Welcome to our Money Diaries series. Here, you can step into the shoes of students from all walks of life at UCL and uncover an intimate glimpse into their weekly spending habits. Now more than ever, we believe it's important to open up the conversation about finance while working to support you through the use of our Union services. Interested in taking part? Start by submitting your information here. We're looking for a range of different people to take part and we are interested in understanding a wide range of financial experiences. If you're selected to feature, we'll get in contact with you and ask you to log your spending over 7 days. Remember, all Money Diaries we publish are anonymous.
Sophia (name has been changed) is an undergrad living in university accommodation with no debt, aside from her degree. She’s from a small town so is enjoying London life but finds it easy to feel FOMO because of everything that’s going on. She already works part time as a tutor but is looking for more part time work to support herself. Sophie had lots of conversations around money growing up and thinks she’s struck a good balance around budgeting and spending, but does worry about her finances with the cost of living. She’s recently been experimenting with new recipes, trying to waste less by using up what she already has in the fridge.
Pronouns: She/her
Age: 25
Location: Camden
Living costs? £1,200 a month for an en-suite room in university accommodation. I have four flatmates and we share a kitchen. Bills are included in my rent.
Monthly expenses? Phone bill: £7, Grocery: £80 (thank you Lidl), Laundry: £30, Transport: £100. iCloud Storage: £2.99.
How are you funding this year? Student Finance is funding my higher education. I receive a maintenance loan and a low-income bursary of £2,000 a year.
Do you have any debt? No debt, but will have some after this degree…
Job? I tutor for about £80 a month but looking for a regular part-time position.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? My parents made a point of talking to us about money. They emphasised the importance of shopping smartly and saving whilst also enjoying life. We have talked about the importance of investing in the stock market, property, and assets, and it has given me a good foundation of how to make my money work for me, instead of sitting in the bank. I feel lucky to have this knowledge and ensure I follow this advice.
Do you worry about money? I do worry about money because it’s getting increasingly harder to live. I want to have a work-life balance and be able to enjoy my hobbies without having to worry so much about the necessities.
Sometimes it’s tough spending on yourself, and you can feel guilty when you know that everything costs so much, but I think I’ve struck a good balance.
The money that my parents saved monthly on groceries now that I’ve moved out, they give to me to use. I also use my family’s Netflix account. When I had the flu, my Mum gave me a few comfort meals, so I saved on groceries there.
Day 1
10:00: I made hashbrowns & scrambled eggs, with orange juice for breakfast. Chilled out and did my nails, while watching TV. Studied a little bit.
15:00: Lunch – Waitrose had a sandwich and hot drink on the app so I got that. It wasn’t bad. It was square shaped which was kind of nice because you get more sauce.
15:34 – 18:45: Studied, listened to a podcast, and watched TV. Planned my outfit because I was going out in the evening.
19:00: Spent £9.85 in Boots because I needed a few beauty products: new mascara & face wash.
19:09: £5.99 Boots - Went back 5 minutes later because I forgot heat protectant hair spray. Someone told me they don’t think it actually does anything. For now, I thought it better to be safe than sorry.
20:00: Gave £10.00 to charity – a friend was fundraising, so I supported her.
21:00: Dinner time. I heated up yesterday’s leftover pizza. People who enjoy cold pizza… crazy. Pizza twice in one day was unfortunate but hey.
22:00 – 23:00: I got ready for tonight! Put music on and did my skincare, then hair, then makeup. Called my family quickly just to say hi. Went to my friend’s flat.
23:30: Spent £3.50 on the tube. Then £2.00 on my night out with friends – I had to check in my coat at the club. (I get so cold, so I always have to take a proper cosy jacket & check it. It is what it is!) The music was great, lots of fun throwbacks. I then spent another £1.98 in McDonalds and got fries on the way back home. Just what I needed.
4:00: Back home! Got ready for bed as quickly as possible and crashed.
Total: £33.32
Day 2:
09:30: Breakfast – Fried eggs, hashbrowns, a Yakult.
10:15: Studying and organising my schedule.
14:30: Time for lunch. I was so hungry because I’d been busy trying to sort out a bunch of things that were just not working. I decided to come back to it later and ask my professors for help tomorrow.
It was a terrible day, so I chilled out. I listened to Erykah Badu, tidied up, watched Tangled & then went on a run after it stopped raining. Felt a million times better. On the way back, I stopped at Waitrose because I needed a few things.
19:00 £8.10 spent in Waitrose on mints, houmous, crackers, olives. I spent way too long trying to decide which crackers to get. In the end, I went for some Ritz, so nice!
20:00: When I came home, I had a lot of energy, so I reorganised my kitchen cupboards and bedroom shelves. Very satisfying.
21:00: Dinner of lentils and buttered toast. One of my favourite comfort meals. So easy, spicy, wholesome, and happy.
22:00: I took my time getting ready for bed today and did an extensive night routine. I called my family, and they updated me on lots, which was lovely.
Total: £8.10
Day 3
09:00: Breakfast - cereals, an orange, a banana, and a Yakult. This is my busiest day, so I made a mental note to eat a decent lunch before leaving for classes. I did a couple of stretches to relax a little.
13:00: Lunch time! I picked up some seafood flavour instant ramen on my way home from uni. I had some leftover meat and veggies and an egg to add.
14:00: I went to my classes and struggled to keep up with one of them. It was tough but very useful.
19:00-20:30: Dance class, free with my membership. It was really fun and energising. I came home and washed up.
