Living without a penny in St Andrews

“How do I have no money?” is now my most said phrase.

In a captured market of golf lovers and royalists, things do not come cheap in St Andrews and it’s the students who feel the pinch.

When I left for university, my Dad sat me down and gave me the “money talk”. I took it all with a pinch of salt, I didn’t regard myself as loose with money and I didn’t think my budget could easily be exceeded… Oh, was I wrong.

Seaweed tastes nice, right?

At any other University it may be different but my weekly limit is constantly exceeded by overpricing. No one needs to pay more than £3 for a beer – it’s borderline inhumane! I recognise that said beer may not be on everyone’s list of essentials but we’ve all got deadlines…

Most of us are already buried in a six foot grave of debt, and a bottle of wine or a mac and cheese could help us deal with this blow, but instead it adds to it. Is it just me who’s noticed?

No. When your neighbour is from Washington the American section in Tesco’s is always a hot topic.

“It’s a rip off” is an all too familiar sound when she tries to buy her favourite salsa for £4. It would cost $3 (£2) in the US. I commend Tesco for their entrepreneurial skills but doubling the price to take advantage of overseas students is too far. If you don’t think the overpriced salsa is bad enough, for one Twinkie, which in the US costs around 32p, Tesco’s are charging £2!

My much-needed care package!

Luckily for me I can resist the pull of Twinkies but I can still sympathise with the ridiculous prices. For a girl who can’t be human without at least three cups of tea per day, I wouldn’t mind seeing a reduction of prices in such essentials.

And I haven’t even started on the take-away charges yet. £10 for a small curry and rice is a step too far – I’m not made of money! Venture out to Dundee and you can easily get it for £5.

Just once I’d like to be able to buy a pizza just for me and avoid frowning at the price, sighing and saying to a friend “shall we share?” The same look of disappointment crosses their faces too, shouldn’t a student be entitled to their own Margarita?

Grrr

So the question becomes: what to do? With a constant flood of golfers and tourists bringing money to our little town no one’s likely to lower their prices. Do we accost them in the street and pretend it’s a tradition to buy a red gowned student Dominoes? It could catch on …

My answer has been to send out SOS food requests to friends. I have currently managed to gain tea and cake. I would send them a present to thank them but everything’s just too damn expensive.