1. How to sew a button
2. How to sort clothes for the laundry
3. How to clean stainless appliances
4. How to unclog a kitchen sink
5. How to hang a picture
In your opinion, what some other essential skills you need to be able to demonstrate so you can call yourself an adult?
xxx
Leaving the Nest
1. Know the Season
Have you noticed that your favorite fruits and vegetables are considerably more expensive during different seasons? Although most fresh fruit and vegetables are available all year-round, some are less expensive when they are in season. So if you’re looking to save, stick to what’s in season, for instance, avocados, pawpaw and artichokes are in season in spring. Go to this link and download a PDF guide to what’s in season during the spring months.
2. Visit frozen food section
If some of your food constantly get spoiled before you got around to use it, it’s frustrating and a huge waste of money. Frozen vegetables tend to be cheaper than their fresh counterparts, and freezer bags make it easier for you to use only what you need when you need it plus you get the same nutritional benefits but in a more affordable way. Canned food is also cheaper than fresh fruit and vegetables and lasts much longer, so you don’t need to eat it right away.
3. Forget about brand loyalty
Many of us somehow believe in the quality of a brand to the point that we can judge another product on its brand or image. But is the quality of a product really determined by its colour and packaging? It’s very unlikely. So next time you are shopping for example for cleaning products, don’t ignore home-brand products of Woolworths and Coles, so you pay for the product without paying extra for the label.
How do you save money on grocery shopping?
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Leaving the Nest
It features:
• 50 of our all-time best recipes, covering appetizers and main courses, to side dishes, breakfasts, and desserts.
• A timer built-in to each recipe so your iPhone can keep you on task.
• Recipes which come with videos to show you how it’s all done.
• Requisite shopping list feature
• Dozens of taste test reviews for supermarket ingredients
• Perfect for creating a to-do list.
• It also synchronize all tasks with other devices so that the list can be accessed from anywhere.
• Add new entries to the list with the help of touch-based interface, or use your voice to create tasks.
• You can change the priority of your entry, mark a task as completed, or even shake your device to remove all completed tasks from it.
• The Any.Do widget can be added to your home screen for quick and easy access
3. Pocketbook
• It is automatically updated so you don’t have to manually tap in each time you spend.
• Notifications will also pop-up on screen alerting you to when money has come out of your account
• Monitor your spending across all your bank accounts (automatically sync all your bank transactions with the app into a single view in seconds)
• Bank feeds available for Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, ANZ, NAB, St George, Bankwest, Citibank etc.
• It categorises spending into groceries, travel, clothing etc
4. Google Drive
• Online storage tool that lets you keep your photos and documents in one place.
• Perfect for group projects: you can ‘invite’ anyone to edit and view your documents and you can all work within the same document at any time.
• You need to have a Gmail account
Sometimes, just a little bit of positive reinforcement is enough to fight procrastination. This program rewards you with the picture of a kitten whenever goals are attained. Who wouldn’t like a cute kitten pic as a reward for hard work 🙂 ?
What apps do you recommend? Have you used any of the ones mentioned above? Share your experience!
xxx
Leaving the Nest
1. Join Arc and enjoy on campus and off campus discounts:
• $5 Boost Juice smoothies on Tuesdays from 3-4pm
• Free upsize on all drinks at Share Tea
• 10% off all purchases at Moochi
• Buy one single adult ticket and get a second one for free at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium
• 25% off total order at Eagle Boys Pizza
And that’s just few of them. Want to find out more? Go to this link to see the whole list of amazing discounts
2. Use cash instead of debit/credit cards
There is something that is different psychologically when you use cash instead of a credit or a debit card to pay for something—you realize just how much it really costs. However, it’s a bad idea to carry huge amounts of cash around with you. So try to plan ahead how much money you will need on each day. This will also help to cut back on your impulse purchases.
3. Say no to eating out
Try to start preparing meals in advance at home and consuming the leftovers as well. This will save you a ton of money and plus when you make the meal, you control the ingredients and limit the preservatives, salt, and other unhealthy elements.
4. Stay social on budget
When going out leave your bank card at home. Account for how much money you are willing to spend plus include taxi fare. But if you really want to avoid wasting money, have a day out instead. Consider going to your local scenic walking tracks, beaches or parks. It’s a great way to get out of the house and spending time with your friends without opening your wallet.
5. Remove your credit card numbers from your online accounts
It’s easy to spend money online when you have your card information stored in an account. The best way to break this habit is to simply delete your card from the account. So when you’re tempted to buy something, you’ll be forced to spend the time to first find your card and then type in all the details – and really think about why you’re spending this money.
What about you guys? How do you manage to cut down on your expenses?
xxx
Leaving the Nest
1.How to properly slice onions
2. How to cook perfect rice
3. How to butterfly a chicken
4. How to cook sweet potatoes
5. How to cut perfect avocado slices
What dishes do you find the most challenging to cook? Share with us
xxx
Leaving the Nest
UNSW Residential Communities manages campus colleges, the University Terraces and UNSW Apartments. The units are aimed at independent living for undergraduates and postgraduates including couples and families with children. You can find all the necessary information as well as apply online by visiting their website.
Study stays is a free service provided by Student Life and Learning to assist UNSW students who are looking for housing vacancies around out Kensington and COFA campuses. Note, you need to register first and then start your search.
