UCC Economics Society Wall Planner 2013

Wall planner 2013/2014 october

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University College, Cork, Ireland Students...

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University College Cork Economics Society april

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Email: economics@uccsocieties.ie

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www.ucc.ie/en/economics/current/economicsociety/

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UCC Economics Society...

10 easy tips for student finance The Economics Society has quickly become one of the most popular and active students societies on campus. This is not hard to imagine when there are close on 2,000 students taking economics in UCC. The society’s 15 member committee is elected from the students at the start of each academic year and meets once a week to discuss future social, academic and fundraising activities for all economics students to enjoy.

The UCC Economics Society is in existence for students of UCC who are studying, or simply have an interest in Economics. Our membership not only contains students studying Economics through Arts or Commerce, but also those interested in the subject from other disciplines.

In our current climate, Economics is one of the foremost topics of interest, and our society aims to capture the interest of students by hosting relevant, interesting events, with speakers that students will flock to listen to. However, it’s not all about the doom and gloom of the Economy – we’re always up for a bit of fun, as shown by our legendary social events. We have previously been awarded the runner up prize for ‘Best Society Event’ throughout the entire college social calendar, for our much acclaimed Chinese New Year celebration.

As well as hosting feasts and fun cultural events, you can find us hosting table quizzes and ‘Class Wars’.

The Economics Society is there to serve you as the students. We have plans for the year to not only stimulate your intellect but also to give you a good time! As well as the Chinese New Year, we also realised plans for an academic Conference held in UCC, a trip to London to an Economic Conference, numerous Speaker events and much, much more. This year we have many more plans, so keep an eye out for posters and emails advertising them, they are guaranteed to be great!

If you’re interested in taking part in the society, or what we are about, check us out on Facebook (University College Cork Economics Society) or email us at economics@uccsocieties.ie!

Looking forward to seeing you during the year!

c K now your income: Know how much money you have coming in each month from your loan and other sources such as a job, parental assistance, bursaries, grants (we wish, eh?). c K now your expenditure: Subtract from your income any fixed regular outgoings to obtain the amount you have left: things like accommodation, internet in your room (often overlooked), tv license, phone contract. ivide this by the number of weeks per term/year to obtain the figure for the maximum you have left to D spend each week. From this figure, subtract an amount for essential food items and a book/stationery allowance.

K eep your receipts for everything for a week or two once term has really got going, spend an hour or two working out exactly where cash is going. If you spend too much on any one item (drink, coffee, magazines, sandwiches, etc...) try and cut back.

Y ou will soon get the hang of how much you can spend and get away with it but for the first few weeks I would recommend making detailed notes of everything you spend. c Keep

a contingency: It is important to remember that there are occasions on which you may unexpectedly have to spend a large amount of money. Text books are expensive and If you aren’t careful nights out can cost large amounts too. There are balls and events you may wish to go to, so remember to save a bit for them. Therefore it is always good to save money as a contingency. c E conomy food: If you don’t have access to a market, scope out the cheap deals in your supermarket.

When you first move into the area you should check out the times and days that supermarkets reduce all their food prices. Also, at the end of each day the hot food deli will serve as a gold mine for you. All the food has to be sold, so prices are outrageously low. And familiarise yourself with the economy food: the majority of it doesn’t taste too different to the more expensive varieties – baked beans and economy orange juice are fine. In particular things like toiletries and dried foods don’t need to be plush: get the cheapest you can and you won’t really notice the difference. Also, make trips to your nearest Lidl, Netto or Aldi. They sound budget but you can get some great deals on good quality food and they are especially good for bulk buying. c S hop online: For those already with internet access (otherwise that’s an extra expenditure that you don’t need draining your cash), try doing your grocery shopping online. It’s good for two reasons: first, you can shop for things you really need instead of getting distracted by the enticing products that leap out as you walk past. Second, you are likely to get more cheap deals online and, if you all buy together, delivery will be free. Above all, the golden rule of food shopping is not to do it when you’re hungry. It might be more fun, but money ceases to matter when the stomach is rumbling.

