Student bank accounts!

Whilst on the topic of money and budgeting, a good student bank account is essential. If you stick with your normal bank account you miss out on a 0% overdraft, and potential freebies that may be thrown your way.

Photo: "Blue And Pink Piggy Banks" by Ken Teegardin

Overall you want a bank that your loan will go into and you can access, simple right? Well not so simple - every bank out there wants you. You, as a student, are someone to grab and cling on to from student account, to graduate to finally an 'adult' account. Each bank will offer you some good bits and others will offer you better bits. I've made an easy table that shows the basics of the top five student accounts currently available:

Bank	Overdraft Feature (0%)	Freebie	Fees
Santander	Up to £1,500	16-25 Railcard	£5 if no overdraft in place/ £10 per item that bounces
Natwest	Up to £2000	Tastecard	£6 per item that bounces
Halifax	Up to £3000	Personalised debit  card	£10 per item that bounces
HSBC	Up to £3000	£60 Amazon  voucher	-
Co-op	Up to £2000	-	£15 per item that bounces

Each bank offers different deals for each student, so whichever one is more suited to you, check in branch and see if it is as good as it sounds online. Although the freebies are not the most important part of the account, it may be good to look at them. For example, if you are going to be travelling via train a lot during your time at university - going home etc - I would suggest going to Santander for the free Railcard as it would save you an absolute fortune, especially being a student, money is like gold dust. I stuck with my own bank I'd been with prior to becoming a student, which of course was an easy switchover but if you want to change bank accounts I'm sure it can't be that hard as many students do do it. The final thing I have to say is don't wait around to open up your student account, if you don't do it in your first year it may take longer for things to kick in such as your overdraft, which can be a pain!

To set up a student account with any bank you will need: 

1. One or two forms of photo Identification - Passport/Driving License.
2. Proof that you are a student - UCAS letter or acceptance letter from the uni, failing this you can also get a bank letter from your university.
3. Proof of address - a bill or bank statement - or if you are enrolled on the election register you should have your address on the system.

If you apply online you will still need to send these items in or at least take them to the actual bank itself, so it may be easier and less time consuming to go directly to the branch to set up your account.

What student account did you go for? Would you recommend it?

Budgeting at University

BUDGET - what is this word? I'm pretty sure before everyone came to university, budgeting was the last thing on their mind or they only had to budget for the needs of themselves such as clothing or nails and makeup. Not essentials such as food, toilet roll plus clothing and treats like getting your nails done!

As a second year student, I'm not going to sit here and tell you I am financially stable and have never asked my dad to lend me money because quite frankly I've probably borrowed more money in the past few months than I have ever before. Which, honestly is embarrassing but a lack of student loan due to my dad 'earning too much money' okay..... as a single parent he most definitely isn't earning as much as a combined couple but ok student finance, we'll save that rant for another day. 

By Images Money under CC BY 2.0

First things first, you need to work out how much money you are going to receive at university, including jobs, money from parents and wherever else you are getting money from. 

So say, £2100 from Student finance, £150 from parents a month (150 x 4)

That's £2700 to last you.

Now time to calcuate how much you will be spending per term. This will include rent, bills (if not included), food shops, nights out, social events and also treats (if you can afford it!)

So rent = £1584

food shopping = £20 a week = £80 a month = £80 x 4 = £320

Nights out = £20 a week = £80 a month = £80 x 4 = £320

Nails = £20 x 4 = £80

Study books and printing = £65

Total = £2369

Next take away your expenditure from your income...  

Leftover = 331 = social events & other treats during the term

Basically the rest of the money you can do what you like with, but consider time of the year like christmas, birthdays and other things.

A few tips I've learnt over the year with money are:

1) DON'T buy key textbooks, go to library and literally make notes from the books in the library it will save you so much money and will probably go into your brain a lot more detailed than thinking 'i'll read that when I get home' which will never happen!

2) Try to split taxi fares on nights out with people who live near you, or if  you live close enough walk, obviously not on your own but if there is more than 2 of you, I really recommend walking instead of paying £5 for a taxi which could be free.

3) Try not to buy food after a night out unless you have budgeted for it as you will literally buy food you probably will either sick back up or look at in the morning with regrets.

