How was your University experience?
I studied at The University of Birmingham for four years where I studied Business
Management with a Year in Industry. My university experience was just an absolute
rollercoaster of a journey (in a good way!) There were definitely some highs and lows, but I
am so pleased to have made it to the end. Looking back on my four years of uni, I honestly
had the best time ever and I wouldn’t change any of it. I can’t believe four years are over just
like that… if I could do it all over again, I honestly would. If anyone is going back to uni this
September, make sure you make the most of it!
What was your motivation behind the creation of @allthingsmoney on Instagram?
Because of COVID, all of my final year exams had been cancelled so I ended up finishing
uni waaay earlier than expected. To curb my boredom during lockdown, I decided to create
All Things Money in order to share some personal finance tips and information to help young
adults navigate the adulting world. I have always made it my number one priority to stay on
top of my finances whether it be through creating a weekly budget or by having a separate
pot of savings set aside for a rainy day. Because of this, I thought it would be a good idea to
help encourage others to do the same as we are not taught a great deal about this at school
or university. Anyone who knows me well, knows how frugal I am with my money, so I
thought it would be a good idea to try and encourage others to do the same!
Do you have any advice for graduates who feel overwhelmed about managing their
personal finances?
Being a graduate is already hard enough, let alone throwing a pandemic into the mix! My
first tip for graduates feeling slightly overwhelmed about managing their personal finances, is
to try not to stress or panic! I know it can be easier said than done sometimes, but it is
crucial that your mental wellbeing takes priority during this period. These are such uncertain
times, and we are all in the same boat. During this time, it is important that we find different
ways to try and lower our stress levels! Another tip I recommend is to try and draw out a
budget. This consists of working out how much money you have coming in and figuring out
how much you roughly have leaving your account. This will allow you to see how much
money you can afford to spend. Budgeting will also enable you to see which areas of
spending you may need to reduce too. This can allow you to cut out any unnecessary
spending and save wherever possible!
What educational resources do you recommend for learning more about money?
There is a hugeee amount of educational resources out there if you know where to look. I
have just launched my very own eBook, All Things Money: The Handbook which talks about different topics such as how to budget and save, mortgages, pensions and even taxes – so I
definitely recommend checking that out! Another brilliant resource I recommend is the
MoneySavingExpert website. This site covers a vast amount of things from paying your
student loan to finding the best savings account. What’s better is that all of the content on
there is completely free! There are also plenty of books out there that touch on the topic of
finance. My personal favourite is: Money a User’s Guide by Laura Whateley. In this book she
teaches about how you can take control of your personal finances in a very simple but
engaging way.
If you could go back to the start of University, and tell yourself one thing about
managing your personal finances, would you do anything differently?
One thing I would tell myself about managing my personal finances at university, is to not
stress! Before starting uni, I had heard of all these horror stories of students blowing up their
student loans in the first few weeks of uni, so I needed to make sure I managed my money
well enough to make it through. As a result, I always tried really hard to keep on top of my
finances, that I sometimes let it get in the way of having a good time! It’s sometimes hard to
forget that most people are in the same boat when it comes to feeling poor at uni so I would
definitely tell myself to relax a little bit more!
Check out Ola’s page All Things Money here!
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