Our message is not to ignore your finances. A little effort to set out your budget at the start of the year can save a lot of hassle later on providing you stick to it that is! Be realistic and if you can foresee problems, don’t wait to get advice or take action. Do it now!
Even if you're near to the end of your course and have never set a budget or paid any attention to your mounting debts, there's no reason not to start now. Remember it's never too late; don't let the past hold you back.
DSU Welfare can provide financial statements for you to use. We can even help you put the information together from all your various bills and expenses.
If you do encounter financial problems no matter what the cause, DSU Welfare will offer advice about maximising your income, reducing your expenditure without effecting hardship, and help you to negotiate with creditors. We can advise you of all the debt strategies available to you and tell you what creditors can and can’t do to enforce your debt.
If you do find yourself financially overcommitted remember there will be options available to you. Don’t assume that there is nothing you can do doing nothing is usually the worst thing to do. You might be surprised that help is available from friendly, non-judgemental advisers, but believe us – we're here to help you.
The following document gives general information about budgeting and money management. You can also download a financial statement below to fill out. For more specific advice, please contact DSU Welfare to ask an adviser.
A sample financial statement is available here or you can download the document as an Excel file for editing here.
You can also download our budgeting guide here.
Need more help? Get advice and support from DSU Welfare