4) DON'T TAKE YOUR BANK CARD OUT WITH YOU

5) Make lunch instead of buying it, Greggs may seem nice with their £3.00 meal deal but it adds up and you honestly can't afford it.

6) Be selfish with your money, don't offer to pay for someone's taxi or entry into a club. When you have no money they most likely won't do the same back and you end up out of pocket.

If you have any other tips that might be useful, please feel free to leave a comment.

Winter Wishlist!

     After nearly 2 months in to my 2nd year at university, so much has changed compared to last year. Life is so easy as a fresher, you can go out and go into lectures drunk or even miss them, it doesn't matter whereas in second year attendance counts, your lectures actually are important. Plus this year accomodation isn't as great as it was last year. This year I live in basically 'second year halls' which is run by a private company and it's basically a 30 bedroom house, compared to a 5 bedroom house with people I actually got on with, I don't think I was prepared for the massive change that would happen. The house is so so so bitchy, worse than being at an all girls private school (trust me), arguments constantly, things being taken from kitchens, it's such a joke. It's not a nice place to live, it's so lonely too, everyone's just getting on with work whereas last year we worked together or chilled together but there is a definite divide between people who lived here prior to this year and the new people. So I put together this blog post of my winter wants to a) post something and b) keep myself occupied and kill some time before my 4-6 lecture!

I think the image itself is quite self-explanatory, but I'm really loving tartan at the moment. Winter is one of my favourite seasons but I just get so cold that I end up not loving it so much. My university accommodation never seems to be warm or warm enough for my liking so I end up going to uni and just getting back into bed fully clothed after lectures. Ridiculous! 

Tartan scarf - £15 - River Island

After seeing these EVERYWHERE at uni, I've literally fell in love with them and found this absolute bargain of a scarf in River Island. Although I have been told by a few pals that Ebay is your best friend for this kind of thing, because you can get some good deals on there. Plus it will keep me warm and also looks nice too. 

Chloe Eau de parfum - £70 - Boots

Due to being a poor student I haven't restocked my Chloe when it ran out in the summer! I miss the gentle flowery smell and literally as soon as I get money that will be the first thing I purchase. The elegant smell can make anything look nice and look as though you've made an effort even though you have bed hair and a slouchy jumper on! 

Nars Charlotte Oxblood Lipstick - Debenhams - £17

I haven't found a red lipstick that I truly love since Diva by MAC but it seems whenever I wear that lipstick I literally become a diva. This red is the kind that will make white teeth basically glow and look divine, it's also a perfect colour for Christmas day and the whole holiday period. Whack it on lack of eye makeup and you'll still look great.

Faux fur jacket - £70 - Net-a-porter

I absolutely adore net-a-porter, and at £70 this coat is an absolute STEAL. I've always wanted a fur coat but could never justify the prices, I once visited this place near my brother who sell old fur jackets at literally a fraction of the price, but I was so indecisive as to whether the coat would look good or if I'd look like I was just trying too hard. I've come to the conclusion that a little fur never hurt nobody.

Selina boot - £35 - Monki

I've literally wanted Chelsea boots for ages but everyone seems to get ones that break or ones that don't look that great, but the Selina looks stylish and comfortable. I think they're also made of real leather or atleast something sturdy so paying £35 is literally nothing for what you're going to receive. I've also heard so much good things about Monki but have never really looked into purchasing anything until now.

Dressing gown - £24 - Dorothy Perkins

As I said earlier about being cold all the time, a dressing gown could potentially keep me a little bit warmer than I am at the moment which would be absolutely amazing. Plus I can just slob around, it's part of a student uniform right? A good pair of pyjamas, a dressing gown glued to Netflix. 

Pyjama bottoms - £12 - Dorothy Perkins

As I mentioned earlier, a good pair of pyjamas is essential for student life. New pyjamas is like fresh bedding, an absolute dream to sleep in. I currently own one pair of pyjamas due to a massive clear out before I came back to uni, so I need to up my pyjama game and start grabbing the good winter ones before they all run out.

That's all I've been wanting at the moment. 

What do you want? Let me know in the comments.

Always be happy for yourself, and don't rely on other people to make you happy. If you can't make yourself happy, someone may make you happy temporarily but it won't last because you're not truly happy with yourself. Take time out to have 'me' time and pamper yourself both literally and metaphorically. There is only one of you, boys/girls come and go but you will be left with you forever, so make sure you can make yourself happy.

