The Real Cost of Freshers’ Week: A Full Breakdown
Wristbands, society fees, kitchen kit and a week of eating out all land before your first loan payment. Here is where the money goes, and how to spend less of it.
Freshers’ week is the most expensive seven days of the university year for most students, and the costs land just as your bank balance is at its lowest. Wristbands, society fees, kitchen kit and a week of eating out all arrive before your maintenance loan has cleared. Here is where the money actually goes, item by item, and where you can cut back without missing out on the week itself.
What Freshers’ Week Actually Involves (and What It Costs)
The week, formally called Welcome or Induction Week at many universities, involves no formal teaching. It is given over to registration and collecting your student ID, inductions, a freshers’ fair full of societies and local businesses, city tours and social events of every kind, from club nights to board game evenings, film screenings and escape rooms.
A lot of that costs nothing. The fairs, tours, inductions and many union events are free, and freebies (pizza, tote bags, pens) are part of the furniture. The spending happens around the edges. UCAS’s Freshers Report found students spent an average of £421 in their first week in 2021, up from £406 in 2020 and £368 in 2019. Other estimates put the first seven days at around £400, or close to £500. One UCAS survey also found the average student spent £2,110 preparing to start their first year in 2020, covering everything from laptops to bedding before they even arrived.
Two details from that data stand out. During freshers’ week, the largest share of the weekly budget went on books and study materials, not nights out. In a normal term-time week, spending settles at around £229, with groceries taking the biggest slice.
Wristbands and Event Tickets: Are They Worth It?
A freshers’ wristband is a pre-paid pass to a week or more of club nights, bar crawls and themed events, sometimes with food or drink deals included. They average around £30, and some cost more. Whether one is worth it depends entirely on your plans:
- If you genuinely expect to go out most nights, a wristband often works out cheaper than paying on the door each time, and it usually means shorter queues.
- If you are unsure, you will probably lose money on it. Plans change fast in week one. New friends want to do different things, free union events clash with paid ones, and you will be tired.
- Tickets for individual events are usually on sale right up until the doors open, so waiting costs nothing.
Some wristbands are run by your students’ union and some by private promoters, and the quality varies. Check who is selling before you pay, because fake ticket offers are the number one purchase scam affecting 18 to 24-year-olds according to Lloyds Bank, with average losses of around £150 reported by Barclays. Buy from official SU channels where you can, and be wary of Instagram ads and reps selling unofficial bands.
Society Sign-Ups, Gym Memberships and Taster Sessions
The freshers’ fair is where societies compete for your signature, and membership fees vary enormously. Some clubs charge nothing, while sports clubs in particular can cost up to £300 a year. The advice from students who have been through it is simple: try a free taster session first, then decide. Taster sessions are standard during the week, and most societies will take your membership at any point in the term.
Sign up for mailing lists freely, since they cost nothing, but hold off on paying fees until you have actually attended something. One caveat on the gym: if you live in university accommodation, gym membership is often already included in your rent, so check before paying for a separate one. Our guide to catered or self-catered halls explains what different accommodation types typically include.
The Shopping Trip: Kitchen Kit, Bedding and Books
Spending on kitchenware and homeware rose by 10% in a single year according to UCAS, and it is easy to see why: pans, plates, cutlery, bedding, towels and a kettle all seem essential at once. Some of it is. A useful tip from residence staff is not to overpack, because you do not need as much as you think and there are shops near every campus if you forget something.
Laptops are the big-ticket item. In one UCAS survey, 45% of first-years bought a new laptop for the start of term, and among the 29% of students who regretted not buying something, laptops topped the list. If you need one, buying ahead of a sale period rather than during freshers’ week itself can help. Books and study materials took the largest share of freshers’ week budgets in UCAS’s data, but hold off on buying every title on your reading list; many will be in the library, and course teams often tell you in week one which ones you actually need.
Food and Drink Before Your Loan Payment Clears
One timing trap catches nearly everyone: maintenance loans often do not arrive until freshers’ week is over. That means the first week runs on money you saved in advance, family help or an overdraft. Building a small pot before term starts is the single most effective fix, and our guide to stretching your maintenance loan covers the term-time habits that follow.
