Xiaohongshu
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.
Flavia (name changed) is an undergraduate student living at home debt-free. As a domestic student, she’s familiar with London’s pricing but is trying to budget for rent next year. Occasionally she works in her local area as a babysitter and music tutor, but this is infrequent.
Pronouns: she/her
Age: 18
Location: West London
Living Costs: £0 (living at home)
Monthly expenses: £27 contact lenses subscription, £100 tennis lessons (approx.)
How are you funding this year? I live at home, and my parents pay most of my subscriptions, but my personal spending is funded by my SFC maintenance loan.
Do you have debt? No, but I will after my degree.
Do you have a job? I have infrequent jobs in my neighbourhood, looking after my neighbour’s kids: usually picking them up from school and music tutoring.
Growing up, what conversations did you have about money?
My parents have always emphasised the importance of investing and saving money, and how real estate can be a valuable asset. On my Chinese side of the family, I frequently receive money from grandparents and relatives, which my parents put into an ISA which I don’t have access to until I graduate.
Do you worry about money?
Yes, and no. I live at home and have a very generous allowance (via my maintenance loan and family) considering I don’t pay rent, bills, or transport costs. I don’t particularly have a taste for nightlife or alcohol, and neither do my friends, so I’m saving a lot of money there. My main worries about money are to do with renting next year, as I anticipate my net spend to drastically increase, and I am mindful that I may not be able to completely individually finance renting costs next year if I do not limit my spending now to only essentials. I can be an impulsive spender, usually on snacks or trinkets, but I’ve found that spending more time at home (where I am more productive) reduces my weekly spend drastically.
Day 1:
08:00: I have my usual breakfast of eggs on toast and a big cup of tea. Studied a bit and did a bit of prep work for my first lecture of the week.
10:00: Headed out of the house to commute to campus. I have an annual TFL travelcard which was paid for by my parents, so technically the tube journey was free?
13:00: Finished two back-to-back lectures just in time for a long lunch break with friends. I always get a £2 drink from Black Sheep Coffee (via the Unidays deal) on Mondays: today I’m having a regular matcha latte.
13:30: After I faff with my matcha, we head to Pastino (on Tottenham Court Road) for a pasta lunch (£7), which is very filling, but will keep me full for the rest of the day. I stay at Pastino for a few hours to get some work done before my final lecture of the day.
18:05: I finish my last lecture of the day and head to my orchestra rehearsal. I know I’ll be given snacks in the middle of rehearsal, so I resist the temptation to buy a small snack from the Bloomsbury shop.
21:10: Finished orchestra, and after a long day I buy myself a little snack from Itsu on my way home. My guilty pleasure are the Little Moon mochi bites. They usually cost around £3.30 but with my student discount I pay £2.80. I always feel a twinge of guilt for unnecessary spending, especially when buying snacks when I’m not particularly hungry, but little pleasures do keep me going throughout the day. I return home by tube and get ready for bed as soon as I get home.
Daily total: £11.80
Day 2:
08:00: Breakfast is some steamed dim sum, courtesy of my mum. My first seminar is at 13:00, so I get work done at home, and run a few errands.
11:30: I have a very early lunch at home, so I theoretically spend nothing today. Today’s lunch is instant noodles, jazzed up with lots of veggies, chicken, and a poached egg.
12:20: I take the tube to campus, arriving just in time for my seminar.
14:00: I head to the student centre to catch-up on some notes in a quiet study room.
17:00: I’ve finished my last lecture of the day, and I quickly pop to the Waitrose in the Brunswick Centre to grab some vegetables (£5.60) before heading back home.
18:00: I have dinner at home and lock in to recover the lost productivity earlier in the day. I am a bit irritated about having spent money today since Tuesdays are usually a no-spend day, but I will be paid for some light child-minding work tomorrow, and I will also be paid back by my parents for shopping for the family.
Daily total: £5.60
Day 3:
07:30: I drag myself out of bed for my only class today at 9:00. I skip my usual breakfast in favour of a massive green smoothie to take on the go with me.
08:00: Wednesday commutes are the worst for me, as I have to take the tube in peak rush hour, but I make it to campus with only minor delays.
10:00: My seminar is finished with nothing else academic scheduled for the day. I’m meeting a friend for a belated birthday/Christmas lunch, so I head over to Tottenham Court Road to buy a couple of presents.
11:30: The mini shopping trip is complete and I head to the restaurant with presents in tow. A box of M&S truffles, a jellycat, card, and gift bag, totals to £27.
12:00: I’m having a very bougie early lunch at the Ivy, and I’m trying the new £19.17 two-course menu.
14:00: I head back to my local area for a contact lenses check up (£0), and to pick-up a neighbour’s daughter from school and to practice piano with her. I get paid £20 for two hours, which covers the cost of lunch, which is great!
18:00: Dinner at home, and back on the academic grind.
I’ve spent far more than I would usually want by the middle of the week, however I don’t make it a habit to have random bougie lunches, and I got paid for childminding/tutoring, so today’s spend is not too concerning.
Daily total: £46.17
Day 4:
08:00: A slightly different breakfast today with a bowl of noodles! My first and only class is at 12:00 so I get some work done at home, practice violin and piano, and do some life admin before heading out later.
11:15: I take the tube to campus for my 12:00 class.
13:00: I head back home immediately, which is a safe way to prevent myself from spending any extra money when I’m out and about.
14:00: Back home I make myself a snack plate of peanut butter, apples, and chocolate to get me in a productive mood. Tomorrow evening my sister is taking me to a musical (I don’t know which yet!) so I’ve got to get all my pre-weekend work done.
