YOUR WEEKLY INCOME

Student Allowance

If you're under 24, single and living away from home, the most you can get on the Student Allowance is $162 per week.

Student Loan

If you're living on the loan by itself, or getting an allowance plus a student loan 'top up', the most you can get if you're single and under 24 is $164.

Work

If you get a student allowance, you can now earn up to $195 per week before your allowance is reduced. For every $1 you earn over $185, you get $1 deducted from your student allowance (www.studylink.govt.nz).

Other

For example, help from your parents, share dividends, prostituting your body to drug companies...

YOUR WEEKLY EXPENDITURE

Rent

This will be your biggest weekly cost. How much you spend on rent determines how much you have left over for everything else.

Insurance

Here you should include your total weekly insurance bill for both car and contents. Check out the Flatting Mag's Insurance Section.

Groceries

Breakfast, dinners and household stuff.

Lunches

If you'd rather not pack a lunch the cheapest potion is a $3 lunch from Clubs and Socs.

Phone - landline

Rental for your landline + any toll calls you are likely to make each week.

Electricity

This will depend on how many in your flat and how energy conscious you are. Roughly, around $10-15 per week.

YOUR WEEKLY EXPENDITURE - PERSONAL

Personal Stuff

Shampoo, Conditioner, tampons, contact lenses...

Transport

Petrol/ bus fares

School Stuff

Will you need stationery, texts or computer stuff that your student loan wont cover?

Clothing

What are you going to wear?

Cellphone

Plan? Prepaid? What do you spend each week?

YOUR WEEKLY EXPENDITURE - ENTERTAINMENT

Sky

How many channels do you need?

Internet

How much data will you download, and how fast do you need it?

Entertainment

Movies, pub, eating out, getting coffee...

Saving for Occasional Expenses

Will you be going home in the holidays? How will you get there? What about going to the dentist, doctor or needing a textbook? It's a good idea to put aside $5-10 each week so it's not so stressful at the time.

YOUR GRAND TOTALS