How do you live on an Apprentice/ Uni wage?

[Scotland]

As an apprentice you get paid (admittedly not a great deal) to learn.

As a uni student you pay a few thousand dollars a year to learn.

Toughen up.

 

[Hooley McBoob]

I earn about $650 a fortnight, $330 of that is rent, then there's groceries, my phone, internet, and rental appliances (washing machine etc) which I absolutely have to pay. After I've paid all of that, I have about $60 a week to go out/save/pay other stuff/buy clothes etc. It sucks balls.

The cash in hand nannying job does help a bit though

 

[Hard Ball Get]

For me being a uni student is easy.

I work at Safeway or Wollies tot hose non Vics, as a casual employee. My Grocery manager likes me and we talk footy all the time so he gives me pretty much whatever hours I want.

So a half decent week will clear me about $500 and because I'm casual a week where I don't have many shifts will still clear me around $200.

I live at home and don't have to pay board (I might sling my mum a $50 every so often) so I have little trouble saving.

Being a uni student with the capacity to earn half decent money allowed me to see the USA for 5 weeks last year and also allowed me to travel around Australia for 7 weeks this year.

It's almost unfortunate that I am graduating at the conclusion of the year!

 

[Hap Hapablap]

get 280 from my job per week after tax and youth allowance is an extra 115. the extra money really does help.

solely surviving on centrelink is suicidal.

 

[angie4]

yeah the youth allowance really helps ! and get family credit too...i have to pay for my apprenticeship....so this extra money is def a good thing !

 

[sear]

2) Im a full time uni student (engineering) attending 5 days with contact hours starting at 8 or 9am every day, and all finishing at either 5 or 6pm all days!

I rekon that its completely unfair that I get paid the same as someone who has 5-10 contact hours a week,

5-10 contact hours would probably only be part time and therefore they wouldnt get as much.
However, contact hours dont mean much as those with fewer contact hours (ie me - i have about 16 - 4 per subject) have waaaaayyyyyyyy more reading and other work to put in then those who do most of thier learning at uni. Ive had this discussion with my friends who are doing those degrees with more hours and they agree that although i spend less time on campus, i have to put much more time in at home then they do so in the end it all pretty much balances out.

 

[fairdinkum]

5-10 contact hours would probably only be part time and therefore they wouldnt get as much.

Not quite right. An Arts student may have four subjects of 3 contact hours per week (which would result in 12), but some Arts students are required to take online subjects which have no contact hours at all - which would result in less than ten contact hours per week. On top of this, a smart Arts student can easily take advantage of recorded lectures and only go to tutes - which can leave them with as few as 4 or 5 necessary contact hours per week. And then, to be 'full time' you need to take a minimum of three subjects per semester, so it is quite plausible that there are people out there rocking up to uni for three hours per week getting just as much YA as an engineering student turning up to 20+.

 

[sear]

Not quite right. An Arts student may have four subjects of 3 contact hours per week (which would result in 12), but some Arts students are required to take online subjects which have no contact hours at all - which would result in less than ten contact hours per week. On top of this, a smart Arts student can easily take advantage of recorded lectures and only go to tutes - which can leave them with as few as 4 or 5 necessary contact hours per week. And then, to be 'full time' you need to take a minimum of three subjects per semester, so it is quite plausible that there are people out there rocking up to uni for three hours per week getting just as much YA as an engineering student turning up to 20+.

Yeah but youve said so yourself - they still have to do stuff at home like actually listening to the recorded lectures, doing the online subject and then doing all the readings/assignments and stuff which are more then engineering students etc get so in the end they all end up doing basically the same amount of work

 

[THRILLHO]

Not quite right. An Arts student may have four subjects of 3 contact hours per week (which would result in 12), but some Arts students are required to take online subjects which have no contact hours at all - which would result in less than ten contact hours per week. On top of this, a smart Arts student can easily take advantage of recorded lectures and only go to tutes - which can leave them with as few as 4 or 5 necessary contact hours per week. And then, to be 'full time' you need to take a minimum of three subjects per semester, so it is quite plausible that there are people out there rocking up to uni for three hours per week getting just as much YA as an engineering student turning up to 20+.

I do Arts courses and I can tell you I pretty much live in the library. I only see my engineering mates studying hard during exam time. If you're committed to doing all the reading required for Arts and Law you're looking at some serious time spent studying.

 

[vapid1]

I was an apprenticeship and the boss paid me $200 per week working almost 10 hours a day 5 days a week. I quit after 2 weeks. fk that right off

 

[Smell The Glove]

As an apprentice you get paid (admittedly not a great deal) to learn.

As a uni student you pay a few thousand dollars a year to learn.

Toughen up.

Well said.

