It's 3.00am and you're lying awake, mentally calculating whether you can afford to go out this weekend. Or you're in the library trying to focus, but your mind keeps drifting to your bank balance.
I know this feeling. As an MA student working part-time, I double-think every financial transaction: can I actually afford this coffee? That book? A night out? If this sounds familiar, you're not alone, and the problem isn't always that you're bad at budgeting.
"A lot of students struggle to talk about money because they're sometimes embarrassed by it," says Thomas, a third-year PPE student who's been a King's Money Mentor for nearly his entire degree. "They think it's something we should just know how to do."
Money Mentors are King's students who provide peer-to-peer guidance on budgeting, housing, and financial wellbeing, signposting fellow students to support services and making money conversations less intimidating.
This shame is precisely why conversations about student money need to go beyond spreadsheets. Financial stress doesn't just affect your bank account; it seeps into your mental health, academic performance, and relationships.
The hidden academic cost
Thomas sees firsthand how financial pressure impacts studies. "There are students who have to work several hours a day, and because London property prices are so high, many are commuting very long distances." He mentions one extreme case: "A student was commuting from Birmingham; I can't even fathom having to commute for an extra few hours every day, or being so tired from a day of writing, and then needing to go and do customer service."
As a Student Life Content Creator, I see this tension firsthand: even flexible work eats into study time and energy. When you add rigid shifts or lengthy commutes to the mix, focusing on coursework becomes exponentially harder.
When "just budget better" isn't the answer
Sometimes the problem isn't poor budgeting skills but genuinely insufficient funds. The Money Mentors understand this.
"You wouldn't just say, 'Why are you spending money on that?'" Thomas explains. "We ask what's important about it to you. Then maybe there are other areas you can cut back on."
When students experience genuine hardship, Money Mentors signpost them to King's Hardship Fund, bursaries, and the Money and Housing Advice Service - support that many don't know exists.
The friendship dilemma
Financial stress affects how we navigate social situations. Thomas describes the tension when friendship groups have different financial backgrounds: "I was trying to save money, whereas others wanted to spend more, enjoying themselves in London."
His advice? "Be honest with your friends. Say, 'This is what I'm budgeting tonight.' If they're truly your friends, they'll understand."
During Freshers' Week, especially, free alternatives like King's BeActive or society taster events, build community without financial anxiety.