Running Out of Money Before September

Running Out of Money Before September?

That horrible moment when you check your bank balance and realise… you still have weeks to go until your next student finance payment.

If you’re a student nurse, this time of year can feel extra stressful. Summer block placements, less work shifts, rising costs, summer festivals, and no fresh loan in sight. You’re still expected to show up professionally, pay for travel, eat properly, and somehow survive financially on very little.

If you’re panicking about money right now, you’re in the skint summer phase of your nursing degree. Those few summer weeks seem twice as long when you’re literally counting the pennies.

This post isn’t about “just budget better”. I’m going to give you realistic, and practical ways to get through the next few weeks without completely burning out.

Running Out Of Money September - Student Nurse

First: Do a Reality Check – Not a Judgment

Before you panic, you need a clear picture of what you’re actually working with.

Not in a self-blaming way, just facts, and this is how you do it.

Sit down and write:

What money you have right now

Any income coming in (wages, benefits, family support)

Fixed costs (rent, bills, travel)

Flexible costs (food, social, subscriptions)

The best place to start is looking at your transactions on last month’s bank statement. You can catagorise spending into things like food, clothes, bills, entertainment, and self-care. This way you can see what the largest chunk of your money is spent on. Usually, it’s not what you think. If you’re spending a significant proportion of your income on food for example, you can break it down further into categories like takeout, meals out, supermarket, and snacks. This way you can see if getting lunch in the placement cafeteria is costing you financial freedom.

Cut Without Making Yourself Miserable

You don’t need to live on instant noodles to survive summer, but small changes make a big difference. By breaking down your spending into categories, you can see everything you spend clearly. If there are things that you don’t really use but are still paying subscriptions for, now is the time to cancel and save that cash.

This is the low-effort stuff that actually works:

Pause or cancel subscriptions you’re not using (Netflix, Spotify, gym, apps)

Batch cook simple meals for placement weeks

Take a water bottle and snacks everywhere

Avoid “just grabbing something” after shifts

The goal isn’t punishment. If you watch Netflix than keep it. You have to look at the amount of money you are giving compared to what you are getting. If you watch an episode your favorite show each night to relax to after a long shift, then it’s worth more than the couple of quid you spend each month for the streaming service. If you pay for an app each month that you hardly use – go back to the free version for a few months.

Use Emergency Support (That Most Students Ignore)

So many student nurses struggle quietly and never apply for help. Mostly, this is because they think that they won’t qualify for anything other than a standard student loan. There are grants and extra funds available just for nursing students and that is because a nursing degree is like no other in the sense that the course demands so much commitment that you aren’t able to work and fully commit to the degree. What other degrees require you to work a full-time job alongside assessments and studying? That is why that extra support is there.

Depending on where you study, extra support may include:

University hardship funds

NHS Learning Support Fund

Student support grants

Discretionary funds from your university

Some are designed for short-term financial gaps – like the summer period before funding restarts and others are a rolling payment scheme over the course of your degree.

You do not need to be “in crisis” to apply for most of these. However, if you have set bills to pay and you don’t have the money to pay because you’ve been funding travel to placement, these grants could help. Help comes in all shapes and sizes, not just in the form of giving you money. Other things may include laptop loans, software, travel passes and shopping vouchers.

There are a few places you can look to see what available. These onclude:

Asking student support services at your university

Your student union

The local council website (discounts in the local area/list of food banks/voucher schemes)

The practice education team on placement (parking passes/meal vouchers)

Apply even if you think you won’t qualify. Let them say no – don’t rule yourself out.

Can You Increase Income Short-Term?

If you have the capacity, small bursts of extra income can help. But be realistic. Starting your own business while training to be a nurse isn’t realistic if it involves a lot of your time.

Options that tend to work well:

Bank or agency shifts (healthcare or admin roles)

Picking up extra retail or hospitality shifts

One-off weekend work

Selling unused items (Vinted, Depop, Facebook)

If you are creative, making things to sell on Etsy or Gumroad

Avoid signing up to something that will drain you long-term just for short-term money. This means if you have to spend hours doing something for a couple of pounds or have to be contracted to set hours, it won’t be practical and will cause more stress than money.

Reduce Travel and Placement Costs

Placement expenses quietly eat a huge chunk of student nurse income. Thinking about how you are getting to and from university and placement now will save you money in the long run.

If you’re on placement:

Ask about travel reimbursement

Car share if possible

Use student railcards or bus passes

Plan routes in advance to avoid expensive last-minute travel

Look for discounts on bus/rail

You shouldn’t be paying full price to work for free. Even finding a 10% discount can add up to £100s over the year that can be used to reduce some of that financial stress.

For even more budgeting tips, plus an entire guide to surviving your nursing degree, check out my Nurse in Progress Book Series, available on Amazon now!

The Swap Shop: Small Changes That Save Real Money

WheWhen money is tight, most advice sounds extreme: cancel everything, stop going out, live on toast. That’s not sustainable and it usually just makes you feel worse.

The swap shop approach is about changing how you spend, not stopping life altogether. It’s swapping expensive habits for cheaper versions that still give you a sense of normality.

Clothes: New vs Second Hand

Instead of buying new clothes every time you need something, try charity shops, Vinted, Depop, or Facebook Marketplace. You can often find branded items for a fraction of the price – sometimes even with tags still on.