21:00: Dinner – ‘Pesto’ pasta: spinach, lemon, walnuts, tofu, feta, lemon, garlic, and lots of herbs and spices blended into a sauce and cooked. Added the pasta, done! So easy and tasty.
21:00: Realised I wanted to have some more snacks at home, so I spent £15.63 in the corner shop on some bottles of juice, ridge-cut crisps, and cupcakes! Pricey for snacks but I guess that’s the price I pay for convenience.
21:30: At home, I studied a little more and completed an assignment I had forgotten about until now.
23:30: All ready for bed. I watched some YouTube and called my family. It was a comfy night in.
Total: £15.63
Day 4:
09:00: Breakfast – a buttered brioche roll, tea, and a Yakult.
11:00: Went to a 2-hour lecture, which was very interesting. I was strangely tired though, so I decided to go straight home and study instead of at the library as I had planned.
13:30: Lunch – A toastie: I took my time making lunch and put on some music too. It was relaxing, watching through the window as the people, bikes and dogs went by. It was a lovely, sunny day. In the toastie: lamb kebabs, cheese, green pesto, crispy onions, tomato, toasted with mayo. Heaven!
16:00: I made the most of the good weather and went for a run (after I digested lunch a bit though). I realised that my playlist had a lot of old Hilary Duff music, and it worked great. I came back feeling happy and energised. Washed up, then cracked on to study, because there was so much to do!
18:00: Time for work - tutoring. My student was struggling a little, so I made sure to encourage her. We worked through her homework, and she did her best. I told her at the end how proud I was of her, and I truly meant it.
20:00: Dinner time: I tried a TikTok recipe, a chickpea salad with tahini, honey, some veggies, and a simple olive oil dressing. It was amazing. I know I’m going to eat this all the time.
21:00: Spent £2.99 on Apple – I decided to subscribe to iCloud storage. (After an incident with a matcha latte not long ago, I thought I better back everything up. Also, no more “iPhone Storage Full” messages at last.)
23:00: £12.25 Dice – Got a notification about tickets to an upcoming gig nearby. So excited because I’d been a fan for a while & was hoping they’d perform near me soon! Great end to the day.
Total: £15.24
Day 5:
10:00: Woke up late! I got ready, skipped breakfast, and rushed to class.
11:00: Seminar 1. So difficult. I’m looking at the clock waiting for it to be over ASAP.
13:00: Lunch – £3.50 - Forgot to bring lunch with me to campus so bought a meal deal from the union shop. To be honest, I was actually looking for a different café but didn’t have time to find it before my next class. The shop was the first place I saw. Ironically, when I was looking for somewhere to sit, I found that café. At least now I know, so maybe next time.
14:00: Seminar 2. This one is so much better. Feeling relieved. Also donated £10.00 to charity (this is a monthly commitment via direct debit).
18:00: Oops, another £5.00 spent! I bought a membership for a society. Now future events will be discounted.
20:00: Dinner time. I spent £19.38 on Uber eats, although I got two times the amount I’d eat so I could have the leftovers as lunch tomorrow. My discount code sadly didn’t work with the restaurant I wanted, but whatever. I still ordered from here because I was craving their food, and I had the budget for it!
22:00: I called my parents (and my dog) and then my sister afterwards.
12:30: I got ready for bed and then went through all the TikToks my friend from back home had sent me throughout the day. I miss her so much! I texted her and we made plans to meet up in reading week.
Total: £37.88
Day 6:
08:00: Breakfast of fried egg, hashbrowns, toast, and tea.
09:00 Classes today went better than expected. I was super stressed about it but did much better than I thought I would. Feeling relieved.
14:00: Lunch – I came home and heated up those tasty leftovers. Thanked my past self for having ordered more yesterday.
14:00: Studying, I had so many readings to do. This reading week couldn’t come any sooner.
18:00: I needed garlic for dinner! £0.85 Waitrose – 3x bulbs of garlic.
18:20: I was going to make butter chicken and was visualising it on the walk home. Hungry & happy. Got home and made rice too. I have enough to last me another meal. It was also the night of the gig! I was going to meet a friend at the venue.
20:00: I got ready and headed off. It was raining, so I took the bus, otherwise I would’ve walked. I spent £1.75 on the bus journey, then £2.00 on a coat check, of course. Honestly, I kind of couldn’t be bothered to go out today, but I’m so glad I did. The performance was truly amazing, and it was great to see my friend.
Total: £4.60
Day 7:
09:00: Breakfast – Brioche roll with butter, raspberry jam, and tea. I took the tea in a flask with me to class because it was cold. I was travelling back home today for reading week. I planned that after class I would do laundry, organise, clean, and pack.
11:00: Classes. All of them went well and were lots of fun. A great end to the week.
17:00: Lunch(?) I finished the butter chicken with rice. Delicious! I then spent another £10.00 on laundry because I wanted my clothes to be all clean when I returned. I didn’t want to take it home because it’s so heavy! Spent another £4.15 travelling home. I’m honestly not sure how it was this cheap because it’s normally £8 but I sure wasn’t going to complain.
22:00: I’m home! Hugs all around. I petted my dog loads and had a late dinner of grilled chicken, mash, and roasted veggies. It’s been a good week.
Total: £14.15
Total weekly expenditure: £128.82
Budgeting tips for Sophia:
- If you are experiencing financial barriers to being able to participate fully in university life and joining clubs or societies at UCL, consider if you are eligible to apply to the Activities Participation Fund.