The Weekly Budget

Because I am usually a notorious spendthrift, I have decided to make this exchange a test of my discipline when it comes to the purse-strings. Barring this week which saw the incursion of extra expenses due to general settling in/ buying groceries etc, and the weeks when I plan to travel, I shall aim to spend just £50 - 60 per week for the rest of the semester! Can do? Yes, I must believe in it.

Expenses for the first week in Edinburgh:

2 bottles mineral water at airport: £3
Transport from airport (shuttle and cab): £7.50
Lunch expenses: £13.60
Clothes (socks and hat): £8.98
Stationary:
Ring file £1.15
Foolscap £1.75
Stapler and staples £1.55
Laundry expenses (Detergent, laundry tokens): £7
SIM card: £10
Text book: £5.99

Recreation/Touring:
Drinks £2.20
Burns Night ticket (inclusive of Haggis!!!) £5
Edinburgh castle admission (anticipated) £9.79
Holyrood Palace (anticipated) £9

Total: £86.51


Shocking discoveries this week:

1. Photocopying in the Edinburgh library is 10pence per page. That's about 20cents. In Singapore, photocopying is 3 or 5 cents per page. Here's my chance to atone for all those defective photocopies I made in NUS, and willfully tossed away into the recycle bin.

2. The dryer in the laundry room charges 1 pound per use, but requires about 2 uses for clothes to be properly dried because it's that crappy.

3. Given all the walking I have to do here, I clearly did not bring enough socks.

4. And given the crazily strong winds here, I did not bring enough (or rather, any) warm headwear. The hood of my winter parka can suffice, but is dangerous because it prevents me from looking properly sideways when crossing the road. And cars can have a tendency to disregard traffic rules here, so that is an issue.

5. I searched everywhere for nice, warm and reasonably-priced hats and was surprised to find very few fitting the bill. I even went to H&M and Topshop on Princes Street but nada. What is the world coming to when three levels of Topshop don't stock nice hats?!

Finally found a nice Angora cap on Clerk Street for £5.99. Yay!

6. The number of kiasu students, see point about textbooks below.

7. Instant noodles cost SGD$2....for a single packet.


On the bright side, cost-friendly discoveries!:

1. Greggs Bakery sells pastries and soup as a meal deal for a nice, grand price of £1.25. Similarly, set 'meals' available at Lidl, consisting of a sandwich, drink and packet of crisps of 99pence. Goodbye overpriced and cold sandwiches in the school cafe.

2. Or. There's always smuggling rolls out of the Pollock dining centre in the morning for lunch. I'll just have to avoid being seen by the cafeteria wardens.

3. Second-hand book stores at Oxfam and Southbridge. But a pity they don't always carry some of the more obscure titles on my literature booklist.

4. And double the pity that books in the library get checked out weeks in advance by very kiasu students. It's only WEEK 1 people stop living in WEEK 6.

5. £5.49 all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet! CNY dinner anyone?

6. Edinburgh is a city made for walking. I have spent zilch on transportation with the exception of the initial ride from the airport.

7. The school organizes free walking tours of Edinburgh! Went on one yesterday - delightful, bar the wet weather!

8. Most museums and galleries appear to be free. Wandered around the National Museum of Scotland between class this Monday. Very peaceful. Offers sanctuary from the cold as well.