Student money woes!

Have you ever regretted something? One of my biggest regrets is starting my MSc in 2012. I feel like I should have waited until 2013 to start it. The main reason is due to money troubles now. I had around £2500 in savings which my mother let me use how I wished. She only gave me access when I was 21. 

£2500 may not seem much in savings. She saved when we were still living with my father, however they divorced and my mother had her own money troubles. 

During my undergraduate degree, I was pretty fine with money. This was due to student loans, and grants as I was from England. Due to my mother's income, I received the full grant and loans. Which was pretty great (not so much for paying it back). The grant I didn't have to pay back thankfully. So the four undergraduate years, I managed to keep above my overdraft and had a £200 limit on the overdraft just in case I needed to go into it. Thankfully I didn't have to. 

However, as much as I loved doing my MSc, I sort of regret it. I should have waited one year while living in Scotland. If I lived at least a year in Scotland, without being a student, I would have been entitled to SAAS to help me pay for my student fees. They get 70% loaned to them. Sadly, I had to pay the whole £4350 on my own. I used the £2500 of the savings my mother gave me and £500 of my own money up front. I then paid £225 each month for 6 months. 

Now I have a limit of £1000 on my bank account (I won't go any further!!). the closest to my maximum I've been to is around -800. About 4 weeks ago I was in my -700. Now I'm -80. Which is pretty good, in my opinion. I managed not to spend a whole load of money on rubbish I don't need. I would have been starting to get out of it, however, I had to rebuy tickets for Stornoway, since the train company were useless. My rent, tv licence, phone bill and internet all come out on the same day. I'm hoping by the time I get paid next week, I'll be starting to get out of my overdraft before all of this money comes out again next month!

Not being a student sucks! Moe so for travel. In Edinburgh we can buy ridacards, and top up each month. £40 for a student to ride on any buses. It's much cheaper than having to buy singles or all day tickets, especially if you travel almost everyday! Not being a student means I have to spend £11 more each month. I could always just walk to work (4 miles), but my shifts are 10-12 hours long, sometimes 15 hours long on my feet. So not wise. Cycling is no...with all the tram works, buses and cars jam packed everywhere, I'd most likely get hit by a bus! 

I'm going full time at work now, last week I worked around 57 hours. Hopefully, I'll get around that each week..just to help me save and and earn a little bit of money before I move to Stornoway...! 

That's it for now....

Kells