Weekly Money Diary – International master's student with a part-time job
Elizabeth Ogunmakin
MSc Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics
Hi, my name is Elizabeth Ogunmakin and I am an international student at the University of Huddersfield studying a Master’s in Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics. I am 26 years old, and I’m from Nigeria. I'm here to share my weekly money diary with you.
Key Info
Occupation: full-time student working part-time in housekeeping.
Rent: I live in a 2-bed apartment with my husband and the total cost of our rent is £570 per month.
Other bills: Around £150 per month, including water, electricity, and internet.
Other costs: We also spend a little above £150 every month on groceries, and I pay £10 a month for my phone contract.
While I support a little here and there, my husband takes care of all these bills while I focus on studying. My income is capped because I am unable to work more than 20 hours a week as a student.
I live in the town center; I usually walk to university, so I can save on the cost of traveling every day. However, my part time job is currently in Leeds, so I spend £4 each time I go to Leeds for work, which is usually 3 days per week.
How would you describe your money mindset?
My mindset about money has always been simple. I believe in saving as much as I believe in investing. Studying is a form of investment in myself right now and because my income and working hours are limited, I believe I must ensure that I spend my money wisely. I look out for student discounts and sales happening here and there. They help to get good quality things at affordable prices so why not take advantage of them? I am also saving a bit of my income. I hope that investing in education will allow me to live more comfortably in the future.
Are you responsible financially for yourself?
I am married to an awesome man; he helps me a great deal financially. As I mentioned earlier, he is responsible for the majority of bills such as rent and utilities, while I take care of things like groceries, shopping, and my transport costs. This way, I am also able to save some money from my income.
Do you feel like your finances prevent you from fully taking part in university life?
Even though my income is limited, I still enjoy student life to the fullest, I get to meet people from different backgrounds at different events at the university. I am also a student ambassador for the university. The other day, a group of students from different backgrounds, who I met at a uni event, invited me to play frisbee which I had never played before, and it was such a fun time. I also attend different games events at uni hosted by the Nigerian community where we play different games like basketball and volleyball. Apart from games and fun activities, the university also hosts a series of career fairs within the school, and I get to engage with professionals in the field, ask questions and be aware of what is in the field for me. All these things don’t cost any money, it’s enough to be willing to attend and be involved.
Do you worry about money?
I do worry about money now. However, I believe the gain after getting my degree will be worth it and that is why I am trying to do my best in my studies so I can have a good chance at landing a well-paying job after university. I also love the career path that I have chosen, there are many opportunities there that would potentially help me progress in my career, which would in turn make me worry less about money.
How do you manage your money?
I have two bank accounts: a current account and a savings account., I make sure I create a monthly budget, where I include things like groceries, other shopping and eating out. I try not to exceed my budget for each category. There are times where I do exceed my budget but it’s not a common occurrence. This helps me to manage my money well and helps me not to spend my money frivolously.
A typical week in my life
Below, I will be sharing what a typical week looks like with regards to how much money I spend and what I spend it on.
Monday: I spent nothing, I didn’t leave the house on this day, so I had no reason to spend anything. I had food at home and everything else I needed.
Daily total: £0
Tuesday: I went to school, I didn’t have to spend any money on transport because I live just 10 minutes away from the university (perks of living close to the University, lol). I also didn’t spend money on anything else on this day. I went to school to study and came back home and didn’t go anywhere else.
Daily total: £0
Wednesday: On this day, I went to Tesco to shop for some groceries that I needed. I bought tomatoes, eggs, tortilla wraps, potato chips, mixed vegetables anda few other things. I spent a total of £26. This was not all the groceries I needed for the week, though.
Daily total: £26
Thursday: I went to Tesco again to buy ice cream and some multi vitamins. I spent about £5.55. . I saved around £1 with my Tesco Clubcard. Again, I take advantage of discounts like this, especially at stores where I shop often. There are some other stores that offer student discounts as well, so I look out for those too.
Daily total: £5.55
Friday: I went to work on this day.. I travelled to Leeds for £2 and back home for £2.
Daily total: £4
Saturday: In addition to the £4, I spent on travelling to and from Leeds, I also bought a few things from the African store. I bought yam and a tuber of yam for £4.96.It is rather pricey, but I really craved yam on this day. I hadn’t had yams since I arrived to the UK.
Daily total: £8.96
Sunday: I spent £4 pounds on my trip to Leeds and back for my part-time job and that was all I spent that day. I usually take packed lunch from home to eat at work so this saves me money. Also, my job provides basic things like water, ice cream and so on just to help with the heat, so I take advantage from that.
Daily total: £4
I spent a total of £48.51 this week.
Clothing, hygiene and gifts
While I did not spend any money on clothes this week, there are some weeks where I spend a few pounds on clothing. My favourite place to shop is TKmax, because I can find quality items from reputable brands at discounted prices. The pictures below show how much I got these clothes for and their original prices. Again, as a student on a budget, you want to look out for where you can get discounts.
I also go to charity shops to find new items for low prices, I am not always lucky but the times I have been lucky, I got good items. Below is a picture of a “PrettyLittleThing” top I got from a charity shop for only 3 pounds.
I try to be wise when buying hygiene and beauty products. I try to buy mid-priced products. I have my favorites that I keep buying again and again. I only spend money on hygiene and beauty products occasionally because they tend to last for a long time. £50 worth of beauty products (body oil, body wash, deodorant, sunscreen, body spray, face wash and face moisturizer) can last for about 6-7 weeks which is a fair deal to me.
I also spend money on gifts for my husband and friends but that only happens occasionally.
Summary
In conclusion, I think my spending habits are conservative. If I don’t need something, I rarely spend money on it. Unless it’s a very good deal and I might need that thing soon or it’s something that I will have to buy eventually e.g., groceries.
Nothing surprises me about how I spend my money and I don’t think I will change anything for now. When my income changes, of course, the way I spend money and the things I spend money on will also change.
Thanks for reading!
Student life in Huddersfield
What is life like as a student in Huddersfield? Hear it straight from our current students as they write about their student experience.
Starting Uni?
Read more articles from current students at Huddersfield who have gone through their first year and are now sharing their thoughts and experiences.