It’s especially useful for:

Placement clothes

Winter coats

Shoes

Comfy loungewear

You still get “new” things, just without the new price tag.

Food: High-End Shops vs Big Supermarkets

It’s easy to wander into more expensive supermarkets out of habit or the local shop, especially when you’re tired and just want something quick.

Swapping to Aldi, Lidl, or larger Tesco/Asda shops can easily save £20–£40 a week without changing what you actually eat.

Same food. Smaller bill.

Entertainment: Cinema vs Movie Night In

Going to the cinema can easily cost £15–£20 once you factor in snacks.

Swapping that for a movie night in with friends – shared snacks, blankets, and Netflix – gives you the same social time for a fraction of the cost.

You’re not isolating yourself. You’re just choosing the cheaper version of the same experience.

Coffee Out vs Coffee In

Buying coffee on the way to placement feels harmless, but £3–£5 a day adds up fast.

Swap to:

A thermal cup

Instant or pod coffee at home

This can save £15–£30 a week without really changing your routine. You still get your coffee, just not the expense.

Takeaway vs Fakeaway

After a long shift, cooking feels impossible.

But swapping a £15 takeaway for a £4–£5 “fake away” from the supermarket (pizza, stir fry kits, wraps, curry packs) saves a lot without requiring much effort. You can go one further and batch cook a Shepards pie, lasagna or casserole that can serve 4-5 portions in one meaning more time chilling after placement and less time eating crisps because it’s easier than cooking.

Same comfort. Much cheaper.

Next Watch: Christmas on a Student Nurse Budget| Ways to Save and Still Feel Feastive on my YouTube Channel

Gym Membership vs Free Movement

If you’re paying for a gym you’re not using because placement exhausts you, it might be worth pausing it.

Swap to:

YouTube workouts

Walking

Stretching at home

Pay as you go gyms or classes

Movement still counts even if it’s not in a gym.

Taxis vs Planning Ahead

Taxis are one of the biggest silent money drains for students on placement.

Swapping last-minute taxis for:

Earlier buses

Lift sharing

Better route planning

Can save £10–£40 a week depending on your placement location.

Speak Up Before You Drown

This part is maybe uncomfortable, but its really important. Telling someone you’re struggling with money can be the difference between surviving and thriving in this career.

That could be:

Your personal tutor

Student support services

A placement supervisor

Another student nurse

Your family

Friends

You don’t need to overshare. Even just:

“I’m finding things really difficult financially at the moment.” Even if family are not able to help give you any extra cash as such, they can help in other ways that will mean just as much. Like not bugging you to pay towards the family meal, cooking you an extra batch of lasagna to take back or not insist you get takeout with them every Friday night.

Once people know, support becomes possible. Just emailing the student support services to enquire what help is available can open so many revenue streams that you can apply for yourself; you don’t have to have someone do it for you.

Check out my Nursing Wellbeing Journal to make sure you are looking after your wellbeing as well as the patients you’re looking after. With weekly and monthly check-ins, you can see clearly the areas you can focus on keeping burnout at bay.

Protect Your Energy Even When You’re Broke

When money is tight, your wellbeing is usually the first thing to go. You stop resting because you pick up extra shifts or spend rest time racking your brains about how you are going to afford to stay alive until the end of the month. You stop eating well because cheaper food is often more unhealthy. You stop doing anything that feels like “non-essential” and sometimes that means sacrificing your social events that you love so much.

Not protecting your energy can cause burnout which makes everything harder – including earning money.

Protecting your energy doesn’t mean spending more. It means:

Sleeping properly

Taking days off when you can and need to

Not saying yes to everything

Letting yourself rest without guilt

You cannot survive this degree on willpower alone. You need strategies and support from people around you.

Download your FREE Weekly Wellbeing Check-in to see where you can look after you more.

The Gap is Temporary But The Degree Isn’t

It might not feel like it, but this phase will end. September funding will come and your income will stabilise again. In order to make sure this doesn’t happen next year, you need to plan the whole year. Yes, the whole year. And this is how you do it:

You add together all your guaranteed income for the entire year. I’m talking about student loans, maintenance loans, any grants that have been approved, and any stable income, maybe from family or a contracted job. Then you divide that amount by 12. This way, you can see how much you have each month.

You can then section your money to budget for essentials like food, bills, and social things. You also need to save part of this each month as a non-negotiable. This can then be used for things like emergencies, big events, and things you didn’t know you needed, like books or equipment for your degree.

Any extra income you make from a part-time job or selling things can then be used for luxuries, so you know the basics are paid for. Then you will really appreciate those extras you’ve made happen.

Don’t be tempted when your student loan hits to go on a major shopping spree or have three takeaways in one day. Sticking to that monthly budget will make the whole year manageable, and you will forfeit the roller-coaster of rich and poor stretches.

For more student budgeting tips including recipe cards, accommodation advantages and student nurse life hacks, don’t forget to pick up a copy of my Nurse in Progress Book Series. It has placement guidance, module walk-throughs, study hacks and more truths about training to be a nurse from one whose been there and is still out there on the floor with you.

Running Out of Money Before September? Student Nurse Budgeting Tips.