The inflatable sofa fund: the funniest, strangest and most memorable things students have bought together

Sure, the degree is important, but for most of us, uni is as much about the experiences and friendships you make over the years as it is about studying.

Many students are living away from home for the first time and learning to navigate a completely new way of life, meaning the bonds forged during the first few months can be especially tight.

Take the students we spoke to in our LADnation poll. We asked what the funniest, strangest or most memorable thing bought by themselves or their housemates was — and all of them had stories that we know are still popping off in the group chat.

One student remembered the time 'all chipped in £100 towards a fancy cat'. Another recalled a time he and his friends combined their cash to splurge on a 6ft Christmas tree — but forgot a crucial part: buying decorations. Still, 'we never took it down', he added. "It just sat at the end of the hallway with nothing on it for six months.”

Others described how their spending was influenced by feelings of solidarity for a friend's suffering. “One of our housemates broke their leg from a football game we played in, so we invested in a Wii for the house so they could actually do something in the day if no one was in," one student told us. "I’m pretty sure all he did for four weeks was play Mario Kart and eat 99 Flake ice creams.”

Students have bought some strange things together (Monzo)

Often these moments are the result of a little bit of spontaneity and some unexpected expenses. The students we spoke to shared the common issue of finding it hard to set or stick to a budget (once they have their student loan in their account), which is common for many of us, especially people away from home for the first time.

One said: “I remember when I moved in, it was ridiculously hot so I was sweating moving boxes up and down flights of stairs,” adding they promptly splashed out on a £120 fan. “I mean, it’s a great fan, but maybe it was slightly silly.”

Still, having fun doesn’t have to come with feelings of guilt for spending – especially when you’ve budgeted for these moments. Setting up a bank account with Monzo is free and comes with features such as Pots, which let you separate your money into categories like rent, groceries and your suspiciously large Halloween costume budget. It can be a really handy way to keep track of what you’ve set aside for different things.

But not all bonding requires big spending. One LADnation fresher described how they clubbed together to create a social media account for their Christmas decorations. “The most memorable thing my housemates and I bought together was a sheep Christmas decoration to befriend our already pre-existing turkey Christmas decoration," the student explained.

"We all put in a few pounds, and we created them both a TikTok account, and they became the mascot for our flat."

In case anyone was wondering what happened to them, they added: "They have now both returned to Wales with our Welsh flatmate!”

It's core memories like this that will stay with students long after they have graduated. Take this story from a student who said she was glad she spent her money on something that brought her and her housemates together: "My best value purchase was a board game as it gave my flat an opportunity to bond and become friends.”

Monzo Current Account required. UK residents. Ts&Cs apply.

Words by Jenny Garnsworthy