Going to university (2019/20 academic year) - finance, flat shares, friends old and new and freshers' week to come...

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Following on from thread 8 which filled up in just 72 hours.

I’d almost prefer just to get a bill, we pay it, then DS transfers i]the mainlanders back to us whenever it arrives

MrKlaw, you could have given your account details for the direct debit. I did this for DD's accommodation - I was going to pay for it anyway, but since I had to sort it out for her because the offer came just after she went away for three weeks, I just set it up from my account.

(Which effectively leaves me as my own guarantor, as well, because 'DD' had to nominate a guarantor before the payment bit, but that hasn't hit the accommodation provider yet, or they don't mind).

I suspect the universities / private companies prefer DD to invoicing because there is rather less chance of the tenant defaulting?

@MarchingFrogs didn’t know that was allowed - might so that, thanks. Don’t get accommodation finalised until 6 Sep so cutting it a bit fine

Sorry to throw this in the meningitis mix - but there is also a Meningitis B jab they can have - Most Dr's won't do it - they only do it for under 1's but you can get it at Boots £110 a go, and they need 2, 1 now and 1 in 4 weeks. DS had 1st one today and will have to have the 2nd after being a uni for 1 week. - They won't give it early unfortunately.

HPV I think we aren’t going for with DS - £450+ Privately for the three jabs and that’d be well into term.

Ds has been part of a study for the meningitis B vaccine. It was done through 6th form and he had to carry a card around with him for a couple of months.

Thanks for more tips. DD is asthmatic so I've booked her flu jab here at Boots for the Tues before she leaves. If we remember to take our scripts with us they will be free.

@MrKlaw @MarchingFrogs Yes when dd got his Bath accommodation offer through, I put in my bank details & email. In case you hadn’t realised, they take payment in 3 (but not equal) instalments. I’d been expecting monthly as that was how it was with my older child.

I've yet to find out whether ds has definitely had menACWY vaccine. The nurse at the health centre thinks he has. But nothing on record. I'm going to try asking the school next week.
I thought the flu vaccine sounds a good idea. I looked online at boots, starting at our local one plus 5 others, all of them the first date available was 23rd. He starts 22nd.

TV licence question. Just checked BBC site and it says if covered at home and only watching on a device with its own batteries, you don’t need a separate licence. Is that everyone’s understanding? DD has a MAC book , no tv but will watch iplayer. So she doesn’t need a licence, right?

I was at a lovely afternoon get-together yesterday and some over-65s told me they are getting their flu jab done at the GP early September (one had the 9th September written down). The vaccine must be out there that early but given to GPs first?

I don't think she'll need a separate licence as long as she's on your iplayer account.

Benji TV licence is listed as ‘included’ at Dds flat which complicates things further. I think that doesn’t include her bedroom! Then there’s Netflix. Is she still included in my £8.99 a month?? Googling produces so many different answers.

Not sure we have an iplayer ‘account’ ?

www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/for-your-home/students-aud1
Scroll down to when you ‘don’t need a licence’

www.savethestudent.org/news/tv-licensing-loophole-revealed-students-dont-need-a-licence-to-watch-iplayer-after-all.html

So long as not plugged in to the mains while watching, no licence needed so charge up before watching. Something I can cross off my list

Watching live TV and catchup services (iplayer etc) on laptop using parents licence appears to be OK as long as you don't plug it into anything and are therefore watching it whilst it's being powered by the internal battery.

ZandathePanda See number 6 here for Netflix info -

www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/netflix-hacks/#needtoknow-6

Sorry Benjispruce - cross post!

It’s a bizarre loophole isn’t it? Just glad to save the money though!

Also family Spotify accounts will work so long as main address is the home account address.

@icanbewhatiwant I rang immunisation team and my dd has had it as part of her routine school jabs.

@RedHelenB yes some schools have given it to that age group, others not. I think it was introduced 2015 That school year are borderline as to whether it was done. My younger son (going into year 11) will definitely have had it.
Yes I thought it looked ok to be watching tv on a laptop as long as not plugged in to the wall. I think Netflix covers you wherever you are. Netflix lets you have a certain number of devices.

Quick question, sorry if it's already been asked.

If your dc were to be in catered accommodation, how much money per week would you be supplying- bearing in mind they get breakfast and evening meal on weekdays only?

It’s not an easy question to answer. So much depends on what else they spend their money on. In terms of food, if they are shopping for lunches & weekend meals, that could easily be £20 per week, more if they buy lunch in a campus cafe.

TV licenses - will only cover communal areas not bedrooms. But don’t bother as long as they’re watching on a laptop or tablet, then it’s covered by the parents home license.

Netflix - technically not supported I think but nobody will check. I just increased the subscription tier to allow 4 streams To cover that so they’re making more money off me anyway

Finances I think sorted without too much juggling needed:
Accommodation - we’ll pay directly, then he pays us his maintenance loan. Effectively costs us the difference plus shelling out in advance in case of any delay getting the loan payment in. (Bonus is that FIL is paying that gap back to us so no net cost to us for accommodation!)

Living expenses we can luckily cover without dipping in to savings (we just can’t save as much while kids are at uni) - paid monthly except summer hols (working out timing to pause for Easter and Christmas is too much faff)