MONEY SAVING

Most students don’t have a bottomless pit of money, so eating on the cheap is vital. The good news is you don’t have to break the bank to eat well. Plan ahead, reduce wastage and follow our top 12 tips to help ease the pain of the supermarket…

1

Take A List

Take a list - Ever been to the supermarket without a list and bought random ingredients with really close use-by dates? Before you go, write a plan of what you want to eat for each meal, each day to avoid wastage.

2 Batch Cook

Batchcook – Cooking large meals and splitting them up in to plastic containers to store in the fridge will save you both time and money. ‘Leftovers’ work particularly well for packed lunches (see page 54).

4 Stock Up

Bulk buy cheap, wholesome staples such as wholegrain rice and pasta, chickpeas, lentils and breakfast cereals. These items don’t perish and buying in larger quantities will save you money per portion.

5

8 Compare Prices

Use online tools such as mysupermarket.co.uk to work out the cheapest place to shop. Works well if you are buying more expensive products, such as alcohol or cleaning products.

3

Cheaper Cuts

If you eat meat or fish, this can be the largest source of cost in your shopping. Opt for cheaper fish and cuts of meats or go meat-free during the week.

Be Loyal

Sign up for loyalty cards to get points, money-off vouchers and offers.

6 Shop Late

Supermarkets tend to make their biggest reductions on fresh food just before the store closes. Time it right and you could grab a bargain.

7 Freeze Food

Use the freezer to store food staples like vegetables and left-overs to reduce waste and ensure you always have a good meal in stock. Store in single-portion containers so you defrost just the right amount each time.