As recession looms over the nation like a great hungry beast and with the economy sinking further into turmoil, I, as finance editor, have the disheartening and ever so slightly daunting task of reporting all the doom and gloom back to you all. Joy of all joys!

Amidst a crumbling property market, huge falls in the value of shares paralleled by the heart wrenching increase in the cost of basic necessities I would like to think that I can go some way to calming the situation…. despite the instability of the current financial climate.

After all, as students we’ve had to cope with being broke for years, why should we let it affect us now!

And although I feel like shedding a tear every time I have to fork out a little bit extra for that cupboard staple  - a tin of Heinz baked beans, I feel that it is my duty to propagate the message to you all- it’s not the end of the world!

With the dreaded credit crunch elbowing its way onto the front page of every newspaper it would seem that there is little to be happy about.

But I assure you, there is light at the end of the tunnel - excuse the cliché, and I will be here watching over you all like some proverbial fairy god mother, spreading all my worldly knowledge in the hope that I can help you all brave and maybe even embrace this crappy state of affairs.

I would relish the opportunity to hear your input;

• What is it that you want to discuss?
• What issues are affecting you personally?
• And what do you think today’s students would be interested in reading?

This new blogging feature provides a great way for me to interact with you and hear your own thoughts and opinions, and I will do my very best to provide articles which will tantalize and excite!

As a student myself, I understand the perils of surviving on a student budget, and hopefully I can go some way to addressing these concerns.

After all, we all need to eat, drink and look good!

Please feel free to leave any comments in the box below; I look forward to hearing from you!

Sian x

The Tesco Value range is a firm student staple - from baked beans to shampoo, it covers pretty much every aspect of the student lifestyle.

And now there’s a new addition to the Tesco Value family - Tesco Value greetings cards*.

Pricing in at 0 pence it’s surely the cheapest thing to be adorned with the famous blue and white stripes.

You can print and download the simple cards (for birthdays, Christmas, Valentine’s and many others) as and when they are needed.

Granted your mate/girlfriend/mum probably won’t appreciate at the time, but think of all the money you’ll save!

* It’s a joke.