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Bunnies on a student loan/ very tight budget?

natandfluffs

Alpha Buck
I'm contemplating going back to uni to do mental health nursing, but before I trade my salary for a student loan I need to think financially as I don't want to be in a position where bunny care is compromised!

I'm confident that I could do it with one or two buns, but I have 5....

Who else manages, and how do you make it work?

I think I'd get a 5000 (ish) bursary, which is good and I appreciate far better than most student's situations, but I'm a mature student with a mortgage which makes it trickier. (When I did uni first time round a diet of toast, fruit and wine wasn't so bad- but I couldn't cope with it now. I can't even drink that much wine :lol:)
 
We get by :p

I always have money hidden away for buns... but I usually use it..... its def a good idea to have a stash.

Buns are always spoilt when the loan comes in and then I am the one that goes without for a while before the next one comes in :p

I only have two though.... and they are diddy so dont eat too much! Phew!

Mind you, I dont get as much as you would be getting!! Maybe visit the CAB and they can help you budget and see if it is possible? :D
 
I currently have no job that I being payed for atm. I am studying and OH works in London and we manage fine.
Definate stash is needed and insurance is a god-send for me! Just in case!
 
I think perhaps I need to get better at saving... and prioritising :oops:

I'm sure you're right and it is possible. I probably need to sit down and work out how much I will really need and how much I can stash for bunnies.

I think I probably would have found it easier if I'd had bunnies, and went to uni from having very little income rather than uni from a fairly decent salary. But I am sure I would adjust!!
 
I think perhaps I need to get better at saving... and prioritising :oops:

I'm sure you're right and it is possible. I probably need to sit down and work out how much I will really need and how much I can stash for bunnies.

I think I probably would have found it easier if I'd had bunnies, and went to uni from having very little income rather than uni from a fairly decent salary. But I am sure I would adjust!!

Just make sure you buy enough food etc for the buns to last the whole term (will you get your money termly?) at the beginning..... thats what I do, because usually by the end of the term, like now, I have nothing......

And do have a stash, unless you have insurance, I dont have any insurance yet but am totally going to get some, because buns always need things when you are running low on money, its sods law!! In my first year at uni I had to spend most of my money on my rabbit Tipsy who was fighting abscesses, it was a loooong fight too...... from September until March, she had like 3 ops, and lots of vet visits and medicanes, I reckon she cost £500 - £1000 BUT I only went out drinking once in my first year and mainly lived off toast and didnt buy anything naughty like a camera, xbox 360, wii or notebook like I have been doing with my recent loans, whoops :oops: By buns have their own account that I wont even touch if I am desperate for something.....even the new pokemon game :p I had to nag my OH to buy it for me!! Hahahahaha

You can make it, I am sure. :D
 
I pay for my buns using my loan and it can get tight in the periods just before the next part of the loan is due to go in.

But i also live in a private rented home and give my o/h about 400 a month to help pay for things. So if i didnt do that it wouldnt be that tight :)

but we manage! My mum buys me a really really big bag of food for the buns after each set of exams as a well done :lol: lasts ages!

Sorry i dont really have any other advise!

Good luck if you do go to uni xx
 
Just make sure you buy enough food etc for the buns to last the whole term (will you get your money termly?) at the beginning..... thats what I do, because usually by the end of the term, like now, I have nothing......

And do have a stash, unless you have insurance, I dont have any insurance yet but am totally going to get some, because buns always need things when you are running low on money, its sods law!! In my first year at uni I had to spend most of my money on my rabbit Tipsy who was fighting abscesses, it was a loooong fight too...... from September until March, she had like 3 ops, and lots of vet visits and medicanes, I reckon she cost £500 - £1000 BUT I only went out drinking once in my first year and mainly lived off toast and didnt buy anything naughty like a camera, xbox 360, wii or notebook like I have been doing with my recent loans, whoops :oops: By buns have their own account that I wont even touch if I am desperate for something.....even the new pokemon game :p I had to nag my OH to buy it for me!! Hahahahaha

You can make it, I am sure. :D

I think unexpected medical bills are my worst fear!! Though I have got better at putting money aside. I actually have a bank account for them at the moment, but I think I probably need to make it harder to get at and stop spending the money on other things when it gets over a certain amount!! :oops:

And twinsenpatrick- I reckon I could get my mum buying me the odd big bag of food too :D
 
Pehaps you could leave it, just for a year? If you scrimp and save this year you'll have enough to study next year, and the buns will be fine. :)
 
My loan doesn't cover me :wave: I have a part time job, and have done throughout the whole of uni. It only took me two months to run out of money without a job :oops: Your bursary is more than my entire year loan though so hopefully you should be fine :D

Our buns don't cost a lot, £5 a month on hay, £2 a month on megazorb, £20 a month on veggies for 3 rabbits and 3 guinea pigs :wave:
Yearly vaccinations are about £45 per bun.

