Over £2 million was spent during Freshers’ week

First years spent a whopping £2.4 million over the course of Freshers’ week. 

Around 7000 newbies joined Cardiff in September, all eager to go out, get smashed and sign up to societies they’ll never go to.

We estimated the total cost of each fresher expenditure over the course of Freshers’ week.

Sweet sweet nectar

Pre-drinks: £210,000

Once your mum has done your first Tesco shop and gifted you a litre of Smirnoff, Everyday Value vodka is the way to go for most of us. At a reasonable yet throat damaging £10 a bottle, which would last the tamer among us two nights out, over the whole week this adds up to approximately £30 per fresher.

Y Plas becomes your new home for the week

Tickets and wristbands: £560,000 (SU wristband)

Whether you opt for the £50 Paper freshers wristband, the slightly steeper £80 SU one, or simply just pay a fiver on the door each night, getting into clubs can be pricey. Especially when you are a naive fresher unaware that a night in Karma probably won’t float your boat, and will end up paying your way back to the Pryzm disco room anyway.

Luckily VKs are nice and cheap

Club drinks: £490,000

Everyone feels like they’ve won the lottery after their loan hits their account. As a result a couple of doubles in Revs is simply a starting point. At a reasonable £3 a go it doesn’t seem too steep, but when you add the stream of Sambucas you’ll be knocking back and the Jagerbomb for good measure, £10 a night can easily go down the drain.

If you follow this pattern for half the nights out these pick me ups could add up to a not so grand £70, and you’re left asking yourself why you didn’t drink more at pres.

Hidden costs lie in taxis

Taxis: £196,000

When you live in Taly or Uni Halls, walking to town isn’t always an option – especially when you live in a city renowned for rain. Realistically, a taxi probably costs about £2 each way, but when your flatmate promises to buy you a drink inside if you pay their fare (which never happens) you can easily end up spending £6 a night.

Essential to any end of night

Post night-out food: £70,000

A night out in town is not complete without a drunken visit to Chippy Alley or your favourite fast-food establishment. Ok, so cheesy chips only cost you £1.50, but if you visit every other day over the week this will soon bump up your spending to a tenner.

Totally worth all the cash

Fancy dress: £105,000

Didn’t we all once love the opportunity to get a little dressed up and spend the night looking like Wally (from Where’s Wally)? In only attending a handful of fancy dress events over the week, that’s an easy £15 down the drain – especially when the essential part to your outfit is nowhere to be seen by 2am.

£10 you will never see again

Society sign ups: £210,000

We’re all super keen to join new clubs and try to learn new skills in first year, so why not join Belly Dancing society, Korfball and Chess club just for a laugh? With a sign up fee of £5 to the Societies Union and another £15 quid for the Athletics Membership, these activities can soon add up alongside the individual joining prices. An average of £30 is realistic for all of those new found past times we all once decided to “give a go”.

Keen bean

Reading lists: £350,000

In our first introduction lecture we are all presented with a long list of “essential reading” books. The enthusiasm of first years in Blackwell’s book shops is clear from the queues round the SU. However, a few weeks in when you realise you actually can find all of the information in the University libraries, that £50 you splashed on new editions is painful to reminisce about.

They’re waiting for you and your sorry hungover state

Takeaways: £210,000

After countless hungover mornings, all that is required in Freshers’ is Dominos, McDonalds and a couple of trips to Family Fish Bar. If we average two or three takeaways a week over the fortnight, this naughty grub can cost us up to £30 – not so tasty.

In total we get to about £350 per fresher, and £2.4m as a collective.

One word. Ballers.