Hello Beans
I would tell you to slap me on the wrist, but beans dont have wrists....
I've been away on a bit of a budget holiday and have been a little bit neglectful. But im back! Today marks one week till I move into my house at Universitiy. BOM,BOM,BOM. Theres so much to do!! Im also well aware some of you Uni student will have already moved and some of you will be enjoying your freshers week! So I'm going to try and do a few different posts for everyone this week.
So a bit of a catch up. I'm about to go into my second yeat at University of Winchester studying drama. I live with two fantastic girls in a little flat near the uni, when of course im not with M+D in Yateley. The boyfriend has been kind enough to take me up to Winchester over the summer so A. I can keep my university job and B. To move some stuff in a little early. Studying drama I am near depresssed to find out iwill only be studying 6 hours a week for the first semester so I have spent this summer starting budget projects to continue in my "study time". I'm a bargain hunter, a homemade princess, I've had to be tight on the purse strings... how else will i find the money for my expensive shoe habit! So now I'm trying to pass down a bit of knowledge, some i got from M+D and other stuff I've learnt from First year Fresher mishaps! But all I hope, will help you have a great first year at University, withoutspending a fortune!
Enough about myself. Lets be on with the blog. Today im going to give you my little tips to help you in your first week of halls, without blowing the budget
My top 5 Tips of Moving into halls!
1. Feeding the Five thousand
For alot of people first time away from home means the first time you will be doing all your food shopping... how exciting!....... Some fo your parents will stock you up and other let you fly the nest and fend for yourself, but dont blow your student loan in one week! Cheapest places to shop are of course supermarkets. Unfortunatly not all universitys have them in walking distance, my nearest big supermarket was 45 minuteses walk away when i lived in halls. A bit of a bitch if you have a lot of bags.. or ice cream XD. Im lucky enough that my boy used to take me and my housemates to stock up occasionaly, but when he wasnt around i used to get the free bus. My supermarkets operate these buses once a week to take you too and from the store for free. Fab! If you either dont have one in your area or its not on the right day, dont assume that the regular bus will be cheaper. If your going in a group of 4 or more the bus would cost you over a £10 in some areas, and take you all around the houses. Sharing the cost of taxi may not only be quicker but save a little cash too.
I have suddunly reaslised how much i could write about this shopping malarky, so i think tommorow may have to be a bit of a guide to the likes of Tescos!
2. Making a halls a home
For me, the strangest bit about halls was how bare the room is when you come into the room. YOu really have to try to make the room feel homly. But dont blow the budget!! Next year you may be in a house with a double bed or furnished so dont spend a fortune on a duvet that you may end up just having to store the next year. I am very guilty of this!!! I just used a tesco value duvet and blankets if i got cold. Brought a reasonable duvet cover from primark and already the room felt a bit more liek mine. I covered my walls in pictures at univesity. But all those photos can be pricey!!!! Print them off yourself and your going to drain your printer. So if your printing over 10 pictures pop to your tesco, boots or asda and use their photo service. The more photos you print the more the price of each print goes down. So ask your friends at home too if they want anything printed,. Dont give into the instant print either. At tesco this will cost you sometime 150% more!!! Be patient and you can save yourself some cash.
3. Meet and Greet
Meeting new people is daunting enough. My current housemate for this yeat was greated by my mother, who practically attempted to adopt her the moment she saw her. First of all, get mum out the way!!! And what i found really worked was a little girt from home. Some people just brought a tin of sweeties but a batched of homebaked cookies of cakes will do the trick too! If your crap at cooking, tesco do a chocolate cookie mix for 80p! No-one wil ever know!
4. Bills, Bills, Bills
Don't be ashamed to admit we all mis M+D now and then. We can end up on the phone for hours with friends and family but watch that phone bill!. Skype is an excelent free alternative and if you get yourself a webcam you can see your friends too!! The boy has even got skype on his phone so i can call him off my laptop to his phone at any time of the day for free. So it makes all the I love yous a little bit cheaper
5. Playtime!
Bonding with your housemates can be so tricky. Go to the pub and theres so many new people you may just end up in silence the whole night. My and my housemates just used a simplae games of sticky face. Pack of post-it notes and pen is all you need. Write the name of a person that they will either know or have heard of. My favourite was always fireman Sam... or Jesus. and stick the post-it note to their head. You then go round each asking a question about the person on your head and let the hilarity begin. A girl in my house last year had Obama and when we told her it was the presdient of the USA she sat dumbfonded for a while before proclaming the BAMA BAMA BAMA. Was his name. Don't worry, she isnt studying politics.
Hope your all settling in well
Much Love Beans
xxxxx
PS. Dont forget to follow
Showing posts with label budgeting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label budgeting. Show all posts
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
Friday, 24 August 2012
Happy Birthday Beans
Time to celebrate Beans,
My bestie Bean has just turned 21 so big Happy Birthdays to her! Birthdays can get so expensive when your at University especially when most students will turn the big 21 in their 3rd year. But you can still but great thought into pressies without putting in all that cash you can't afford!
Here are my Top 5 tips for doing a presents on a budget!
1. You don't plan to fail, you fail to plan
Organisation people! You may have got this your ear from your parents or teachers and never really paid attention, but despite how much us students endorse the fact that anything done last minute normally goes... alright but realistically if we want to budget properly then we really need to plan. Depressing as it sounds I already have a list of what every friend and family member is getting for christmas, have a draw with everything I've already brought (or plan to re-gift) and I am eyeing up christmas cards to start writing early! You must set a present budget, write it down on a big peice of paper so you dont over-spend!! Then divide up your budget between your friends (at xmas) - some people prefer to write out ideas and vague costs first. I write down exepcted price because then you stop your self from thinking about that really expensive broccoli steamer for your mum and you think at a more attainable level.