We also have 2 dogs, 3 gerbils and 1 chipmunk :oops: :roll:

My £25 a month pet insurance for 1 dog and 1 rabbit is my biggest expense :)
 
My loan doesn't cover me :wave: I have a part time job, and have done throughout the whole of uni. It only took me two months to run out of money without a job :oops: Your bursary is more than my entire year loan though so hopefully you should be fine :D

Our buns don't cost a lot, £5 a month on hay, £2 a month on megazorb, £20 a month on veggies for 3 rabbits and 3 guinea pigs :wave:
Yearly vaccinations are about £45 per bun.

We also have 2 dogs, 3 gerbils and 1 chipmunk :oops: :roll:

My £25 a month pet insurance for 1 dog and 1 rabbit is my biggest expense :)

:shock: Thats amazing!! Does your OH support you?! Mine's useless, the rabbits are definitely my 'problem' :censored: (though he's quite happy to sit and talk to them)

I'm probably catastrophising really. But I had a similar experience when I did uni the first time round- student loan did nothing for me. I'm not in the best health at the moment though so don't want to say that I will be able to depend on a part time job too.

Have just looked into the course a bit more and it wouldn't start til Feb, so think I'll talk to them about applying and at least then it gives me a bit of time to save up :)
 
My OH does not support me for anything for the animals, thats the deal, I wanted them, therefore I pay for them, they are my babies :D

I also have a dog at home and another outdoor bun that I pay for. :)

You have plenty of time between now and Feb to set up a disaster fund ;)
 
I am on a student loan with 6 bunnies, I manage perfectly fine. Lola costs me £700 on dentals in just over 1month. I have no help from parents, just my loan, and I even have money to spare. Just should add though, I'm not your typical boozy, lets get wasted student.:lol:
 
I am on a student loan with 6 bunnies, I manage perfectly fine. Lola costs me £700 on dentals in just over 1month. I have no help from parents, just my loan, and I even have money to spare. Just should add though, I'm not your typical boozy, lets get wasted student.:lol:

Me either... I havent been out drinking in Cheltenham since..... my mum and sister came over to stay! Lol.....I havent been out as a student since before last Christmas, I get called boring for it and struggle socially but I just dont ENJOY it so I dont want to do it.... why should I have to change?? :(
 
Maybe you could postpone going back to uni for a year, work overtime, and put money aside that's especially for the buns?

Also a lot of unis have special funding for mature students, so looking into that could be worth it, as you may get another grant on top of the bursary
 
The rabbits and guinea pigs are 'shared' with my friend, and 1 of the dogs and the gerbils are hers :wave: My OH (ex now ;) ) doesn't pay anything towards the animals, although he was going to pay for my dogs castration as that was ment to be 'our' pet. He paid half rent and bills for a couple of months when he lived with me but otherwise that's i :)

If you can buy in bulk it will save money :D Megazorb is £6 a sack, and one sack lasts us about 3 months but we buy a few bags to save the time and petrol of going very often. We buy hay buy the bale, normally two at a time as its all my car can take otherwise we'd probably get four or more at a time :oops: at £2.50 a bale its so much better than bagged :love: Buying shop hay would be impossible, they can eat a 4kg bag (£4/5 at asda) in 2 days or less so that would be very expensive :lol: and they don't seem to like the short chopped hay so much haha.
 
I think the bursary is more than that, and if you are over 26, it is a little bit more still. Also, if you leave it, you may not be able to get the bursary, as nursing is going to be an all degree profession soon and they haven't decided whether they will still provide bursarys, or if it will be as much. Currently, if you do a degree, it is a means tested bursary, which is about £2000. You get more if you do a diploma.
More info here http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Students/816.aspx
 
Depending on your finance history (and your self-restraint!) you could get a credit card to be used strictly for bunny vet visits?

Day to day upkeep isn't generally very expensive for rabbits, it's the vets that does the damage!

Some credits cards offer continuing incentives to use them... One of mine had an introductory interest free offer but that's been it for the five years i've had it, but the second one i got is always giving me new interest free etc offers. Naturally, you will only need to go to the vets before or after the offers, but that's besides the point!

xxx
 
I think the bursary is more than that, and if you are over 26, it is a little bit more still. Also, if you leave it, you may not be able to get the bursary, as nursing is going to be an all degree profession soon and they haven't decided whether they will still provide bursarys, or if it will be as much. Currently, if you do a degree, it is a means tested bursary, which is about £2000. You get more if you do a diploma.
More info here http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Students/816.aspx

Thank you :wave:

That is massively helpful... I read something yesterday about moving to all degree level. Which I can see the point of, but I am personally much in favour of the two year post grad!

DDD are you a nurse? Could I pick your brains about this at all?
 
Thank you :wave:

That is massively helpful... I read something yesterday about moving to all degree level. Which I can see the point of, but I am personally much in favour of the two year post grad!

DDD are you a nurse? Could I pick your brains about this at all?

You can pick my brains!! Feel free to PM me. I started my training in 2003 so may be a bit different now, but not that long ago!!
 
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