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Student budget calculator

Moving out for the first time in the UK? Add your loan, grants and the big costs like rent and bills, and we'll work out how much you can actually spend each week.

Money coming in

£6,500

Use yearly amounts — loan instalments added up.

Maintenance loan (per year)

All three termly instalments added together

Grants & bursaries (per year)

Money from family (per year)

Part-time job / other income (per year)

Savings you'll use (per year)

Costs you can't avoid

£7,600

Rent, bills and anything already committed.

Rent (per year)

Halls or a house share — the full contract, not per month

Bills & broadband (per year)

Insurance, course fees & kit (per year)

Travel home & travelcard (per year)

Phone & subscriptions (per year)

Weeks you need this to cover

A typical UK academic year is around 39 weeks; use 52 if you stay all year.

How to use your weekly number

Set the food budget first. Food is the cost you actually control day to day. Pick a number you can hit, then shop to it.
Pay rent from a separate pot. Move rent and bills out on payday so your weekly number is money you're genuinely free to spend.
Keep a buffer. Course books, a broken laptop charger, a train home — a small weekly buffer stops one bad week wrecking the term.
Check in weekly, not daily. One quick look at the week's total is enough to change what you do next week.