How To Save Money On Food

It’s a universal fact that as a student, money is often a bit tight. It can be hard to save money and actually have a life, but a great way to save some cash is to shop smart. No one wants to be stuck eating packets of noodles, but it can actually be easier than you think to shave some money off your food shop. Here’s the top ways to save money on food as a student. 

Bulk Buy 

Bulk buying food is really good idea because, usually, the larger the quantity, the cheaper the price per unit. You can bulk buy a bunch of ingredients and make a huge batch of food and then split it into containers and freeze the extra portions. It’s a win-win situation, because not only will you have saved money, it’s also really convenient to have pre-prepared food just ready and waiting to heat up. 

Cook as a house 

Cooking as a house is a great social activity, and it’s also efficient for your food bill. You can each chip in a bit of money for ingredients and make a large meal together once a week. You’ll find it works out cheaper to buy ingredients as a house rather than buying everything on your own, plus you may be able to try foods you wouldn’t have thought of eating before. If you make enough, there may even be leftovers for the next day! 

Cheaper supermarkets 

While you’ve been living at home, you’ve probably seen your parents come back with bags from Waitrose, Tesco, Asda etc so that’s probably what you’re used to. However, as a student with less income, it’s a good idea to explore other options. Shops such as Aldi, Lidl or Home Bargains are a lot cheaper than the major supermarket chains and the products are almost always identical so trying out these spots will definitely reduce your food bill. 

Ditch the brands 

We all have our brand creature comforts, but to save money on food you need to be thriftier – and that means ditching some of the brands. Sometimes unbranded foods can be nicer than the branded ones anyway and they’re often less than half the price. Rather than reaching straight for the Heinz Baked Beans, have a look and see what other options there are first because you’ll be guaranteed to save yourself some money if you do. 

Avoid wastage 

Some waste is inevitable, but to save money, try your best to avoid it. Fruit and veg can go off very quickly, so don’t buy loads of it at once unless you know you can get through it, otherwise you may as well throw your money straight into the bin! A good way to do this is to plan your meals. Try and figure out what you plan to eat each day of the week and then you can make sure you have everything you need, without over-buying. You don’t need to be super strict, but even having a general idea will help you with your money saving.