Monday 21-02-2022 - 10:00

 

Cooking your own food is generally way cheaper than eating takeaways (especially with delivery fees) and eating in cafes, restaurants etc – if you’re not confident about your ability to cook there are plenty of websites that can help, such as:

 

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/student-recipes

www.savethestudent.org/save-money/food-drink/student-cooking-basics-lets-get-to-grips.html

www.thestudentfoodproject.com/

 

 

Plan your meals for the week and help reduce food waste by using a meal planning guide like this one:-

www.thekitchn.com/the-beginners-guide-to-meal-planning-what-to-know-how-to-succeed-and-what-to-skip-242413 -

or NASMA's template Meal Planner - www.nasma.org.uk/uploads/public/Meal_Planner_Template.pdf

 

If you are looking for bargains, go shopping later in the day when you may see more reduced items.

 

Eat before you go food shopping to avoid those impulse hunger purchases.

 

Go armed with a list, and stick to it!

 

Buy supermarket own brands – they are usually much cheaper (and taste no different!) to more recognisable branded items.

 

Not all supermarkets charge the same for similar products – some (e.g. Waitrose and Marks & Spencer) will usually be more expensive than others (e.g. Lidl, Aldi).

 

Smaller, independent shops and convenience stores are generally more expensive than supermarkets.

 

Don’t be dazzled by deals! If you don’t absolutely need it, don’t buy it!

 

Sign up for point schemes such as Nectar, My Morrisons, or Tesco Clubcard – these can make you real savings.

 

Check out Save the Students’ guide to saving money while grocery shopping –

 

www.savethestudent.org/save-money/food-drink/the-students-ultimate-supermarket-guide.html

Compare each supermarket to find the best deals by using My Supermarket Compare –

https://mysupermarketcompare.co.uk/

 

Consider cashback apps - Check out Save the Student’s article on the best supermarket cashback apps - www.savethestudent.org/save-money/food-drink/the-best-supermarket-cashback-apps.html

 

Use coupons as a way to make your money go further. Money Saving Expert’s Extreme Couponing is a great resource - www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/extreme-couponing/

 

Shop at zero waste stores, and check out how ‘green’ the major supermarkets are – here’s Which?’s latest ranking of supermarkets’ green measures:

1. Lidl – 74%

1. Waitrose – 74%

3. Asda – 71%

3. Sainsbury’s – 71%

5. Tesco – 69%

6. Morrisons – 68%

7. Aldi – 66%

8. Co-op – 65%

9. Ocado – 63%

10. Marks & Spencer – 48%

11. Iceland – 29%

 

Visit www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60257640 for more details.

 

Adopt more sustainable habits, such as buying loose fruit and vegetables, buying seasonal local produce, eating less meat and dairy and limiting your own food waste.

Explore the resources available through Love Food Hate Waste - www.lovefoodhatewaste.com

 

Check out the Too Good to Go app, which allows you to buy food from local cafes, restaurants etc. that might otherwise end up as waste - https://toogoodtogo.co.uk/en-gb

 

Do you really need that morning takeaway coffee or bottled water? A medium coffee can cost nearly £3 – buying one a day five days a week could add up to at least £750 a year. Even buying a couple a week adds up to a few hundred pounds. This is money you can save or use for much more useful and/or exciting things .. A 100g jar of instant coffee can cost pretty much the same as one coffee from a café – and can make up to 50 cups of coffee...

 

A flask for hot drinks can cost under £10, as can reusable water bottles (or you can keep re-using a plastic water bottle).

 

Do you have any ‘top tips’ of your own? If so, please let us know!

The Money & Housing Advice Team

moneyandhousingadvice@law.ac.uk