Student budget planner: make your money last the whole term
Your student loan lands in one big payment, and by week six it is mostly gone. This prompt has your todo.is agent turn your income and fixed costs into a term-by-term plan with a weekly spending limit, flag the weeks with big bills like rent and textbooks, and check in every Sunday so you know where you stand.
The prompt
- Make me a student budget planner for [ACADEMIC YEAR]. My income is [INCOME AND DATES]. My fixed costs are [FIXED COSTS]. I usually spend on [REGULAR SPENDING]. I study in [CITY] and my currency is [CURRENCY]. Split my money by term so each term's payment covers that term, set a realistic weekly limit for food, transport and going out, and include one-off costs like textbooks, deposits and travel home. Add a small emergency buffer. Give me an Excel file with a term overview, a weekly tracker where I enter what I spent, and a chart that shows if I am on track. Add 5 money-saving tips that make sense for students in my city. Every Sunday at 7 pm, ask me on WhatsApp how much I spent this week and tell me my limit for next week.
What to change
- [ACADEMIC YEAR]: E.g. "September 2026 to June 2027".
- [INCOME AND DATES]: Every source with dates, e.g. "loan £3,400 in Sept, Jan, April; part-time job £350 a month; parents £100 a month".
- [FIXED COSTS]: E.g. "rent £560 a month incl. bills, phone £15, gym £20". Or attach a bank statement.
- [REGULAR SPENDING]: E.g. "groceries, bus pass, eating out twice a week, nights out".
- [CITY]: Where you study, e.g. "Manchester". It helps with local costs and discounts.
- [CURRENCY]: E.g. "GBP", "EUR", "USD".
Example result
- Student budget: autumn term (13 weeks)
- Illustrative figures for a student in a mid-cost UK city.
- Money in
- • Loan payment: £3,400
- • Part-time job: £350 × 3 months = £1,050
- • Parents: £100 × 3 = £300
- • Total: £4,750
- Fixed costs out
- • Rent incl. bills: £560 × 3 = £1,680
- • Phone £15 + gym £20 per month = £105
- • Bus pass for the term: £200
- • Total fixed: £1,985
- One-off costs this term
- • Textbooks and course materials: £120 (check the library and second-hand first)
- • Train home for winter break: £60 with a railcard
- • Kitchen basics and bedding: £80
- Buffer
- • Emergency fund: £250, only for real emergencies
- What is left for weekly spending
- • £4,750 − £1,985 − £260 − £250 = £2,255
- • £2,255 ÷ 13 weeks = £173 a week
- • Suggested split: groceries £45 · eating out £25 · going out £35 · other £20 · save the rest (£48) for spring term rent
- Danger weeks
- • Week 1 (Freshers): plan for extra spending, take it from the savings line, not next week
- • Week 12: rent and Christmas presents in the same week
- Money-saving tips
- • Cook in batches with flatmates and split a weekly shop
- • Use a student discount card and ask for student prices everywhere
- • Buy reduced items late in the evening at supermarkets
- • Turn off subscriptions you rarely use; keep one streaming service
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and add your income, payment dates and fixed costs. A bank statement attachment helps.
- Paste it into todo.is on the Today screen, or send it to your agent on WhatsApp or Telegram.
- Use the weekly tab in the Excel file, or just reply to the Sunday message with what you spent.
- If something changes, like a new job or a rent rise, tell your agent and it redoes the weekly limit.
Tips for a better result
- Budget by term, not by month. Loans and grants usually arrive termly, so monthly plans run dry.
- Count Freshers' week and the end of term separately; they are always more expensive.
- Move next term's rent to a separate savings account the day your loan arrives.
- Ask your agent to find student discounts and cheap supermarkets near your campus with links.
student budget planner: FAQ
- How much should a student budget for food each week? It depends on the city, but many students manage on a modest weekly grocery amount by cooking in batches. Your agent can check typical local prices and suggest a realistic figure.
- What is the 50/30/20 rule for students? It splits money into 50% needs, 30% wants and 20% savings. For students with high rent, needs are often more than 50%, so a weekly limit after fixed costs works better.
- Can todo.is read my bank account? No. You tell it what you spent or attach a statement export, and it updates your plan. It cannot move money or access your bank.
- Is this financial advice? No, it is a practical budgeting tool. For loans, debt or money problems, talk to your university's student money adviser.
JavaScript is required to use the todo.is app.