The Aspire Guide - Flipbook - Page 22
Student Money Diaries
Interested in what students spend their money on? We asked Athena to keep track of her spending
for a typical week in January - read on to hear what a week of spending looked like for her.
Athena’s Money Diary
Profile
I am Athena and I am currently studying Medieval and Early Modern Studies
at Lancaster University.
Income
Student Loan: £9,040 a year
Savings: £3,000 from working during my gap year
Outgoings
Housing Costs: £6,500 a year (£130 a week) for off campus student
accommodation which includes utilities and gym membership
Phone bill: £35 a month
Transport: £195 for a bus pass that covers January - June
Other: Fortunately, my mum doesn’t mind that I still ‘leech’ off her Netflix
account, so this is a regular expense I don’t have to worry about!
Day
1
Monday
Today’s Total: £1.20
8:00am: Today I start university at 11:00am. I plan to have a quick shower, a couple of
slices of toast, and to get to university early enough so that I can have my pick of seats in
my 2-hour lecture.
3:30pm: Since finishing my lecture, I’ve been sat in the library making sure I’m prepared for my 4:00pm
seminar. I’ve realised that I forgot my water bottle today, so I picked up a drink from the vending
machine (£1.20) before heading to my seminar.
11:00pm: I got home from university around 6:00pm and prepared a salad for tea. I’ve spent some time
talking to my flat mates and discussing the coursework that we all have due soon.
Day
2
Tuesday
Today’s Total: £0
8:00am: Today’s day at university looks very similar to yesterday, so once again, I have
some toast for breakfast, but I remember to grab a water bottle to take to class today, as
there are free bottle refill machines around the campus, and this will save me some money.
4:00pm: I spent today’s free time on campus with some friends. We spent the time gossiping and just
taking the time to ourselves to relax, and now it is time for class.
10:00pm: After getting home, I took some time to phone home to talk to my family and have a catch up.
Then I made some chicken burgers for my tea and retreated into my room for another chilled-out night.
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