Classifieds is a free listing service for the UNSW community. All you need to do is to login with your Z ID and password to begin. There are 5 different categories: Accommodation, Buy/Sell, Lost/Found, Events and Swap/Trade.
Student Participation Advisors is a team of professional staff who have many years of experience in coaching students through general study and personal matters to achieve their academic goals. You can book in a free appointment with a student participation advisor, to gain help and advice about securing the best living situation for you especially if you are planning on renting privately (know your rights!) or regarding any other personal matter.
Housing at UNSW is a Facebook group where you can find a place to rent or housemates within UNSW comunity.
Free & For sale is another useful Facebook page where you can resell/buy textbooks/fridges/fans and more!
Have you found this article useful? Do you know any other interesting websites for UNSW students who are leaving the nest that we’ve missed? What other topics you would like us to cover?
xxx
Leaving the Nest
Struggling with some aspects of your new adult life?
It’s never too late to learn! Watch these 5 short and informative videos and move one step closer to becoming a true adult.
1. How to remove grease stains
2. How to perfect hard-boiled eggs
3. How to change a light bulb
4. How to tie a tie
5. How to cook the perfect pasta
Have you found this useful? What other things you would like to learn on your way to becoming a true adult?
xxx
Leaving the Nest
Finding a place to rent is not an easy task. You need to consider costs and location. As a university student, you should probably consider renting place in close proximity to your campus. You can either rent an apartment/house in nearby suburbs or live on campus.
Shared house/apartment
Renting is pretty expensive in Sydney. Here is a list of Rents by Individual Suburbs in Sydney. If you’re a UNSW student, the cheapest suburb to rent in is Kingsford plus it’s in very close proximity to the campus. You might also want to consider renting in Coogee, Kensington and Randwick. Bear in mind that it’s often cheaper to rent in a shared apartment/house.
Campus accommodation
There are 2 types of accommodation UNSW apartments and UNSW colleges. Apartment types vary from studios to 8 bedroom apartments.
University Terraces, Barker, Mulwarree and High St Apartments – Link to accommodation fees (Mulwarree apartments’ is the cheapest option with rent rate $223 per week)
UNSW Village – Link to accommodation fees (fees vary from $258 to $420 per week).
There are six Colleges: Colombo House, Fig Tree Hall and The Kensington Colleges (Basser College, Philip Baxter College and Goldstein College) and UNSW Hall – link to the fees (the price range varies from $367 to $517)
Campus accommodation is always high on demand so make sure you apply in advance.
What factors do you consider the most important when choosing a place to rent? We would love to hear your opinion!
xxx
Leaving the Nest
P.S Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more useful tips and information
Are you ready to leave the nest?
Leaving home is not an impulsive decision. It requires thorough research and consideration. So if you are thinking of taking this significant and existing step, you should be ready for dramatic changes in all aspects of your life. That’s why we’ve put a list of things you need to think over before you leave your home in order for you to know what to expect and be fully prepared.
1. Covering bills
Will you be able to pay for all of your expenses? If you are not sure, for the next month try to track all of your expenses and calculate how much money you need on average to get by. You can use phone apps such as Hello Expense or Expensify to do it. Another way of approaching this, it is to go through your bank statement. Be sure to include things like utilities, internet, transportation costs, food, rent and entertainment. Likewise, it’s important to take into account deposit money which you will need to pay when moving in your new home. It’s okay to ask your family to help you in emergency situations, however, make sure you repay them as soon as possible.
2. Moving costs
Will you need to hire a moving team and a truck? They are usually paid hourly (hourly rates are between $20 and $100) and the price also varies on the quantity of employees needed and the capacity of the van/truck. Look out for the hidden fees such as service charge for credit card purchases or wrapping materials. You can avoid moving costs by asking your family/friends to help you out.
3. Furniture/ electrical appliances/cutlery/ bed linens
Does the place you are going to rent have a bed, table, lamps, mirror etc.? You will need to clarify this with your landlord or maybe some of your relatives or friends have furniture they don’t need and can lend you. You will definitely need to have bed sheets, pillow cases and blankets as well as some kitchen essentials and cleaning supplies. Make a list of things that you can’t imagine your everyday life and tick them off as you acquire them.
Right now it might seem like it’s an unachievable goal but if you start planning and save up money in advance, soon you will be able to cover all of these points. Maybe you might want to consider living together with your sibling or find a roommate to split costs? In any case, you should be proud of yourself for taking this huge step!
Have we missed anything? Do you have any advice for those who are thinking of leaving the nest? Share with us!
xxx
Leaving the Nest
Hi, everyone!
Leaving the Nest is a social campaign which is aimed at university students who have just moved out of their homes and are struggling to lead a healthy lifestyle and experiencing all sorts of housekeeping, financial and academical issues. Our objective is to raise awareness of the most common bad habits which are highly prevalent among young adults who have just started living independently and assist them by educating and providing with helpful tips.
So if you are going through this stage of life at the moment, you are more than welcome to follow us and share your concerns and your personal experience. We believe that asking for help should not be hard especially if you feel stressed or confused. Getting the support you need during tough times can help you get through the situation and avoid future mistakes. Living independently often comes with many challenges and we are here to help.
We will cover the most essential aspects of how to start your journey into adulthood such as renting, finances, cooking, time-management, health and much more. So stay put and follow us! We would love to read your comments and suggestions on what would you like us to discuss and explore.
Also don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter where you can find various helpful tips and join in conversations.
xxx
Leaving the Nest
Leaving the Nest 