During the week itself, food and drink costs balloon because you are eating out and going to pubs with new flatmates. A 2026 club guide puts the average UK pint at £5.34, rising to around £6.55 in London, with a full night out costing roughly £40 to £76 depending on the city. A typical 20% student discount saves about £1 on a pint, which adds up across a week. Cheaper levers: eat the free fair food, stock a few basics for the flat, and remember that plenty of evening events, from quizzes to film nights, cost little or nothing.
Travel, Phone Setup and Small Costs That Add Up
The smaller costs rarely make the budget spreadsheet. Getting to your new city, a sim or phone plan change, a taxi back from a venue, fancy dress for a themed night, and a first shop for cleaning products and toiletries all chip away at your balance. None is large on its own, but together they are exactly what pushes a £400 week towards £500. The free city tours on offer during welcome week also double as a way to find the cheap shops and bus routes, which saves money for the rest of the term.
A Sample Budget and Ways to Spend Less
Study tip
Decide your freshers’ week budget before you arrive and keep it in a separate account or pot. Deciding in the moment, surrounded by reps and offers, is how budgets double.
Here is what the available figures suggest. Where sources give no fixed number, the range depends on your choices.
| Cost item | What it might cost |
|---|---|
| Freshers’ wristband | Around £30 average, more at some universities |
| Society memberships | Free to £300 or more depending on the club; taster sessions are free |
| Nights out | Roughly £40 to £76 per night depending on the city |
| Books and study materials | The largest share of freshers’ week spending; buy selectively |
| Laptop and tech | No fixed figure; 45% of students buy a new laptop before term |
| Kitchen kit and bedding | Kitchenware spending rose 10% in a year; buy gradually |
| Food and drink | Varies sharply; free fair food and flat basics keep it down |
| Whole week | £421 average in 2021, with other estimates from £400 to £500 |
The reductions add up. Skipping the wristband saves around £30. Trying societies before joining avoids fees of up to £300 for clubs you might attend twice. Using student discounts, filling a tote bag with fair freebies, choosing free union events on some nights and cooking in the flat on others save more still. Set your own figure rather than treating any average as a target. For the weeks after this one, our guide to settling in at university covers building the routines that keep term-time spending steady.
Related guides
- 7 Ways to Stretch Your Maintenance Loan Each Term: practical habits for making the money last once freshers’ week is over.
- Catered or Self-Catered Halls? How to Choose: what each option includes and how it changes your weekly food budget.
- 8 Ways to Settle In at University in Your First Term: building routines, friendships and support networks beyond the first week.
The short version
- Students spent an average of £421 in their first week at university in 2021, up from £406 in 2020 and £368 in 2019, and some estimates put the figure closer to £500.
- Freshers’ wristbands average around £30, but skipping one and buying individual tickets can work out cheaper unless you genuinely plan to go out most nights.
- Society memberships can cost up to £300 for some clubs, so use free taster sessions before committing to anything.
- Maintenance loans often arrive after freshers’ week ends, so saving a pot of money before term starts is one of the most useful things you can do.
- Many of the best parts of the week, including fairs, city tours, taster sessions and freebies, cost nothing at all.
Questions students ask
How much does the average student spend in freshers’ week?
UCAS reported average first-week spending of £421 in 2021, up from £406 in 2020 and £368 in 2019. Other estimates range from around £400 to almost £500 for the first seven days, so your own budget matters more than any average.
Are freshers’ wristbands worth the money?
They can be, if you plan to attend most of the events included and they do not clash with free students’ union events. Many students find their plans change during the week, which is why waiting and buying individual tickets often saves money.
When does my maintenance loan arrive?
Payment dates vary, and in many cases the loan does not arrive until freshers’ week is already over. Saving some money before term starts means you are not relying on an overdraft for your first week.
Do I have to join societies during freshers’ week?
No. The fair is a chance to find out what exists and ask about membership prices, and most societies run free taster sessions first. You can join at any point in the year, not just in week one.
This guide is general information for students in the UK. Dates, fees and rules change, so always check the latest details with UCAS, GOV.UK, Student Finance England or your university or college before making decisions.
