Living away from home for the first time can be difficult. And one of the biggest challenges and concerns for any new student, is budgeting. In fact, I’m sure there are some final year students out there that are still finding it difficult to live to the student budget. So what do you need to know about student accommodation and budgeting?
Student accommodation and budgeting
Budgeting can be a challenge. But the first thing to do is to take a look at all of your expenses. Well, your necessary expenses anyway. For example:
- Student accommodation- somewhere safe and secure to live has to be your number one priority! Pay this bill first, as it will no doubt be the biggest expense.
- Food- try and buy healthy but cheap ingredients for cooking your own meals. This will save you a lot of money in contrast with takeaways. And you can cook a filling rice or pasta dish, with meat and veg, in less time than it takes for a takeaway to arrive, for less money. You should also think about where you shop, and choosing shops that are much cheaper, to help you save money.
- Bills- try and choose a student accommodation provider, like us here at Let Pads, where the bills are included in your monthly/quarterly rent. This will prevent bills from sneaking up on you, and draining your bank account. For your phone bill, think about securing the cheapest plan you can, and sticking within the text, calls and data limits. Our properties all have WiFi as standard, included in the cost. So you shouldn’t need to use much data.
- Transport- all of our properties are close to the city centre, and to the university campus. But you might need transport for work placements, work experience, to get to your job, or to visit friends. Choose cheap transport options that work for you, such as a student railcard.
- textbooks and university materials, like printing fees and parking might be something you also need to consider
If you find you are struggling to manage your student finance, you might need to think about getting a job. Balancing a job and studying can be difficult, so make sure you don’t pick up too many hours. Just enough to get you through the month, with enough time left for deadlines and assignments too.
For affordable, stylish and well located student accommodation in Preston, get in touch with the team today, here at Let Pads.