Hey guys, I’ve just made my budget for 2025 and wanted to share it. I’m curious if anyone else is interested in seeing how student budgets work, even though mine might not reflect everyone’s situation. For some context, I work 20 hours a week and I’m a full-time second-year student at Otago. I receive full living costs, and luckily, I get a student allowance since my family situation means I don’t have a relationship with my father and my mom has a low income.
Historically, I’ve been pretty good at budgeting, but unexpected costs in the past have derailed me. Lately, I’ve managed to save enough in an accessible account to avoid that issue, which is a relief. So, here’s where I’m starting for 2025:
- $30K in ETFs/stocks
- $2.5K in an emergency fund (3.5% pa interest yield)
I’m really grateful to have learned early on why managing money is crucial. Watching my mom handle her hardships taught me a lot about how to avoid financial pitfalls.
My 2025 Budget:
- $200 PW for Rent (5 bedroom flat, rent varies slightly based on the room)
- $66 PW Living costs (covering food, electricity, wifi)
- $50 PW Personal savings (this will go into my emergency fund with a 3.55% PA interest)
- $20 Fortnightly for my phone plan
- $50 Fortnightly for date money (my partner and I budget $100 for dates every two weeks, which is something I really cherish)
- $100 Fortnightly for spending money, whatever I want
Investments:
I’m going to title them by their code on Sharesis, but I can explain more in the comments if needed. They are also fortnightly investments, all ETFs. I plan to sell individual stocks if they’re profitable, and I’ll be moving my AUD ETFs to the ones below too:
- USF - $175
- USG - $175
- TWF - $108.50
- ASF - $175
- USA - $108.50
I’m open to feedback and ideas. I wouldn’t say I’m particularly frugal; I went to Thailand with my partner last year and spent quite a bit on vinyl records. I also plan to dip into my savings/emergency fund every few months to buy a vinyl as a reward for sticking to my budget.