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Higher education

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Original poster

Living allowence/ Budget for 1st year university in catered halls

35 replies

PaperBlinds · 15/09/2022 11:59

Hi,
Would anyone be willing to share any budget planning they have done with their kids going off in the next couple of weeks? DD worried about cost of living and we struggling to work our reasonable weekly/monthly/termly living costs for Manchester.

Halls are catered, but no lunch and no food at weekends, but then food tricky to work out, travel local/home, going out, stationery/books, etc. Any top tips or planners you are using?

Apologies if there is a thread on this already. TIA

OP posts:
RuthW · 15/09/2022 12:09

That would all be paid for from their part time job.

ChangedToday · 15/09/2022 12:09

Same issue here and I found these pages useful:
www.which.co.uk/money/university-and-student-finance/student-money-and-budgeting/how-much-it-costs-to-live-at-university-aw9gp0v2sq7r

One link on that page is a Budget Calculator, where you can enter specifc university and accommodation details and adjust some personal details to get a more realistic suggestion. However I don't seem to be able to access it today.

Albgo · 15/09/2022 12:10

I guess it depends on how much you can afford. £100 p/w?

Albgo · 15/09/2022 12:13

Also depends on what cooking facilities there are at her halls. Mine was catered and it meant we didn't have anything in our halls - no fridge, no cooker. Just a toaster and a kettle. That put costs up massively. She'll obviously need less if she can cook in the halls.

Gherkingreen · 15/09/2022 12:18

DS will be self catering, we've saved up to pay for his accommodation so his food/social/travel money is his student loan, split equally, which I think is about £130 a week. If he needs more cash he will self-fund from a pt job.

Original poster
PaperBlinds · 15/09/2022 12:21

RuthW · 15/09/2022 12:09

That would all be paid for from their part time job.

Well of course, 😏but need to know how much she would need to earn then!!

OP posts:
Original poster
PaperBlinds · 15/09/2022 12:22

@ChangedToday oh that's helpful I will have a look. I guess it's busy because a lot of people will be trying to work this out.

OP posts:
ChangedToday · 15/09/2022 12:24

@PaperBlinds I had another look and now get a 'not found' page where I had bookmarked it so I think they have removed that whole section in the last few days...or maybe they're updating it?

Original poster
PaperBlinds · 15/09/2022 12:27

@Albgo there are some facilities (fridge, microwave etc) - it's just a bit tricky to work out till she gets there.

OP posts:
Original poster
PaperBlinds · 15/09/2022 12:28

@ChangedToday noooooo!

OP posts:
CloudPop · 15/09/2022 12:28

RuthW · 15/09/2022 12:09

That would all be paid for from their part time job.

I think OP's question related to the amount of money, not the means by which she acquires it.

Original poster
PaperBlinds · 15/09/2022 12:30

@Gherkingreen that's helpful, thanks.

I think I could work it out if she weren't catered, it's the lunches/missed meals and weekends plus restricted cooking facilities that are flooring me.

OP posts:
BigSandyBalls2015 · 15/09/2022 12:32

My DD managed ok on £50 a week. She’s veggie though and not a big drinker so that obv helped. She was in uncatered halls so had to buy all food.

we sent her shopping now and then or a takeaway.

Original poster
PaperBlinds · 15/09/2022 12:41

@ChangedToday I can get to the page which is super useful, but the link to the calulator just send me back to the page I am on. Sigh.

OP posts:
titchy · 15/09/2022 13:16

I went on the basis that loan would pay accommodation and we would top up to full loan amount which was £100 a week during term time. Food would cost around £30 a week, so if fully catered weekly budget was £70, if part catered then £85 a week.

Original poster
PaperBlinds · 15/09/2022 13:49

@titchy - that's good model, thank you.

Just now working out loan amount she is getting (which I am pretty sure doesn't cover accomodation entirely), maxim loan amount as you suggest as a guide and then what we need to help with/she needs to earn.

OP posts:
AnotherMNposter · 15/09/2022 15:30

Our has just gone into uncatered halls. Student Loan doesn’t even cover accommodation so no surplus from that in our case. We’re starting them off on £60pw and will adjust as necessary - that’s for food and socialising (not a big drinker).

Sadik · 15/09/2022 18:10

DD is also in Manchester. The combined loan/grant amount gives dd £90 p/w roughly after self-catered accommodation fees paid (though I can't remember exactly how many weeks we calculated on - probably the 42 of her hall rent contract).

DD is happy that gives her enough to live on - she's been living in Manchester for several months in a live-in job, food provided (but in practice many meals not due to timing). Her budget there was £70/week, and that allowed for periodic train trips home as well as general expenditure. She's comfortable that the extra £20/week will cover the additional food.

Fortunately if the sums don't add up /she develops a serious party habit she can go back to doing some cover shifts where she used to work which is also helpful. (Manchester seems as short of workers as everywhere else for the moment at least.)
She told me that she noted down all her spending in categories for the first couple of months after leaving home (don't know if she used an app or just paper/spreadsheet) until she was happy that it all worked out OK.

Sadik · 15/09/2022 18:11

(That's on Welsh student finance, the combined loan / grant for maintenance comes to £10710 p/a)

gogohmm · 15/09/2022 18:20

Dd managed on £120 a month after halls were paid and she self catered (I provided a lot of bulk store cupboard items and she's veggie. She also earned £100 a month but saved that to travel to her boyfriend this summer. Mine are very good with money and dd1 doesn't drink or go out socialising much

FlyingPandas · 15/09/2022 19:42

DS about to head off. Self catered hall, uni in SE (not London tho). We have topped up to maximum loan and once accommodation has been paid he’ll end up with around £300 a month (£70 a week). Uni recommends budget £35 a week for food. We are going to see how he goes for the first term - he’s not a big drinker (yet 😂) but does love meat so will inevitably have higher food costs than a vegetarian.

MarchingFrogs · 16/09/2022 07:07

Does the university website have a guide to expected living expenses? Often part of the section for international students.

Original poster
PaperBlinds · 16/09/2022 12:10

Thanks all this has been super useful. Making up to full grant and seeing how she goes is the model we are working with and will adjust accordingly. Not sure that the next few weeks of Freshers is going to be representative, but no doubt lessons will be learnt and she has her own savings and earnings for that! Now to get on with packing!

OP posts:
TizerorFizz · 16/09/2022 22:53

@PaperBlinds
Its swings and roundabouts. The full loan can be used in any way you want. Catered costs more but you save on weekly shop. He might go out more but you can monitor that for a term and then adjust. So make the money up to the full award and don’t overthink it. No two students are the same. DD1 was catered and she had £400 a month from us. You need to consider sports costs, travel, clothes, going out, printing, cost of university clubs, toiletries and some food. £100 a month is too low for most to do anything.

NotSorry · 20/09/2022 07:37

DS2 had £100 per week and DS3 manages on £50 per week - it’s really difficult to tell. I’d start with £50 per week (as it’s part catered) give it a few weeks and adjust as necessary.

Me and DS3 worked out a good system. He used to let me know when he had surplus money and then when he started getting down to a predetermined amount, I started sending him money again.