 ❤️

What to take to University?!

As a second year student, I realised that a lot of the stuff I took to university was rarely used and ended up in drawers or cupboards still unpacked from when I first moved in. In my first year I lived in a house with four other freshers, we had in our rooms what any other student property has; a bed, a desk and a chair & a wardrobe. The essentials. I had all these thoughts on how to make my room homely, but my room was just so big it ended up with junk everywhere - especially clothes, I took my whole wardrobe!!  If you're living with others ask what they are taking in terms of kitchen appliances, or you might end up with five toasters and three kettles or something, which then becomes a waste of money when only one is used.
I'm also going to write places that have been useful for university items and not at an extortionate price and tips.

I'm going to write down what I think is necessary to take to university with you & then other things that may not be urgent or a must have but could end up being a nice thing to have.

Documents:

I.D - passport or driving licence 

National insurance number/card

Bank details

Exam certificates

Uni documents such as acceptance letter & student finance

Diary or calendar

CV's & references 

TV licence if needed

Kitchen:

Dinner set - plates & bowls (don't get one of each, get a set)

Glasses - pint/normal size/shot 

Mugs

Saucepans - rarely given in halls, unless left behind

Cooking implements -spatulas, big spoons, etc

Corkscrew/bottle opener

Tin opener

Cutlery

Scissors

Knives

Plastic box for leftovers/lunch

Cling film & tin foil (saves a lot of washing up!!!)

Sieve/drainer

Tea towels & wash clothes

Chopping board

Peeler & grater & masher (depending if you will use them)

Work/studying/bedroom - suggestions

Lamp

Pads of paper

Printer(?)

Stationary

White tac for the walls

Notice board/white board

Healthcare/medicine:

Prescribed medicine

Painkillers

Vitamins (helps immune system)

Contraception

Mini first aid kit

Lemsip/cold & flu stuff (you will almost definitely get freshers flu!)

Pro-plus (late nights & early mornings!)

Antihistamines - hayfever/allergy tablets

Bathroom:

Bath mat/ mat set

Towels (2 sets minimum, 1 in the wash 1 can be used)

Toilet roll (buy this in bulk, you will suffer greatly when money is low and there's no toilet roll!)

Toothbrush/paste etc

Hand soap

Shower gel

Hair stuff - shampoo & conditioner/treatments

Deodorant 

Perfume/aftershave

Hair brush

Moisturisers

Shavers/hair removal & tweezers!

Housekeeping:

Fabreeze

Laundry bag

Clothes airer - tumble dryers can be expensive when you have no money

Hangers

Antibacterial cleaning spray

Clothes washing stuff

Door stop 

Dustpan and brush

Electrical:

Alarm clock

Laptop

USB sticks

Portable hard-drive (depending on your course)

Network cable for internet/gaming

Phone & charger

Headphones

Extensions leads

TV

Clothes (basic):

Dressing gown

Slippers

Pyjamas

Tops

Jumpers

Trousers 

Underwear

Socks

Shoes 

Eveningwear 

Smart - interview clothes

Bedroom:

Photos

Fairylights?

Cushions

Blankets

Sheets

Duvet & pillow

Hot water bottle

Candles

Home comforts 

Miscellaneous:

Alcohol

Plastic boxes/underbed storage

Lightbulbs?

Torch

Money bank

Mini sewing and tool kit (comes in handy!)

Matches - candles

Fan?

Fancy dress

Face paint?
Iron

Other stuff:

Hair bands

Hair grips

Hair dryer 

Straighteners

Tampons/feminine hygiene products

Cosmetics 

Skincare

(I will make this available as a print out!)

Another tip that will come in very handy is don't spend too much money on things such as kitchen things - it will get lost/stolen/break! In my first year I went straight to ikea and got 1 plate, 1 bowl and a set of cutlery (ridiculous), whereas this year I have been looking at wilkinsons who offer a dinner set of 4 bowls, 4 big plates and 4 small plates for £5.00! Absolute bargain and will not be such a hassle if it does go walkies. Wilkinsons also offer a lot of cheap things such as bedding, kitchen stuff, bathroom stuff and toiletries, they have a section on their website designed just for students which of course you don't have to go completely to the basic minimum, you can buy more upmarket things but it is good value for money and does seem very durable. 

