After a long day at uni, there’s nothing worse than arriving back at your student accommodation with a rumbling tummy, only to realise the shelves in your kitchen cupboards are bare.
Wouldn’t you agree?
If you’re staying with us, you can relax knowing that Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Aldi are within easy reach of our student accommodation in Bolton. Meaning you needn’t venture too far to pick up groceries at short notice.
However, with the average student spending almost £100 on food every month, it’s clear to see why so many students hate going to the supermarket so much.
Whilst food might be an unavoidable expense, with a few smart tricks up your sleeve, you can actually save yourself some money – leaving you with more to spend on new clothes, nights out and study books.
Below, our team of savvy shoppers here at Orlando Village share some top tips for students with a limited budget to spend.
- Plan your meals – a brilliant way to keep your costs low when buying food is to make a weekly plan, outlining what meals you’ll have from Monday to Sunday (including breakfast, dinner and tea) and what ingredients you’ll need to pick up from the shop.
Planning your meals also allows you to use up leftovers in the fridge and freezer, and stops you from filling your cupboards with three of the same thing.
- Buy supermarket own-brands – next time you’re stocking up on food cupboard staples, be sure to check out the supermarket’s own-name brands!
For example, instead of buying Heinz beans (£1), opt for Morrisons-own version (39p), swap a PotNoodle (£1) for Snack Noodles from Aldi (49p), and a loaf of Warburtons Toastie (85p) for Sainsbury’s Toastie (55p). They taste just as good as the big-name brands – if not better – yet cost a fraction of the price!
- Go shopping later in the day – got a part-time job? Planning on staying late at the library to get some work done? Luckily for you, most supermarkets are open till 10PM, allowing you to fit the food shop in around your hectic schedule.
Shopping later can not only be more convenient but is a great way to save money. This is because the items that are close to their sell-by date will be heavily reduced. Keep an eye out for those yellow ‘reduced’ stickers!
- Don’t shop on an empty stomach – easily tempted to toss sugary snacks into your basket or trolley? While these foods won’t do your waistline or teeth any favours, they’ll also lead to you spending more money than necessary.
Instead of buying food to curb pangs of hunger, we recommend eating a decent meal before heading out to the shop. Alternatively, write a list of the items you need – and stick to it!
- Use loyalty cards – some supermarkets offer loyalty schemes to help you save money on your weekly food shop.
For instance, Tesco allows Clubcard members to collect points and unlock exclusive deals whenever they tap or scan their Clubcard. They often send vouchers and money off coupons through the post too. Sainsbury’s operates a similar scheme with their Nectar points, which can be collected and spent both in-store and online.
The Lidl Plus app is the budget-friendly equivalent, providing you with a personalised service and allowing you to get discounts on the products you love.
There you have it – our top 5 tips for students food shopping on a budget.
If you have any questions or would like to know more about our student accommodation in Bolton, we encourage you to get in touch.
You can either chat with the team by calling 01204 903 488 or drop us an email at info@orlandovillage.co.uk, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