18:00: Dinner at home (as per usual)
Daily total: £0
Day 5:
07:30: I’m waking up earlier today, to head to campus with my sister. Back to usual breakfast programming of eggs, toast, and tea.
08:00: I take the tube to campus, and share a rice pudding matcha latte from Farmer J’s by Russell Square station with my sister. I don’t usually buy hot drinks when I’m out, but it was a unique drink and a shared treat, so all is well.
12:30: After a few hours of pretending to work, I buy a meal deal from the Bloomsbury shop for £4 (and something pence).
15:00: Midway through my five hours of back-to-back seminars/lectures (from 13:00–18:00) I’m starting to fall asleep so I buy an iced caramel americano from the Science library cafe (£3.55).
17:45: My final lecture of the day (and week!) has miraculously finished early, so I head to my dinner reservation with my sister at a nearby ramen restaurant. Dinner (a very nice tonkotsu ramen) is a treat from my sister so I pay £0.
19:00: The surprise musical is revealed to be the Phantom of the Opera! My ticket is covered by my sister as a very early birthday present.
22:20: After a very enjoyable theatre experience, we’re heading back home now via tube, then straight to bed.
Daily total: £7.55+
Day 6:
10:00: I’ve had a bit of a lie-in, on account of it being a Saturday, and me having gotten back late last night after the theatre. I skip a proper breakfast in favour of multiple cups of tea, as I start doing some of my many readings for next week.
12:00: Lunch is a quick pasta salad with random bits and bobs in the fridge before I head out.
13:30: I take the tube to Soho as I’ve booked an appointment for a haircut at the Vidal Sassoon Academy for a ‘model cut’, where trainee hairdressers get to practice on me. My haircut costs £15 with student discount, as opposed to £132 (or £80 with student discount) at the main salon.
17:00: After a relaxing but very long hairdressing appointment, I’m popping by Chinatown for a bite and some groceries for a dinner party my mum is hosting on Sunday. My girl dinner is a bao bun and a bubble tea, totaling £7. Groceries from various Chinese supermarkets totals to £34, but I will be paid back by my mum, so my personal spending today is thankfully a lot lower than it could have been. I head home and have a nap.
20:00: After awakening from my beauty sleep I have a sudden uncharacteristic burst of productivity and I manage to get a lot of work done.
23:00: Back to bed…
Daily total: £56
Day 7:
11:00: Another lie-in before my tennis lesson at 11:30. I have a quick breakfast of eggs, protein yoghurt, and a coffee before realising I’m about to be late to tennis.
11:30: I’ve ran to my tennis lesson (thankfully 2 mins from my house) in my local park just in time for 1 hour of voluntary cardio. My tennis lesson is £25 for the hour with my favourite coach, and the weather is surprisingly okay, though very very cold.
12:40: My mum is hosting a dinner party later in the evening, so I have a light lunch of random things that I found in the fridge when I get back from tennis. I have a shower and get semi-ready for the party before locking in
17:00: The first guests begin arriving, so studies get to be paused for drinks, canapes, and then dinner.
23:00: After socialising for far too long, it’s time for bed, ready for the next week.
Daily total: £25
Weekly total: £152.12
This is considerably higher than my weekly average, as I don’t usually go grocery shopping for my mum, or have random bougie mid-week lunches. In a normal week, I would aim for an average spend of £40, excluding any subscriptions or one-off expenses. As I did get paid a bit for child-minding, and my parents always pay me back for shopping for the family, this week’s personal spending is not that bad.
Theoretically weekly spend should be higher if you take into account my TFL travelcard, however my dad paid for it, so therefore via girl maths, public transport is free.
Budgeting tips for Flavia:
Start Building a “Future Rent” Fund Now
- Since you’re not currently contributing to rent, this is a great time to start saving towards next year’s costs.
- Try transferring a fixed amount each month from your maintenance loan into a separate savings account. Resources from MoneySavingExpert can help you compare options — you might even earn a little interest.
- Think of this as a cushion to make the transition into renting less of a shock.
Put Boundaries Around “Treat Spending”
- Your diary shows small but frequent purchases (matcha, snacks, coffees) — these can add up quickly.
- Try setting a weekly treats budget (for example £10–£15) so you can still enjoy them without overspending.
- Bringing snacks from home on long lecture days can help reduce impulse buys.
Try to Boost Your Income with More Predictable Work (If Possible)
- It’s great that you already babysit and tutor, but the work seems irregular.
- Consider ways to make this income more consistent.
- If possible, arrange one regular weekly session, even a small, steady income can make a big difference over time.
Review Your Monthly Lifestyle Costs
- Tennis is something you enjoy, so rather than cutting it out, look at ways to reduce the cost.
- Check for block-booking discounts or see if group lessons are cheaper than individual sessions.
- You could also explore opportunities through UCL Tennis Club, which may offer lower-cost sessions or taster opportunities
Think Ahead for Discounted Travel
- Your travel is currently covered, but it’s worth planning for next year now.
- Look into student concessions and budgeting for transport through Transport for London so you know what to expect financially.
Keep Using Student Discounts
- Platforms like UNiDAYS and Student Beans regularly highlight savings on food, shopping, and everyday essentials.
- Checking these before making purchases can help keep costs down without changing your routine too much.
Overall: You’re in a strong position financially right now. Using this year to build savings will make managing rent and bills next year more affordable.
Our trained and experienced team can offer free, confidential, and independent financial support and budgeting advice, including money management, and hardship funds. You can get in touch with the Advice Service by using this contact form to submit a query or request an appointment.