Don't forget parties as well! Half the reason we spend so much at christmas and birthdays is all the food and drink and partying. Plan that into your budget too, and make it a challening budget. Then you will really think about what your spending
2. The incredible Bulk
Bulk buying is a fab way to keep costs down for birthdays, and it doesnt have to be unpersonal. Places like The Card Factory often sell cards at 10 for £1, you have to search for the decent ones but they are great as a back up card when your being forgetful. If you like to buy choccys and thing for people then perhaps of instead buy a carton of roses or quality street for people, just get some polythene bags and some ribbon and make little gift bags. You can perosnalise the tag and it will mkae it look like you'vve put way more effort it!
3. From the heart
Homemade presents always go down a treat. And well in the knowledge that this friend isnt reading this i can divulge what im making for her birthday!!! Shes really into the vintage scene, so i popped to my local habadashery at brought a square of floral material. using a cookie cutter i drew out as many shapes of hearts i could fit on (do this on the non-patterned side, in a light colour!). Then cut all your hearts out (really you only need 2 cut outs - but you may aswell bulk make so you have more when xmas comes around). Place your hearts together, pattern side out and stitch them together round the outside leaving a 3cm gap. Grab an old pillow and rip a hole in the top, and put some that pillow stuffing into the heart. You can then pop some drips of oil in if you like, or just stich the heart up as perfect little decoration. I'll pop up a little demo online later, as i can't sew for shit it will prove that anyone can do this!!
4. Get Baked
No, no students. Im not suggesting anything herbal!!! But baking make great little prezzies, do a few cupcakes with peresonaliesd icing and maybe some little earrings and you have a fabuilous prezzie. I love decorating so for xmas i'm making a hamper of all the things she loves in cookie form, im even making a cookie cigarette packet!!
5. Early bird get the worm, and the cheapest one too
I have begged you students a few time before to start doing this!! Summer sales, and even the xmas ones too!! Stock up on xmas pressies, not only arre the little bits of jewellery or clothing great last minute pressies for any forgeten gifts. but you can pick up loads of novelty items ike marmite mugs or book wines really cheap in these sales in places like BHS or Debenhams! Take advantage, dont say, o well im going to lose it, keep a safe place to hide everything and it wont go missing!
Happy birthday Beans
Love to you all
Hannah
P.S Dont forget to follow!
xxxx
My bestie Bean has just turned 21 so big Happy Birthdays to her! Birthdays can get so expensive when your at University especially when most students will turn the big 21 in their 3rd year. But you can still but great thought into pressies without putting in all that cash you can't afford!
Here are my Top 5 tips for doing a presents on a budget!
1. You don't plan to fail, you fail to plan
Organisation people! You may have got this your ear from your parents or teachers and never really paid attention, but despite how much us students endorse the fact that anything done last minute normally goes... alright but realistically if we want to budget properly then we really need to plan. Depressing as it sounds I already have a list of what every friend and family member is getting for christmas, have a draw with everything I've already brought (or plan to re-gift) and I am eyeing up christmas cards to start writing early! You must set a present budget, write it down on a big peice of paper so you dont over-spend!! Then divide up your budget between your friends (at xmas) - some people prefer to write out ideas and vague costs first. I write down exepcted price because then you stop your self from thinking about that really expensive broccoli steamer for your mum and you think at a more attainable level.
Don't forget parties as well! Half the reason we spend so much at christmas and birthdays is all the food and drink and partying. Plan that into your budget too, and make it a challening budget. Then you will really think about what your spending
2. The incredible Bulk
Bulk buying is a fab way to keep costs down for birthdays, and it doesnt have to be unpersonal. Places like The Card Factory often sell cards at 10 for £1, you have to search for the decent ones but they are great as a back up card when your being forgetful. If you like to buy choccys and thing for people then perhaps of instead buy a carton of roses or quality street for people, just get some polythene bags and some ribbon and make little gift bags. You can perosnalise the tag and it will mkae it look like you'vve put way more effort it!
3. From the heart
Homemade presents always go down a treat. And well in the knowledge that this friend isnt reading this i can divulge what im making for her birthday!!! Shes really into the vintage scene, so i popped to my local habadashery at brought a square of floral material. using a cookie cutter i drew out as many shapes of hearts i could fit on (do this on the non-patterned side, in a light colour!). Then cut all your hearts out (really you only need 2 cut outs - but you may aswell bulk make so you have more when xmas comes around). Place your hearts together, pattern side out and stitch them together round the outside leaving a 3cm gap. Grab an old pillow and rip a hole in the top, and put some that pillow stuffing into the heart. You can then pop some drips of oil in if you like, or just stich the heart up as perfect little decoration. I'll pop up a little demo online later, as i can't sew for shit it will prove that anyone can do this!!
4. Get Baked
No, no students. Im not suggesting anything herbal!!! But baking make great little prezzies, do a few cupcakes with peresonaliesd icing and maybe some little earrings and you have a fabuilous prezzie. I love decorating so for xmas i'm making a hamper of all the things she loves in cookie form, im even making a cookie cigarette packet!!
5. Early bird get the worm, and the cheapest one too
I have begged you students a few time before to start doing this!! Summer sales, and even the xmas ones too!! Stock up on xmas pressies, not only arre the little bits of jewellery or clothing great last minute pressies for any forgeten gifts. but you can pick up loads of novelty items ike marmite mugs or book wines really cheap in these sales in places like BHS or Debenhams! Take advantage, dont say, o well im going to lose it, keep a safe place to hide everything and it wont go missing!
Happy birthday Beans
Love to you all
Hannah
P.S Dont forget to follow!
xxxx
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