Money diaries – Lydia
By Lydia, from USA, studing MSc Intellectual History
Year of study: Postgraduate
Accommodation type: University
Part-time job: Student Ambassador
Day one
I began my day with a coffee I made from home and some eggs on toast before heading to campus for the day! I spent the morning working in the main library before going over to Sainsbury’s and getting lunch for £5 and then I ate in the meadows with my friends.
I stayed on campus for a little longer before heading home and made pesto gnocchi with mushrooms for dinner, along with some yogurt, bananas, and dates with cinnamon for dessert. Today was pretty good for savings. I usually try to pack a lunch if I know I am going to campus, but it doesn’t always happen!
Total: £5
Lunch in the Meadows
Day two
This morning was the same as yesterday; I made homemade coffee and had eggs with toast for breakfast. However, I managed to pack a sandwich for lunch today! I headed to the library and got to work before taking a break for lunch.
I could not look at my computer anymore at this point, so I decided to head home and went for a run around Holyrood Park.
When I got home, I answered two questions on Unibuddy, then realized I had run out of eggs, so I headed to Tesco down the street. Throughout the week, I tend to do small shops to grab random items I need for dinner or just to have a little pick-me-up. I got eggs, rice, and some veggies to make fried rice for dinner for £5.50.
Total: £5.50
Day three
Instead of going to the library today, I decided to study at Levels cafe. Most of the time, I don’t like to work in a cafe since I like to work in silence, but today I needed a change of scenery. I also wanted a little pick-me-up, as my supervisor had requested that a chapter of my dissertation be submitted by Friday, and I was feeling a bit stressed. At levels, I spent £6.75 on a latte and a yogurt cup.
After working for a few hours, I went home and had a sandwich with homemade coffee for lunch before a student panel I was on. The panel involved, speaking with students who had been admitted to the School of History, Classics, and Archaeology (HCA) cohort for the fall, and answering any questions they had about Edinburgh, my programme, or my experience as a student in HCA. From this panel, I made £18.
After the panel, I went for a little walk, then got ready and headed to the pub where my friends and I do a pub quiz every Wednesday night. It’s become quite the tradition! I spent £5.20 on a pint. I don’t usually drink out to save money, so this usually is my weekly pint!
Total: £11.95
Day four
I started my day off with the same with homemade coffee, then headed to the library. I didn’t pack a lunch today, so around lunch I went and got a sandwich and crisps for £4.80 from Rudi’s, which is right by campus. They have amazing sandwiches for a great price, and the staff are so lovely! I was tempted to get a sweet treat too, but I didn’t give in.
After lunch, I headed back to the library for a bit, then walked home to get ready for my run. I went on a run from my place to Portobello Beach and walked along the beach for a bit. I ended up getting the bus back, which was £2.20 for a single ticket.
After getting home I made my pesto gnocchi with mushrooms and chicken again since I already had all the ingredients.
Total: £7.00
Day five
Today was the day my chapter was due, so my day started off the same (I know it’s getting repetitive, but I am a woman of routine) with a homemade coffee and heading to the library to meet my friends. I worked at the library for a bit before feeling okay enough to hit send on the email to my supervisor, then went back to my room to clean it up a bit. My aunt, uncle, and cousin were visiting from America and were arriving in the evening, so I wanted my place to look nice.
I also had a yogurt bowl with banana, dates, walnuts, and some honey for a quick snack since I wasn’t too hungry. Then I left to meet my family at Waverley station and went to dinner. We went to Ting Thai, where I ordered the Khao Mun Gai Tod (£11.10), but they were kind enough to cover the cost of my meal.
After saying goodbye, I stopped at Tesco and bought some milk (£1.40) since I was out before heading home.
Total: £1.40
Khao Mun Gai Tod from Ting Thai
Day six
Today was so much fun since I was just showing my family around Edinburgh! I met them for breakfast at Calton View Coffee, where I bought a cappuccino and an apricot Danish for £6.25. After breakfast, we walked to the National Museum of Scotland (free entry) and the National Library of Scotland (free entry) to see the Gutenberg Bible on display.
Then I went back to my place and made another coffee, and had a wrap with chicken, mozzarella, rocket, and pesto for lunch with some yogurt and banana. I did some reading and had leftovers for dinner before heading out and meeting them for a walk around the old town.
Total: £6.25
Day seven
Usually, my Sundays are slow since they are the days I take either a complete break from schoolwork or do some light reading. Since I didn’t get a lot of reading done yesterday, I had a slow morning doing some reading with a coffee from home.
At 11am, I went and met my family at St. Giles for Sunday service, then headed back to my place to have lunch. I finished off any fresh groceries I had and made a veggie rice bowl with chicken.
After lunch, I headed to Lidl to do my shopping for the week. I like to do my big shopping trips on Sundays, as it sets me up for the week and serves as a little reset. I also found that Lidl is often a little cheaper than Tesco or Sainsbury’s, so I go there most often for my weekly big shop. After getting everything I needed, I spent £36.60.
Total: £36.60
Weekly Total: £73.70
Income: £18
Other costs
This diary represents my weekly spending, but some background costs eat at my savings. I am also saving up since I want to do some hikes and climbs, and public transportation to those places can be a little pricey, so I try to be as frugal as I can throughout the week (within reason).
Rent (monthly, with utilities and Wi-Fi included): £893.20
Earnings: I have had a job since I was 16, so I have been relying on my savings, as well as my part-time job this year. I tend to earn around £30 a week on average, with some weeks being more or less.
Related links
Other studying and living costs
Study at the University of Edinburgh