Another place I would recommend a lot is B&M home bargains, I'm not sure if you have one near you but in Northampton there are two which sell homey stuff, kitchen stuff and other things at ridiculously cheap prices. Get used to cheap guys, money doesn't last long in a student environment! When you've maxed out your loan & overdraft and only have pasta left you'll be happy you didn't spend £500 on cushions in Next but managed to buy 3kg bag of pasta hahaha. 

Another tip I cannot recommend enough, is to buy a lot of things like toilet roll, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner in bulk whenever it is on offer, you are going to need these things all the time and are more of a necessity than a luxury and I personally would rather have toilet roll than a luxury meal in the fridge. If you can get your parents to buy these things for you as part of your first shop before you move into university so you can save some money and spend it on other things or save it. 

Also in terms of money, you will not budget in first year, you will have no clue about how money works and spending your last £5 on a bottle of wine is more appealing than buying some vegetables, trust me, it may seem like a good idea but don't do it! One thing I cannot recommend enough is the student money manual from savethestudent.org, it helps you to budget writing down your income and expenditure, which although may seem boring, you will thank me later. This website will be a lifesaver and might be a good idea to read before you go to uni to get your head around some of the things like overdrafts, housing and they also offer great discounts and freebies.

Link to view the checklist - please print in fit to width & portrait for best results

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yNUqEQGZiL9I5-WZgkWVIYFga0HWRDIusGS_Mt28Av4/edit?usp=sharing

Thank you for reading, if you have any questions please feel free to write a comment.

10 things I'm currently loving

It's been a while since my last post and I thought I'd write a more upbeat and beauty/lifestyle related post. I've decided to write about 10 things I'm  currently loving from food to makeup to television! In no particular order:

ONE:

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Orange is the New Black.

Despite watching all of series 1 in a week and all of series 2 in about two days I am still questioning what's going to happen next?! I love all the characters as they show different types of people or different qualities of people, but my favourite characters of all time are Sophia Burdett and Taystey/Poussey. I was hooked from the second episode of the first series and now it's like an addiction that just needs topping up! The loooooooong breaks in between series' are killing me. I'm also trying to find a TV series that is similar, if you have any suggestions please comment below!

TWO:

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Real Techniques brushes.

I am so in love with the texture of the brushes and how easy they are to use. I didn't think any brush would compare to my Sigma brush set but I think these may be on par if not better than those. They come in different colours for different 'sets' such as orange for base, purple for eyes and so on. I'm so glad I've finally purchased some although they had been on my 'want' list for some time since they first came out I decided to hold back and wait to see if they were really worth the hype. And the truth is... they are.

THREE:

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Simple kind to skin cleanse tone and moisturise products.

After trying what seems like thousands of skin-care products, including both high end and low end. I have finally found something that works for my skin. I always looked at Simple products to be more aimed towards a tween audience, but I am so in love with the way they have left my skin feeling and looking. I use the cleanser, toner and moisturiser daily alongside the moisturising 3 minute face mask twice a week, I also add the St Ives apricot scrub for blemishes in to my routine 3/4 times a week depending on how bad my skin is. (Facial skin post pending?) I adore these because they are so affordable and work just as good as any other 3-step programmes I have followed.

FOUR:

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Naked 2 palette.

Having loved the original, I bought the second thinking it would be just as lovely, but it sadly remained untouched in my makeup box for weeks, even months. I got so used to using the same eyeshadow routine for going out and day makeup that I forgot I even owned this. Recently I went to London to meet up with a friend from university and found it in my stash whilst packing my makeup bag. I only packed it for the mirror at first but didn't bother to take any other eyeshadow as I didn't want to bulk out my makeup bag. As the days went by I used different shades on my eyes and I have grown to love this palette, it may have even become my favourite eyeshadow palette!

FIVE:

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Sex and the City/Carrie Diaries.

