baked potatos, butter and 2 tins tuna, mayo.

I reckon you could carefully eat on 20 a week.

wombat15 · 10/02/2024 18:33

MarvellousMonsters · 10/02/2024 17:50

That's way more than he needs! My daughter spends that per term. She feeds herself on under £20 a week and mostly walks or gets the bus. Make sure he knows how to shop for and cook real food so he doesn't blow his budget on ready meals and take aways. £500 is more than I spend to feed my family in a month. Confused

Pretty hard to spend just 20 pounds a week on food nowadays without being undernourished. Sounds very depressing. I very much doubt your DD is living on 500 pounds a term.

NotSorry · 10/02/2024 18:27

BungleandGeorge · 10/02/2024 15:57

@NotSorry are you sure about that? It seems to suggest it’s everyone registered as living in the household that counts including parents partner and the child going to uni?

Hi @BungleandGeorge yes part-time jobs by students are not counted. So it would be mum and dad or parent and partner etc. but not a part-time job by the student while they are at uni. My son is at uni now and has a small part-time job, we don't have to declare it

MrsSunshine2b · 10/02/2024 17:55

I got a £3k maintenance loan and my parents paid the odd bill and some train tickets home when I was in a tight spot. My rent came out of that and I had about £50 a week left over. I get that with inflation it has to be more than that but I do think eating cold beans out of a mug because you've run out of cash is part of the fun of Uni life and makes you appreciate your hitherto cushy upbringing more!

MarvellousMonsters · 10/02/2024 17:50

That's way more than he needs! My daughter spends that per term. She feeds herself on under £20 a week and mostly walks or gets the bus. Make sure he knows how to shop for and cook real food so he doesn't blow his budget on ready meals and take aways. £500 is more than I spend to feed my family in a month. Confused

determinedtomakethiswork · 10/02/2024 16:35

I'd pay it weekly though otherwise you risk being asked for more in the last week of the month.

WhyIOughtTo · 10/02/2024 16:10

Whoops...it definitely includes partners that live in the household.

WhyIOughtTo · 10/02/2024 16:10

BungleandGeorge · 10/02/2024 15:57

@NotSorry are you sure about that? It seems to suggest it’s everyone registered as living in the household that counts including parents partner and the child going to uni?

It def

BungleandGeorge · 10/02/2024 15:57

@NotSorry are you sure about that? It seems to suggest it’s everyone registered as living in the household that counts including parents partner and the child going to uni?

Original poster
FunnysInLaJardin · 10/02/2024 12:56

RobinStrike · 09/02/2024 22:02

OP my children were at university over 20 years ago but I completely agree with your premise on ensuring that your son has a stress free first year. You may well find in 2nd year accommodation will be cheaper as he shares with friends but being so far from home, not a quick train ride home, you are right to ensure he is comfortable. Finding work as a student isn't as easy as many people suggest and you can't rely on it happening. I'm sure your son will appreciate your love and support and hopefully have a successful time at his chosen university.

Thank you, that's what we are hoping too. No way would I send him off to uni with no financial support, especially as we can afford it

OP posts:
Original poster
FunnysInLaJardin · 10/02/2024 12:52

Julimia · 09/02/2024 18:31

A CHILD at uni??!

we've covered that one

OP posts:
Tempnamechng · 10/02/2024 12:13

wombat15 · 10/02/2024 11:42

It's not really sudden though. People who have a degree themselves will know that parents are meant to contribute if on a middle income although I appreciate that if you don't you may not know. I think there should be more publicity about it.

Show quote history

My dc's generation are the first in our families to go to uni, so we were all clueless until our neices and nephews started to go. (Old uncles and grandads are still huffing that the kids they aren't going down't pits, or working on't farm, like they did! 🤣 ) We had just assumed until then that the loan covered everything!