6 top food shopping tips every student needs to know
It’s officially November! That means university is in full swing – lectures and assignments are pilling up, deadlines are getting closer and expenses seem to be increasing.. That’s why, any opportunity to save some cash here and there amidst it all could be a great help.
Hi, my name is Sherese, I’m a third-year Biomedical Science student and one of your Student Content Shapers at UOB. Here are a few food shopping tips and tricks to save yourself a couple of extra pounds that your wallet will surely thank you for.
Planning is key!
Before you even start your food shop, it’s best to come up with a good game plan so you don’t fall into the habit of impulse buying (that I will admit, I have fallen victim to a few times).
Planning out your meals for the week is a great place to start. Putting together a varied selection of foods you like that you can have on different days of the week helps narrow down what you need to buy in store and prevents buying foods that may go to waste if you can’t make a meal with them.
From this, you can make a shopping list of all the groceries you need, ensuring you strictly stick to it for this money-saving tip . If it’s not on the list, it doesn’t go in the trolley (and no adding to the list in-store either, that’s cheating!).
Setting a monthly budget
Planning out your meals for the week is a great way to save money but it won’t work if you aren’t staying within your means. It helps to look at your income and allocate a set amount to groceries each month, which can further be broken down into smaller amounts for your weekly food shops.
Buy foods that will last
Another money saving tip is to buy groceries that can survive for a good amount of time in your pantry. That includes dried pasta, rice, canned beans, etc.
Don’t forget about your freezer too! It’s an excellent way of extending the life of different foods, such as bread and meat, as well as storing future meal preps.
Sign up for supermarket club cards
As a student, having club cards for different supermarkets is an excellent money-saving hack. Stores like Sainsbury’s and Tesco have their own cards (Nectar and Clubcard respectively), that are easy to sign up for to start saving. They also allow you to collect points that can be converted to vouchers that you can use to pay for a weekly shop or a sweet treat later down the line.
Try out different (cheaper) stores
You don’t need to stick to the big supermarkets either. There are a lot of household items and basic groceries that can be found in stores like Aldi or Poundland for much cheaper. Have a look at your grocery list and see if you can swap out branded items for cheaper options instead.
Utilise money-saving apps
It helps to download apps like Too Good to Go, which helps combat food waste at local stores, cafes, and restaurants by giving out food at discounted prices, and using websites like Trolley.co.uk allows you to compare the prices of products across multiple different supermarkets and shops across the UK.
That’s all I have for you today but for more helpful money-saving advice, feel free to check out the Cost of Living Support Page, where there are many more tips on how to save. Hopefully, with these suggestions, you won’t be too scared to look at your bank balance. Good luck saving and let’s have a great rest of the semester!