How much on top of catered hall to live on?

[goingmadinthecountry]

I'm fully aware this is a how long is a piece of string question, but am really unsure how much to give dd. She's in catered halls and only 10 mins walk from where her lectures are and the city centre.

Initial books etc and freshers' week apart, how much is an average amount to live on? I'll be tight, dh over generous so would really appreciate some guidelines! We already pay for her mobile contract and will continue to do so.

Thank you

It does depend. What is the meal plan? Is it two or three meals a day?

If it is breakfast and dinner she will have to buy lunch which can be a plate of chips or a propper meal and may be eaten on campus or off.

It also depends what time the eveniing meal is served and whether she has access to a kitchen at all, some catered halls have toasters and kettles for students, some don't. If she does have a toaster and kettle she can make things like noodles, pasta or obviously toast. If the evening meal is 5pm she might be hungry again later.

Some unis also have machines to buy snacks from, this can be chocolate and crisps, but can be cheese toasties.

Sit down and look both at how/what she eats at home and what and when food will be provided by the uni.

Also look at what she drinks, a can of coke a day soon adds up.

I was in pretty much the same set up to your DD a couple of years ago now as a fresher and the catered amount doesn't really give you a lot - I was entitled to either a bowl of cereal and a cooked meal or a sandwich and a cooked meal. Last meal time was 6.30pm or earlier if there was an event on in the hall - which was often!

Through a combination of savings and my parent's help, I had about £500 extra per month on top of my student loan & this was probably too much. I ended up saving some for holidays/festivals etc.

I second sashh with the idea of access to a toaster & kettle in halls, as well as recommending a toastie maker. Having access to quick and easy to make food means that she'll be less likely to order takeaways.

Thanks. There are kitchens with mini ovens, hobs,toasters and microwaves so she can make food and she's a water drinker by day. Dinner's till 7 so not too bad - also hall is not so far out. When I was at university in London my hall was miles away (30 mins at least by bus) so quite often people didn't eat there in the evening if they were going out or had late lectures. I do know that good intentions to take sandwiches can go out of the window!

If this summer's anything to go by, it'll be entertainment that will cause the biggest expense!

I think the amount you give her is very much up to you - and how much drink/partying you are prepared to subsidise over and above basic costs - sandwiches/coffees/soap powder etc! However, I would recommend paying a set amount weekly rather than giving a lump sum (which will disappear in the first two weeks).

Neither DD1 or DD2 were in catered halls. We paid fopr halls and everything else they paid for themselves out of thier student loan, DD1 had a part time job when she started uni. DD2 had a job for a few weks in the summer of he first year, Then she had part time jobs for part of the second and third years.
My brother gives my nephew a £100 a month but he pays his own rent and has now got a job,

goingmad my DC gets a total of £50 each per month (from all sources) and they are in student houses now. My DC1 had the same amount when they were in Halls and they saved money each month. We help them do a shop at the beginning of term and pay mobile phone contracts but the rest is down to them. They have a job in the summer to help with their bills. They are also trying to get jobs for next term. Neither of them though are massive party animals!

You will find many will get more per week especially if they qualify for a full loan and a grant plus other bursaries etc Many parents look at the total a DC could get if awarded a full loan and grant etc and then top up the difference between what they actually get and the first group. Bursaries and scholarships do though vary quite considerably between Universities.

Thanks goinggetstough - will check the total loan amount. Lilymaid, great idea to send it weekly.

We use to make sandwiches for a pack lunch from the bread rolls, ham, cheese, jam served at halls for breakfast then spend what we saved on drink

My DS lived on £80pw last year in hall and that included all food, entertainment, laundry etc. The only thing he didn't have to stump up for out of that was his phone and fares home. This year he's in a flat but thinks it will be similar.

I'm getting £200 a month on top of generous loan/grant (London rates). It seems a huge amount to me, esp. since I'm planning to get a job as soon as poss. But I'll save most of it, I expect, unless I find I really need it! My parents are VERY generous though, and worried about certain things (AS- socialising, eating issues, prescriptions), and keep saying that they just want me to be comfortable.

Are you giving her spending money with this? Plus lunches?
I'd say somewhere around £150/£200 a month maybe.
Can she get a job?