Being a student means your tight for money, however the current economic landscape in the UK and a very real cost of living crisis, has meant now more than ever the student loan needs to stretch as far as possible.
Usually, one of the first things to slip is food and the quality of what we’re eating. One in three students are spending less than £3 a day on what they eat, and one in ten students are reported to have used a foodbank in the last year.
We know the struggle, balancing a social life, bills, rent and then remembering to do a food shop! To make the stress a little easier, here are our top money tips for all things food and nutrition.
1. Batch cook. There are loads of easy and nutritious meals that are prime for batch cooking. Instead of buying lots of different ingredients for different meals, opening them, and letting things go to waste- batch cook. Why not make a big Spag Bol, eat what you want and then freeze the rest, it saves you time and money.
2. Avoid ready meals/ take aways. Convenience is everything, but it is expensive, try and avoid ready meals and takeaways where you can. They have low nutritional value, and while they may save you a couple of minutes you pay a premium for it. Try a fakeaway Friday instead!
3. Check the reduced section. Lots of supermarkets now have a section in store for food that is past the date they are allowed to sell it, but still very much fresh and edible. Often this produce is heavily discounted as they want it out of store, so it is always worth a look.
4. Cook as a house. If you’re lucky enough to have good housemates why not cook together! Using a couple of ingredients from everyone’s cupboard splits the cost, time, and waste. Why not have a house lasagne or fajita night, it’s nice to be together and a chat with friends is always good for your wellbeing.
5. Set a weekly budget and meal plan. It might seem like a pain, but 10 minutes on a Sunday night setting your weekly budget and meal plan can save you a lot of money. Try and avoid buying food out, bring a takeaway cup or packed lunch to uni. Importantly shop with purpose, make those ingredients go further by reusing things, plus it saves you having to think about what’s for dinner after you’ve had a long day of studying.
So that’s our top 5 tips, maybe try one a week and see the difference it makes. If you have any other great money tips let us know below, and don’t forget to check out our recipe inspo posts, we always create nutritious easy food with the student budget in mind!