Devika Dayiha

My name is Devika and I am in Year 4 Medicine at RCSI. I’m Indian and travelled to Dublin from Dubai and currently I live in Dublin city centre with four flatmates.

I love trying new cafés and food spots with friends, so I try to do this on a budget as a student. I have become quite good at budgeting over the years and save money by doing my weekly food shop at Lidl, or using vouchers at Dunnes Stores. I take public transport and walk everywhere as much as possible, and make use of student discounts where ever possible (Dublin has a huge student population and is great for this).

This week, I am on my fourth week of peripheral psychiatry placements in Kildare. I travel from Dublin into Kildare daily, and I travel to Beaumont Hospital for lectures on Fridays.

  • Programme: Medicine (Year 4) 
  • Living quarters: Dublin city centre (Dublin 2)

Monthly expenses

Rent: €10,500 (paid at the start of the academic year for September to June plus summer storage).

Number of housemates: Four (we live in off-campus student housing five minutes from the RCSI Library).   

Transport: My Leap Card is topped up by approx. €50, but I usually walk to RCSI (this figure can increase quite significantly if I am on peripheral placements depending on how far out of Dublin I need to travel).

Household bills: Included in my rent.

Phone bill: €12.99 unlimited data (GoMo).

Groceries: €100.

Subscriptions: Family Netflix and Apple Music account.

Budget breakdown

  • 7am: I wake up and get ready – I am on peripheral placement in Kildare so I walk to Wellington Quay where I catch the intercity bus. RCSI provides a student travel allowance for peripheral placements.
  • 9am: I get to the hospital and make myself a coffee from the staff pantry.
  • 1pm: On my 30-minute break, I eat a snack I pack from home (nuts, fruit).
  • 2.30pm: I finish my work day at the hospital and get an earlier bus back to Dublin. I stop at Dunnes Stores in Dublin on my walk home from the bus stop and pick up a salad for lunch (€5.87).
  • 5pm: I study at home – making coffee at home to save money.
  • 7.30pm: I get a takeaway from an Asian restaurant since I haven’t got time or energy to cook today (€10).

Total: €15.87

  • 7am: I travel again to peripheral placement in Kildare.
  • 9am: I get to the hospital and make myself a coffee from the staff pantry. 
  • 1pm: On my 30-minute break, I eat a snack I pack from home (nuts, fruit). 
  • 2.30pm: I finish my work day at the hospital and get an earlier bus back to Dublin. I stop at Dunnes Stores in Dublin on my walk home from the bus stop and pick up lunch and some snacks (€13.97). 
  • 5pm: I study at home – once again having coffee I make myself.  
  • 7.30pm: I finish my leftovers from yesterday for dinner tonight.

Total: €13.97

  • 6.30am: I am due to be at Naas General Hospital this morning. I had coordinated with my registrar, who has kindly offered to drive myself and the other medical student in from Dublin, instead of having to change busses three times (saving me 40 minutes on public transport). We take a bus from Camden Street to Phibsborough were we meet our registrar and head to Naas General Hospital.
  • 9.30am: I get to the hospital and attend ward rounds.
  • 1pm: We make our way back to the community care centre with the registrar. I pick up lunch at Tesco next to the centre (€6.93).
  • 4.30pm: I finish my work day and get a bus back to Dublin.
  • 6pm: I study at home.
  • 7.30pm: I make myself dinner with some food from a shop carried out at the weekend. I go out to buy a few ingredients and staples (milk, eggs, kitchen roll, Dettol wipes) (€12).
  • 9pm: I order skincare and protein bars on Amazon (€8).

Total: €26.93

  • 7am: I have an multidisciplinary team to attend and presentation to give in Kildare – I walk to Wellington Quay where I catch the intercity bus using the student travel allowance for peripheral placements provided by RCSI.
  • 9am: I get to the hospital and make myself a coffee from the staff pantry.
  • 2.30pm: I finish my work day at the primary care centre and get an earlier bus back to Dublin. I get a student lunch deal from a restaurant on my street (€10.95).
  • 5pm: I study at home - with coffee as always.
  • 6:30pm: I buy a ring I have wanted for a while – as a memory from my time in Ireland, as I only have one year left here! (€26).
  • 7.30pm: I made a salad and some baked chicken from my food shop for dinner.

Total: €36.95

  • 7.30am: I take a bus into Beaumont Hospital to attend lectures (€1). I pack coffee in a flask, and coffee powder, nuts, a clementine and a chocolate protein bar for snacks throughout the day.
  • 4pm: I finish my work day at the hospital and get a bus back home (€1).
  • 5.30pm: I study at home with coffee.
  • 7.30pm: I meet with friends for dinner and to celebrate them finishing med school (€14).

Total: €16 

  • 8.30am: I spend the day studying from home, cooking and make coffee to save money.
  • 12pm: I do my laundry in the communal facilities (€2).
  • 5pm: I go out for a walk in St Stephen's Green and buy a coffee (€3.50).
  • 7pm: I make dinner with ingredients from my food shop.

Total: €5.50

  • 8.30am: I spend the day studying at home, once again cooking and making coffee to save money.
  • 11am: I use the RCSI sports centre and gym facilities (included in my tuition fees).
  • 5pm: I go out for a walk in St Stephen's Green and take coffee in a flask with me to save money.
  • 7pm: I make dinner with ingredients from my food shop.

Total: €0

Weekly total: €115.22 (this week was a bit of a splurge with the new jewellery, the dinner with friends and my Amazon order – my usual spending is around €60-80 per week).