c D rink before you go out: Once you’re off campus, bar prices will rise pretty steeply. Therefore delay leaving the house by a couple of hours and you’ll save money. Mind you don’t go overboard before you reach the club though, or you may have a bit of a hard time getting in or getting home at the end of the night. c G et a bike: If you’re living in a city, cycling is generally quicker than public transport. It’ll get you fitter than your short run to the bus stop each morning, and it’ll work out a lot cheaper in the long run. You can get a decent second-hand bike for around €100 and it can last years. Think about it: a bus fare is roughly €2.50 each day; that’s €12.50 for a five day week. So for the price of about eight week travel on a bus you can buy yourself a calorie-burning, trafficdodging, bargain. And it’s environmentally friendly too! c P sychology tests: Across campuses undergraduates, postgraduates and PhD students are looking for willing guinea pigs to take part in psychology tests. Many of these are paid, and some pay well. When you first arrive at university, you should stumble across a sign-up list which puts you onto a database allowing psychology students to contact you. Some trials even pay you money to eat a breakfast and lunch, providing you answer a few questions while you’re chomping away. However, unless you’re sure you know exactly what it is you’re taking, avoid drug tests like the plague – the results could be deadly, hideous or at the very least rather unpleasant! c I f you get into trouble: At the end of the day, it might not be possible to balance the budget.

So where can you turn if everything goes wrong?

Let your bank know as soon as possible. They may be able to help.

If you are in severe financial difficulty you can apply for hardship loans. Check with your University for more details.

Contact MABS or citizens advice bureau. c Free education does not exist!

How much does living away from home cost? Based on a nine month academic year, the costs for living away from home are estimated below: Food.................................€40/week

Accommodation..........................€70/week

Transport...........................€25/week

Bills............................................€40/week

Books............................... €300/year

Mobile phone........................... €30/month

Day-to-day.....................€100/month

Registration fee........................€1500/year

Capitation........................ €150/year

Total per year.......................over €10,000

These will vary depending on your own circumstances and lifestyle, the books you need, whether you go home at weekends or not, and the standard of your accommodation.

The above figures are a raw estimate.

www.ucc.ie/en/economics/current/economicsociety/

As a rule of thumb, don’t be fooled by incentives. For most students your overdraft will be your lifeline, so make sure you get the best deal to help you survive, rather than some shiny new gadget. While free cinema tickets or discounted CDs may sound great, the offer of a travel card could save you a fortune if you intend using the train to get to and from college. Discount offers or incentives such as cinema tickets will last only five minutes or will only benefit you if you buy another one of the bank’s products.

However, once equipped with a USI card, you will already have access to numerous student discounts and freebies.

2 Get the best student account for you So once you have steered away from the incentives, what should you be looking for in a student account? Of course this will vary from person to person. A handful of lucky students will be interested in the credit rate of interest, but for most it will be the overdraft facility which is the overriding factor. What must be remembered is that the higher limits are often quoted as ‘up to’, so when you come to apply, if your credit rating is not A1 or you don’t match the banks Halifax’s ‘perfect student’ score card, you may be offered a somewhat lower limit. Another important consideration is how near your bank branch is to your university or new home. Specialist student advice can be invaluable, and with a branch close at hand it’s that much easier to manage your money and speak with your bank.

If you get the opportunity to work this term, try to put aside a little of your earnings for your future.

Having even a small amount of savings will leave you in good stead for the start of university life, especially as you won’t normally receive your first student loan payment until your first day at university.

There are certain periods in our lives that we’d all rather not go through, yet inevitably will. What goes hand in hand with being a student is the promise that at some point during your degree, you will be absolutely skint and foraging through your kitchen for any loose bits of pasta or bread. Students generally can’t budget until they’re forced to, so it’s worth working out in advance how you will cross that bridge when you come to it. There are ways to avoid getting multiple overdrafts if you are disciplined and willing to forego a bit of pride. Some methods are immoral, but so is allowing yourself to go hungry.

