Krishi Jain

My name is Krishi and I am a Year 2 Medicine student at RCSI. I am from Mumbai, India and currently live in Aungier and Wexford Street student accommodation. I do not have a job as of now to fully focus on studying.

I am a vegetarian and often enjoy cooking my own meals which allows me to save money and customise what I eat to my nutritional and taste preferences. I tend to go out on free weekends and spend time around the city with friends.

This week I had a progress test (a very important exam) for my Endocrinology and Breast module which is why I devoted most of my time to studying and then relaxing, after I completed it. As you will see each day is very different and so is every month as it all depends on the time of the semester, personal preferences and most importantly study schedule.

Krishi Jain

  • Programme: Direct Entry Medicine Year 2
  • Living quarters: Aungier and Wexford Street student accommodation

Monthly expenses

Transport: Approx. €10, since I live five minutes from campus and I am not on placements yet, the only transport cost would be for going out with friends outside the city centre. 

Rent: €1,080

Number of housemates: Four

Household bills: None, as they are all included in the rent.

Phone bill: €20

Groceries: €150

Budget breakdown

  • 8am: I wake up make myself a coffee, some light breakfast and usually pack fruit and lunch but since I was focusing on studying I wasn’t able to cook in advance. I get ready to leave for a long day of lectures.
  • 12pm: I buy a wrap and some chips from the 1784 canteen at RCSI (€5) and head to the library to study some more.
  • 2pm: I attend some more lectures and buy an energy drink from the vending machine (€2.50).
  • 4:30pm: I head back home and buy a ready to eat sandwich, strawberries, oat milk and a protein bar from Dunnes Stores for dinner and the next day. (€10.50).

Total: €18

  • 7am: Woke up a little early to start studying and made coffee using the milk I bought on Monday.
  • 10am: Headed to campus for a relatively short day and bought a fruit bowl on my way (€3).
  • 1:30pm: I came back home after case-based learning and cooked an Indian style rice for lunch which I ate with yogurt bought last week. After that I studied for a few more hours in preparation for my test on Wednesday.
  • 6pm: I ordered a burrito for dinner from Boojum, a Mexican fast food restaurant (€10). I did some light yoga to destress and slept early so be fresh next morning.

Total: €13

  • 7am: Got ready to leave for the exam and bought a coffee on my way to campus (€3.50).
  • 11:30am: Exam over! Headed straight to the grocery store to buy lentils, vegetables, tortilla and cheese (€7.50). Made a wrap and had that for lunch. Relaxed the rest of the day and cleaned out my room.
  • 6:30pm: I went out to a small flea market and bought a bandana and a T-shirt (€40). I also bought pizza and enjoyed the lights and music around the market (€5.50).
  • 9pm: Came back home, and went to bed early.

Total: €56.50

  • 10am: Woke up and went for a morning walk with a few friends. We ate brunch at Taste Food Company near Grafton Street. They have such good options for smoothies and vegan sausages (€9).
  • 1:30pm: After that I headed to college for another case-based learning. I ate some more of the chickpea wrap which I had made in the morning using the ready filling I had made the day before.
  • 6:30pm: Then I went to the Dockyards in Dublin to meet a family friend using the bus (€2) and had dinner at her apartment.
  • 9pm: Came back home watched a movie and had popcorn which I had bought previously.

Total: €11

  • 9am: Today started with coffee and a small breakfast as usual and headed to college to attend a few lectures.
  • 1:30pm: Got finished for the day with college and headed to Ikea by the bus (€2). I bought some room décor pieces and two quarter plates (€25). I also bought pasta for lunch at a nearby grocery shop (€3.20).
  • 4:30pm: Reached home and cooked three portions spinach dal using the spinach which I bought on my way back (€1.20).
  • 9pm: Ate some dal rice for dinner, relaxed the rest of the day and went to bed.

Total: €31.40

  • 10am: Today I decided to go to the gym and clean my room. I woke up, drank coffee, and headed to the gym.
  • 11:30am: Got done with working out, bought protein bars, dish soap, and potatoes for the weekend (€11).
  • 12pm: Cleaned my room and leftover dishes. Cooked an easy lunch wrap using a potato mixture and some other sauces. Afterwards, I started prepping for the new module by completing some important pre-readings.
  • 4pm: Had a fun girls night where we ordered pizzas (€12 for my share) and watched movies at my flat, after which we enjoyed fun games.

Total: €23

  • 10am: Again, I decided to go to the gym and start studying for the upcoming week.
  • 11:30am: I also decided to meal prep a few salads and pasta for the upcoming week so I save time. I went to the grocery store to buy protein puddings (€3).
  • 2pm: I went out to walk around Grafton Street and ate a late lunch at Xian Street Food, a Chinese restaurant (€15). I also bought a tendon hammer and tuning fork on Amazon for my upcoming clinical exam (€23).
  • 5pm: Sunday evenings are laundry evenings and luckily my accommodation has a very affordable laundry system (€2). I also had to top up my phone bill which I did online on the Vodafone app (€20). Later, I did some reading and a few other preparations for the upcoming week.

Total: €63