Coming to Aberdeen? Be prepared to splurge over £500 before your first lecture

Fresh-faced teenagers coming to uni struggle to budget in their first year.

And freshers week is the worst, with past Aberdeen first years spending over £1000 in their first week.

We’ve done the math and this year’s average fresher can expect to spend upwards of £500 in their first week.

The lack of parents, rules and routine means freshers easily get swept up in the excitement of uni, blowing half their student loan in their first week.

But it’s not just hyperactive spending as Aberdeen is the second most expensive place to live in the UK.

An AUSA Freshers wristband will cost you £35. How useful these are is debatable, but every fresher coughs up for them.

And then there’s the £50 on costumes, glitter and face paint for the extensive list of Freshers events.

Get your moneys worth at pre’s.

And good luck doing a first cost effective shop. Freshers can easily blow £50 on their week’s supply of food, if not more.

Tom, a recent graduate, said: “After my mum left in a flood of tears, I consoled myself by visiting the deli section of Waitrose in town.

“I picked up some sliced meats and some salmon, but got a bit carried away and ended up splurging about £50. Despite that, I didn’t even eat any of it, even the salmon sashimi. I just munched on Domino’s and cheesy chips. Sorry mum.”

To get into town students can easily spend £20 on First’s extortionate weekly bus ticket fares.

And walking through campus or down Belmont Street students are hounded by PR reps selling uselesss ‘exclusive ‘ and “rewarding” club loyalty cards for a fiver.

Make sure you only go to the most expensive and exclusive clubs.

Prinks is a cheaper option to bars, but no one wants to be seen with Tesco value paint stripper vodka – £10 a night should cover that.

Rachel, an English student, said: “A friend and I would always split a bottle of gin in halls, thinking we’d save half for the next night.

“But by the time you’ve played five rounds of gin face and topped up everyone else’s drinks the bottle’s gone. With that, mixers and lemon, of course, we’d easily be down a tenner a night.

And Aberdeen’s notorious taxi fares into town will probably rake up to 20 quid over the week. Unless five 69p shots in Paramount are worth walking in the snow for.

That’s over £300 before you’ve even stepped into the clubs.

Cheap drinks are guaranteed all week. But drunk freshers know no limits.

Drinks for new flatmates, new friends and shots for everyone will make pockets 30 quid lighter by closing.

Stick to the £1 VK’s

2am comes and the next logical stop is McDonalds:

Rachel said: “When you’re in full drunk munch mode that’s a fiver on food you won’t even remember eating the next day.”

And don’t forget to give a few bob to Guitar Wifey if you see her.

The unlucky freshers notice Aberdeen has several 24-hour casinos. You might as well try your hand at Blackjack, stay for a £10 breakfast and watch the sunrise.

Added up that’s £500 easily. And that was us rounding down.

It may seem like a lot, but for a week you won’t remember, new friends you won’t forget, and drinks your liver will wish you never bought, it’s priceless.

That is until you do it all again next year.