University: Where Does The Money Go

Another little item from the ‘Un-Urgent’ folder, another I found quite interesting. This discusses how students actually buy better quality food/items that their parents give them credit for, but as a result they are running out of money quicker.

I know this is half true – I definitely but better food than people would think students eat! Two types of cabbage (at least) reside in my fridge, and I have eaten two ready meals since September 2012. I also don’t drink nearly as much alcohol as the norm, definitely handy for saving money! Here’s the results of the survey;

Top supermarket items parents assume their kids prioritise:
1.     Alcohol
2.     Bread
3.     Milk
4.     Toiletries

But what students are actually buying: 
1.     Meat
2.     Pasta
3.     Cheese
4.     Eggs

Unfortunately, these groceries don’t always come cheap with students admitting that after their budget has blown, a whopping 65% have gone hungry at least once because of poor money management. A third of these students would consider skipping meals altogether just to make their money last.

To be honest, I virtually completely disagree with the last part – I’m not convinced that just eating healthily and avoiding alcohol blows the budget. But I guess this press release is only showing one side of the story!

It got me thinking though, about what do I prioritise? Definitely train fare, as not seeing W makes for a miserable me. After that (and rent obvs!) I’d probably go for decent vegetables, decent bread, pies, pasta, milk, cheese, eggs etc…I like decent quality (free range etc) food if I can help it. But I don’t ever consider going hungry because of budget, I might just eat a little less variety!

This has definitely got my mind going about how we prioritise spending. What are your priorities?