I am very glad I posted this. I think Jen & Zara should jointly set up a scholarship to fund another research student as they are sooooooo well off. As I started the thread it should be me.
I'll just jot down a quick break down of living expenses & research costs
i.e 2 over seas holidays a year / mortgage on 4 bed house / dinner at Yoatcha / Rocha / Ubon similar 2x per month / 4 pairs of joseph trousers....
Thanks gals. Yes you are lucky lucky lucky.

maybe we have more money coz we don't waste it, did you ever think of that??? I don't go on holiday so save money there. All I buy each week is food and maybe two bottles of wine. People would be a lot better off if they didn't spend their money on stuff they don't really need.

i guess it depends on where you live and what funding body supports you too (grr @ Wellcome Trust - insane jealousy!).

to whoever - they know themselves- for your info, my phd is in environmental protection. not only ignorant people shop at Primark. logical people do.

It smells funny in primark, I don't like to go in there.

Oh and JoJo, I'm quite willing to pay 30 quid for a pair of jeans at next especially as they will last me at least 5 years of wear (with at least a wash a week) and not go out of fashion. Practically all my clothes are from there, I think its worth the money seeing how long clothes will last. Things like jumpers and certain types of tops will never go out of fashion, so saves you in the long run.

4 pairs of Joseph trousers a year, wow, how much does that cost you? (To Pea).

I don't drink alcohol, that saves me quite a bit of dosh but I do have Sky, not sure if £15 a month is less then how much most people spend on booze?

I also eat out at nice resturants now and again but prefer home cooked food.

I also pay my mortgage which is quite hefty and also partly pay another one.

I seem to have quite a bit left over.

I was trying to be sardonic about my living costs. Perhaps this did'nt translate.
I don't think there are many post grad students who dine regularly at Rocha on their stip-ends & I certainly can't afford to. As for the Joseph trousers I believe they start at about £145, but I have only ever touched a pair in Selfridges during an exercise in self torture.
Interesting comment from jojo re logical Primark shoppers - please expand.

there is no money for 'stuff' ... even on my stipend i still struggle.. though working on basis when ive paid off overdraft and loans from undergrad well i might be loaded. sadly this is not likely to happen in the 3 years im doing my PhD !

Sorry Pea, I did notice, it should have read, how much WOULD it cost. Not as bad as I thought though.....

I bought a really nice jumper from next about a year ago it started falling apart at the seem within a week. I didn't take it back because they didn't have any more in a size 10 and I loved it so much that I sewed it up. Back to the point expensive clothes can be rubbish too!!!!

pea- meant that it doesn't make sense to spend £60 a month on a pair of jeans rather than £8 in the name of environmental protection when my budget is £200 max a month excluding rent. i'd better not be ethical and have the money to stay alive long enough to do research whose benefits will in the long term will outweigh the benefits of starving and wearing a £60 jean.

on a different note - it strikes me that people on here like to keep their stuff for ages. how do you do that? there aren't many of my clothes i end up loving that much. i love having a different look depending on the season.

I'd agree with Jen! I've bought trousers from Next before and they started to wear and go thin not long after I'd bought them! Got them repaired but they still didn't last long! I've got T-shirts from Primark which I've had for years and wear to bed as they're still in good shape and can't find other use for them!

The difference in these clothes is price as they are generally made in the same few places these days (generally in abroad!)

As for keeping clothes for years - I like to get clothes that are individual or that I like so I sometimes don't mind paying more for them assuming they last longer! As for the normal everday stuff the basics will do but even those last a while. I am not driven by fashion or following trends so I don't feel the need to keep updating wardrobe!

It's all down to what your values are, whether you are environmentally aware of the impact of your decisions and do you consider them when applying them to everyday life or if you follow fashion is a lifestyle choice. People should be aware to allow them to make that choice.

opps meant generally in developing countries abroad

I always buy fairtrade stuff if I can, although I find you have to really hunt for decent fair trade clothes. About a year ago I thought to myself, even though I'm poor it's all relative, and my poverty is nothing compared to some of the people in the world. Even though I try to buy fairtrade and environmentally friendly products (like toilet roll, washingup liquid etc.) my shopping bill isnt that huge because I dont eat meat or dairy products. Even organic veg doesnt cost that much compared to a steak.