I get Youth Allowance and work at Telstra Dome, so in a month I might look at around $700-$900 a month. Board at home is $400 a month, uni textbooks would cost me at least $1000 a year (Law double degree), and transport (cant afford to drive so I take the shitty trains and buses instead) is another $60 odd a month. Then I have to buy all my own food on top of that. So if I have much left I'm lucky. Add a $12K debt (and growing) as well.

So all these apprentices whinging about how they dont have enough booze money, boo ****ing hoo. Uni students almost always have it far worse.

 

[weagles_fan]

haha whippersnipper not many students would be like you. I have no expenses other than for my car. I also earn about $800 a month but majority of that goes on alcohol and take away.

 

[fairdinkum]

Yeah but youve said so yourself - they still have to do stuff at home like actually listening to the recorded lectures, doing the online subject and then doing all the readings/assignments and stuff which are more then engineering students etc get so in the end they all end up doing basically the same amount of work

Having done both engineering and arts units, I can assure you that engineering students have plenty of work to do outside of lectures and tutes. You can get by in arts by working hard on assignments and cramming before exams - the same can certainly not be said for engineering.

 

[Hooley McBoob]

Yeah I am almost finished an arts/science degree and the only thing I work hard for in arts is the massive essays...luckily my arts major is finished! 6,000 word essays suck. But yeah, I do so much more work for science, it's more contact hours with the 3 hour pracs, plus I just have to work heaps harder to understand it all. Maybe it just doesn't come naturally to me.

 

[shibz_1989]

You're getting ripped off badly.

That was starting rate at Maccas 4 years ago.

I'm at uni, don't live at home and don't get Centrelink so do about 30 hours a week to survive.

I save money by making family sized meals then freezing them into containers into meal size portions. And making bulk sandwiches and freezing them.

I also eat at work (baaaaad) and yeah.

It's not as bad as prac. 5 weeks of doing 70 hours a week (30 paid, 40 unpaid). A bit ridiculous.

 

[ashley12]

About $300 a week here. Spend $130 a week for rent, $100 on utility bills/food/phone etc... Usually try and save up $100 every 3 or 4 weeks to play poker at the casino. Winnings usually go to the bank and get used for new clothes/technology etc...

I remember winning $780 in one night before and spending the whole lot in two days... Broke down to something like

$260 fortnights rent
$60 food
$50 owed to a mate
$100 lost at casino next night
$50 owed to other mate
$60 in new clothes
$70 on new bed sheets/pillows etc...

Was a pretty epic spending spree for someone who is never really in the money...

Also FWIW the money I gambled with wasnt my last $100 or anything like that, I still had enough to cover my rent and food, just it is pretty awesome paying off all these things in one day using cash

 

[bigpapagman]

landed a plum job in my hometown at the age of 17.

no uni, no apprenticship, not even yr 12.


clear $560 a week @ 20 yo.

75 rent, 70 car loan, 100 food/bills.

plenty of alcohol money.

 

[Carl Hooper]

Your an idiot - how are you going to survive your whole adulthood on 560 a week? How are you going to buy a house earning 560 a week?

Not going to be anything.

 

[bigpapagman]

think about it mate.......


are you sure i'm gonna be on $560 forever?

i started this job on $308 at the age of 17, three years ago.

do you seriously think that my pay will not increase again for the entirity of my life?

I am a semi-trailer salesman, ffs....

I have a pay review every year in June & one at Xmas time.

 

[Kram]

I cleared just $210 in the first year of my apprenticeship. Thinking back it's amazing how I survived but don't remember it being that bad, when you earn more you tend to waste more. Rent and fuel were a lot cheaper in 2002 though which makes a big difference.

 

[Carl Hooper]

think about it mate.......


are you sure i'm gonna be on $560 forever?

i started this job on $308 at the age of 17, three years ago.

do you seriously think that my pay will not increase again for the entirity of my life?

I am a semi-trailer salesman, ffs....

I have a pay review every year in June & one at Xmas time.

Yeah and your going to one day own your own house being a semi-trailer salesman? Ok mate.

 

[The Passenger]

$70 on new bed sheets/pillows etc...

that's money well spent, but i'd personally go for new socks.

there's not too many better feelings in the world than putting on a new pair of socks .

 

[bigpapagman]

does a new car salesman buy a house?

yes.


why can't a trailer salesman?

its the same principle.


new car $30,000 - $40,000

new trailer $80,000 - $200,000

suck my balls.

 

[Underdog]

Your an idiot - how are you going to survive your whole adulthood on 560 a week? How are you going to buy a house earning 560 a week?

Not going to be anything.

Yeah and your going to one day own your own house being a semi-trailer salesman? Ok mate.

He lives in Warragul, do you really think there is a plethora of professional opportunities?

It's about the size of Busselton

 

[Carl Hooper]

Oh haha, well then I feel sorry for you fella.

And how many people buy trailers daily? A lot less then people buy cars I would think.