My oh my! I have never ever ever really been a girl who can pick up a book and finish it in an afternoon, but these books have me hook line and sinker. I just cannot put them down. They are so interesting and I like the journalistic stance that Carrie has in the books, as a journalism student myself, she is living a sort of dream in the Carrie Diaries! I have also purchased more of Candace Bushnell books to take back to university with me to read when relaxing or taking a break from work.

SIX:

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Polyvore.

Back when I was at college I used to make up outfits and gift idea posts but hadn't really used it since then, except for now. My birthday is in September and I was browsing the Internet looking for an outfit that was outgoing but not too short/over dressy. Although some of the boards people make are filled with Prada, Louboutins and YSL (a girl can dream!), it gives an idea of what an outfit could look like maybe with less designer and more high street. 

SEVEN:

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Bagels with cream cheese.

Perfect breakfast, perfect lunch, perfect to take away, just perfect. So easy to make, filling and so yummy. Being on the go when going to London/around the UK visiting family members and friends I found making a bagel and taking it with me took up not much room in my bag, doesn't contain a lot of calories and tastes delicious. Maybe a small addiction is occurring.

EIGHT:

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The sun.

If I had to work in this weather I probably wouldn't be loving it, but being an unemployed student I am loving the sun. Not going away this year and having rubbish weather would not be fun but the sun has got his hat on and I am loving it. Although it's never sunny without a storm and only time can tell when that huge thunderstorm will occur. Yikes. 

NINE:

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White bedsheets/towels/everything.

I think white is such a colour that promotes cleanliness and I am so in love with the freshness of it. I have a predominantly white room at home, with one wall wallpapered (yuck, bad decision) and it looks so fresh and I also think it makes my room look larger than it is which of course is a perk. One reason why I decided to go for a basic colour such as white was because at university my room is quite small and I don't want my room to be swamped with colour and turned into a room tinier than it already is. The only downside to white is fake tan is not your friend, it will stain everything. My dad suggested I bought a black bedding set for when I want to fake tan, although this seems like a good idea it also seems like such a pain in the arse changing the sheets just to tan. 

TEN:

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Starbucks Valencia orange refresher.

This is to die for. I had tried the lime one before but couldn't handle the amount of mint that was in it, it was too overpowering. This tastes like an orange ice lolly, so flavourful and refreshing, although I do feel a bit cheated by the amount of ice they put into the cup. None-the-less it is something that I am loving. 

What are you currently loving?

Nails: love or hate?

I always seem to crave getting my nails done, preferably acrylic but always seem to get bored of them after a few days/week. I think the inconvenience with uni, pressing tiny buttons on technology doesn't really go hand in hand with acrylics.

After much contemplation, I decided I would get my nails done, mainly because when I do get them done I feel so girly and much more me. The hardest part for me is knowing what colour and what shape to go for. I've never really dabbled far from either white tip square or square clear tip with nail varnish applied on top of it.

White tip acrylics

I chose to get an almond shape in an Essie nail varnish called 'bikini so teeny' which is a pale pastel blue colour, which is very unlike me as I said previously I normally go for a light pink colour. The last time I got essie in 'fiji' and the time prior I got a hot pink colour by China Glaze, which I wouldn't choose normally. 

As I've had my nails done for nearly 2 weeks now they are not looking as pristine as they were on day 1, which I would normally not care about if I'd been doing a lot with them, but this time round I feel like the nails themselves were rushed and the topcoat applied has not stopped the chipping of the nail varnish.

Jessie J nails

Funnily enough a couple of days ago Jessie J uploaded this image on to her instagram which is basically exactly the same as my nails but mine are maybe a little more curved instead of a stiletto finish. 

What do you think about acrylics? Love them? Hate them?

Bonjour, hello, hi, welcome, hola

I'm a 19 year old student currently at university studying for a degree in Multimedia Journalism, focusing on magazine and the editorial side of it rather than TV/radio.

I thought getting a blog would be a good idea for me to practise writing for the niche in which I would preferably like to work in - beauty/fashion. I'm going to write bi-weekly or at least weekly, posts from reviews, general lifestyle posts and probably a lot of pictures.

Before I start writing I do want to say that all of the reviews/pictures/words are mine unless otherwise stated and sourced. I also want to say that anything I do post on here is with permission from owners/people mentioned in the posts (such as drunken pictures/stories or just in general).

Let's get this crackalackin'

This is me, just in case you're wondering