Finance. *crickets chirp*. Yes, I know, not the most exciting topic that you want to be scrolling through while you put off doing that lecture that you’ve been “meaning to get to” (you and me both). But student finance is an important topic to talk about, especially when you’re thrown into the unknown world of adulthood when you start university.
And the importance of the topic only greatens when we’re thrown a huge curveball like a pandemic. Like many, I found myself in a tricky situation with my finances and it gave me a wake-up call to take a hard look at how I was spending my money.
Starting to review my spending was the hardest part. I just imagined that I’d have to be doing complex calculations with a bunch of spreadsheets up on my screen, trying to figure it all out on my own. I didn’t know what to do or where to start. The process was simply daunting!
Eventually, I willed the power to take action and turned to my right-hand, Save the Student, my go-to whenever I have a question about money. I searched ‘How to manage student finances’, clicked on the first result, and my journey to becoming financially healthy began.
During those next few weeks, I learnt how to budget, how to start a savings account and actually did! I know it can be overwhelming trying to sift through all the resources that may or may not help. So if you’re like me, wrapping your head around what to do, I recommend Save the Student and Blackbullion as great places to get yourself started.
Blackbullion is free to King’s students, so long as you use your King’s email address! They have fantastic videos sharing steps on how to budget, how to save and have tools like the Budget Calculator to help you through the process.
If you want advice on your money situation, contact the Student Advice and Guidance Team by emailing advice@kcl.ac.uk.
Got any questions? We’re here to help too! Message us on Instagram at @kingsmoneymentors. And follow us to hear our latest money tips and tricks!
What have you learnt about managing your finances this past year? Let us know by tagging us on your Instagram post or story. We love hearing from you!
Stay safe and money savvy!
Yogietha Kirushnamoorthy
King’s Student Money Mentor
Part of Money & Housing Advice
Studying Chemistry with Biomedicine MSci
Need to speak to a Money Adviser? Call the Student Advice Line.
For more information on money management and budgeting, check out Financial Wellbeing Part 1 – Where does your money go?, and Financial Wellbeing Part 3 – How to budget!
The King’s Student Money Mentors blog shares our students’ personal experiences and thoughts on money-related topics. Any reference, opinions or recommendations on a particular company/brand are only the views of the student(s) who wrote the blog post. King’s College London, the Money & Housing Advice service and the Money Mentor project do not share the views in the blogs nor endorse any of the companies mentioned. Readers should conduct their own research before using any companies mentioned in our blog posts.