Money Diaries – Priyanka
By Priyanka, from Wales, studying MBChB Medicine
Year of study: Sixth year
Accommodation: Private
Work: Part-time student ambassador / hospitality / first-aider
Hello hello! My name’s Priyanka and I’m in my final year of medicine at the University of Edinburgh. The past six years at uni have definitely been a learning curve in terms of managing money! Over time though, I think everyone finds their own way of balancing their budget. It’s important to remember that spending looks different for everyone, so don’t worry if yours doesn’t match up to mine or anyone else’s. Still, I hope you find my tips helpful, and see how it is possible to live a good life on a student budget!
Day one – Sunday
I know, not technically the start of the week, but a great day to prepare for the week ahead! As many of the other students have mentioned in their money diaries, meal prep is every savvy student’s secret to keeping their bank balance in check.
I find it also helps in maintaining a healthy diet: on days when I’m coming home late from sport clubs or seeing friends, having dinner ready in the fridge is a godsend (especially if you’re a hangry person like me!)
I only needed a few fresh ingredients for my food shop today, so my bill came to about £15. One simple yet effective way of keeping costs down is always having your Nectar and Clubcard (supermarket-specific loyalty cards) to hand! It may not seem like a lot at the time, but all the small savings on regular purchases quickly add up.
This morning, I also headed out for a run and had brunch with friends afterwards, a wee Sunday treat I afford myself as a reward for completing the week! We went to Hata, a cute café with fancy porridge pots and fun drinks.
Total cost: £27
Day two – Monday
Today I had teaching in the Chancellors building, part of the BioQuarter campus. Chancellors Café is perhaps the best thing about our campus, as they serve good-quality coffee for less than half the price of most places in Edinburgh! They even knock off 25p if you bring your own keep cup! My coconut latte really sweetened the long day of lectures and only set me back £1.80.
Later that evening, I went to a spin class with a friend. All classes are included in the university (Pleasance) gym membership. The rates are incredibly reasonable for students, costing around £200 for a standard annual membership, which works out at only £15 per month. As well as providing access to the gym, it also includes free use of the University pool and reduced entry cost to their climbing and bouldering rooms.
Though today was quite low on spending, I often find I’m more money-conscious at the start of the week, but towards the end, spending becomes inevitable! As you’ll see soon, this week was no exception…
Total cost: £1.80
Day three – Tuesday
Another day of tutorials on campus, though no coffee today, as I had some at home this morning. I also carried some meal-prep lunch with me and so didn’t need to buy lunch out. Easy savings – tick!
This evening I was meeting a friend for dinner, and so made a quick supermarket trip to pick up ingredients. We had a really tasty meal of miso-aubergines with tofu and steamed broccoli. This costed just £5, though my friend already had some of the ingredients at home. At university, many of my friends and I follow plant-based diets. Despite some people thinking that being a vegetarian or vegan is expensive, I’ve personally found that it can be quite cost-effective if you’re cooking from scratch. Although it takes a bit more time, cooking with friends makes the process easier and more enjoyable, and has formed some of my fondest memories at uni!
Total cost: £5
Day four – Wednesday
An easy day today as I had no placement scheduled! Instead, I headed out to a café to prepare for some lectures, and procrastinate by plotting my summer holidays! This morning I went to Cult, a favourite spot of mine, with a cosy vibe and great coffee, costing me £3.80.
I brought lunch from home and ate in the Meadows with a friend. It’s great to have big green spaces to use for free so close to campus, and even better that we can finally use them now the sun’s back out!
This evening I met friends at the Royal Dick pub. I didn’t fancy drinking so had a lime soda for £2.50. As I’ve gotten older at uni, I’ve become more accustomed to socialising with friends without feeling the need to drink alcohol. Although I do like alcohol, I’m also happy to go to parties or pubs whilst sober, and end up saving a bit of money in the process.
Total cost: £6.30
Day five – Thursday
Good news today, as I found that two of my items on Vinted had sold! I’ve only recently started trying to sell old clothes on here, and was surprised at how quick and easy the process was. I shipped the items off this afternoon, and am due to make £13 in total. Though I’m probably likely to spend this on other Vinted items very soon, at least I’ll still be at net-zero!
This afternoon I had a haircut booked at Bad Boy Barbers, a trendy salon near Grassmarket, which offers affordable haircuts for just £15. I decided to get some highlights done too, so in total spent £45. Though this was a fairly big spend, it’s the sort of thing I’d only do once or twice a year, so I feel that its justified!
Total cost: £32 (including money made)
Day six – Friday
This morning, I headed early to the hospital for a Ward Simulation Session. There was a lot to take in and I found it quite tiring, so to perk myself up I bought a flat white, costing only £2.15 thanks again to the Chancellor’s Café! On my way home I stopped at Cameron Toll to pick something up for lunch. There’s a cute food truck outside called Mizzica that I’d been meaning to try out for a while. They specialise in Sicilian food and I bought a Caponata (aubergine stew) to have with the leftovers I had at home. It cost £5.45, but was definitely more exciting than a meal deal!
Later this afternoon I cycled out to get some repairs done on my bike that I’d been putting off for a while. Cycling is a great means of transport around the city: it’s green, often quicker than taking the bus, and can save you £100s over time!
Bike maintenance can be costly though, and it’s worth shopping around if you need any major work done. There’s also a free University service called Doctor Bike, which is super handy for checkups and quick fixes. Today though, I went to a bike shop where a friend of mine works, so I paid £15 in mates rates for all my repairs!
That evening I decided to bake some cookies to thank my friend for helping with my bike (and also because I fancied some myself). The ingredients cost around £7.30, but I have plenty leftover to make another batch, which I’m sure I’ll do soon!
Total cost: £29.90
Day 7 – Saturday
A busy day today! Headed out for a coffee in the morning with friends at Summerhall. The coffee cost £3.75, and I narrowly avoided the temptation of their scrumptious cakes (I’m sure they’ll get me next time!)
I had lunch at home and quickly packed my bags to head out for a race. I had a last-minute entry to a ‘Flat n Fast’ event – a 5k run with chipped times and a PB potential course. Entry cost £16, but I managed to get a lift with a friend out to the course in Linlithgow, so didn’t have to spend on transport. All in all, it was a great day out; I had a lot of fun both while running and when spectating the other races.
We got back later than expected and I quickly got ready to meet a friend for dinner. She had cooked for us both, but I stopped on the way to buy sides and drinks, costing around £4. Later, we went out a pub in Leith; there are lots of cool restaurants and bars around here, so we were spoilt for choice in where to go! We settled on Teuchters Landing, a charming pub on the Shore. I tried out, for the first time, a drink called Lonkero – a refreshing Finnish grapefruit gin. It was slightly pricey at £6.75, but worth it since it was super tasty! A great end to a big day.
Total cost: £30.50
Other expenses
Rent: £600/month
Utilities: £30/month
Internet: £7/month
Earning: variable! £50-£100/month from work as part-time student ambassador / hospitality / first-aider