Wall planner 2013/2014

1 Don’t be fooled by account incentives

3 Try to save some money this term

Budgeting... c T he basics: Get online. If you bank online you can easily see your balance and any ingoing/outgoings at a glance. You can also arrange your direct debits/standing orders and cancel cheques.

For many students going to college may be the first time they have full control over their own finances, receiving lump sums and having to pay bills. So getting it right financially can be one step towards surviving those student years. Even before the ink has dried on your leaving certificates, students can expect to be targeted by the big banks to sign up for one of their student accounts.

No wonder, really, given the earning potential that the average graduate can have – they are hot property! In total seven providers offer student banking, all offering interest free overdrafts. But don’t be fooled into thinking that all student accounts are the same; this is definitely not the case.

4 Get a budget It can be easy to let your spending run away with you. The odd €20 or €30 here and there can soon mount up. Remember, your overdraft limit is not bottomless and will also need to cover your bills too.

This is possibly the first time you will need to manage household bills, and the easiest way is to write out a budget plan. Take into account all guaranteed income, and set this against your bills. Once you know exactly what your living costs are you, will know how much ‘fun’ money you have.

9 Don’t put your finances at risk of fraud Students can put their finances at risk by not following simple steps to protect their identity and money.

A previous Moneyfacts survey found that 70% insufficiently destroyed their card receipts or bank statements and almost half allowed other people to use their card and PIN. Living in shared accommodation, you need to take extra precautions to protect your finances from fraud. Following a few simple steps can reduce the risk. c A lways destroy any post, which includes your bank details. A shredder is a simple and cost effective solution. on’t give your PIN or card to anyone! If you are subjected to fraud in the future, you will have to c D declare (and this can be taken to the police) that you are the only person with knowledge of your PIN.

5 Spend your student loan wisely

c Never write down your PIN number. Use your bank’s ATM to change it to a number you can remember.

Remember, your income from your student loan payments will have to last you several weeks, if not months. So spend this wisely, don’t blow it all in fresher’s week. If you do, you’ll then only have thin air and own brand baked beans to live on for the rest of the term. What can be more embarrassing than embarking on your independent student life, then having to grovel to mum and dad only a few weeks after leaving the nest?

ave your cards, chequebooks and other banking information sent to your home address, especially if c H your post is delivered to a pigeonhole in a communal area.

6 Take care when opting for a credit card Most student banks will offer you a student credit card, with a limit typically around €500. However tempting a credit card can be - treat it with caution. While the limits may be small, with no regular income even a few hundred Euro can be a struggle to repay, especially when the interest rates tend to be higher than average. If you do choose to take a credit card, use it to get the mostcompetitive deals online, when travelling or in case of emergency - but don’t use the card for the sake of it.

7 Check on your bank account regularly Make sure you keep a regular eye on your finances, as it’s only too easy to lose track of your spending.

The easiest way is to set up online banking, but do take care to ensure that when you are using a shared computer it’s a secure site and that you sign off fully when finished.

8 Don’t bury your head in the sand It’s not uncommon for students to face financial difficulties, but you should never bury your head in the sand. Specialist advisers in branch or even at your university can help with hardship advances and give you advice and guidance. If you are nearing your overdraft limit, speak to your bank as soon as you can.

Unauthorised borrowing can be expensive and may impact on their decision to help you in the future. If you let things get out of control, you must remember that financial mistakes at university are not wiped clean, and they can come back to haunt you later in life.

 Make sure you are properly insured Specialist cover is available for students living in halls or shared accommodation, to protect your contents.

Make sure your level of cover is sufficient, and think about whether you need cover for other items such as bikes which will be left on campus.