Student Tips

[skinnyminnycow]

I want to start SW. However I am a student and have a small budget of £30 a week.
What do the students do in here, my step mum does this diet and she spends soooo much money on fresh food!

What cheats does anyone have or tips for people on a small budget?

Thank You xx

 

[WhitePigeon]

I'm a student nurse but when I did SW previously, I was still quite poor! I eat baked beans when following SW e.g. on jacket potatoes or as part of a breakfast. I also buy tinned tomatoes when they're on special offer as they can be quite pricey when bought individually. I also try and get big boxes of Weetabix when they're on special offer as I get through them rather quickly.

Sorry I don't have more to offer however I'm sure everyone else will, good luck with your weightloss.

 

[julesm]

I do my shopping at asda and for me and my boyf our shop comes to about £40-50. Bargains I get are Frozen berries instead of fresh, Asda smart price passata and tinned toms, low fat supernoodles 5 for £2, smart price apples and bananas, no added sugar soft drinks like fake lilt, sprite and fanta that taste just the same... I think that's about it!

Anyway if you can do get yourself to an Asda as every time I've been to tesco or sains we spend like £20 more for the exact same stuff!

 

[julesm]

Oh and Asda does the best deals on mullerlights! And their fake weetabix "sunny bisks" are dead cheap too!

 

[Happy Holidays]

I'm also trying to save money (for hols in December 11).

I buy frozen fruit & just get out what I need. I used to buy mullerlight yoghurts but now get fat free natural yoghurt from Aldi (44p for 500grms) & add my own fruit to it.

I buy Aldi/shops own cereal, Aldi baked beans (if you've not tried these you must they are just like Heinz).

Green days are cheaper than red, I always buy special offers even if I don't need them, eg Asda have had Batcholors noodles on offer recently so I've stocked up on them. Aldi crispbakes are cheaper than Ryvita.

There is a 'bargin' thread here which I always look at.

Try & buy fruit/veg that is in season as it is cheaper. Plan your meals so there is no waste.

Try & treat yourself to nice food occasionally so you don't feel deprived

 

[WhitePigeon]

Ooh, and bulk buying pasta and rice in the big bags at Asda saves money in the long run, just finding somewhere to store the huge bags I have trouble with, lol.

 

[Lexie_dog]

Pre plan your meals and therefor your shoppping

Log on to mysupermarket and do a fake online shop, it will let you compare prices across Asda/Tesco and let you know which is cheaper, you can then print the shopping list out, organised by section of supermarket. Look for offers on the site.

Think stretching meals. If you buy chicken breasts you'll be luck to get 3 for £5, but if you buy a roast chicken you'll get 2 breasts, 2 legs and the meat will go further.

Think meat free too, think pastas, eggs, lentils. A veggie omlette with cheese (HEA) is a good filling meal alongside some SW chips. Dont forget seasonal fruit etc is cheaper.

Baked potatoes can be wonderful, limited only by fillings.

The trick is to plan it.

 

[flutterbyuk25]

I work full time, am a part time student, and live on my own. My food budget is £60-£80 a month, so less than yours! I am veggie though so that cuts down the costs a little.

I echo what everyone else has said so far. Aldi/Lidl are cheapest for fresh fruit and veg - offers include stuff from 39p. I check their websites for the weekly/fortnightly offers and buy what I need and base my meals around that.

I do a big monthly shop for the bulky long life essentials, and then a top up fruit/veg/egg shop each week.

Batch cooking is great if you have a freezer. Just cook a big pot of chilli/bolognaise/soup etc and freeze in portions (the tubs from chinese's takeaways are great for this!). I live off soups in the winter, so easy to make. I make 2 different ones on a Sunday and alternate them for lunches in the week. Cooking from scratch is way cheaper and better for you.

Frozen veg is great too. I only tend to buy pots and carrots, the rest of veg is frozen stuff (not salady stuff though!).

I use skimmed long life UHT milk so I always have cartons of this in the cupboard so I don't need to nip out for a pint of milk and end up spending a tenner! I also make my own bread in a breadmaker (look on Freecycle for a free one).

HTH and good luck

x

 

[Circes]

Posted this on another thread but at this time of year it is not only students who are looking to save a few pennies so I thought it would be useful to post again



There are some basic good household practices will help keep the costs down:

• plan your meals for the week, make a shopping list and get only for the ingredients you need to make them
• start by looking at what you have in the cupboard/freezer already and choose meal options that will use them up
• cook your meals from scratch as pre-prepared sauces will be more expensive and you'll know exactly what has gone into them
• plan to use leftovers for other meals or for lunch the next day eg if you are cooking rice for dinner one day, make extra, throw in some leftover veggies and a fat-free dressing and you have lunch for day two
• cook one meal for the whole family not different ones
• seasonal fruit and veg is always cheaper so plan your meals around what it available
• take advantage of special offers - most supermarkets do cut price fruit and veg each week - and shop around to get the best prices. Check out offers and prices on comparison websites.
• try out the 'discount' supermarkets like lidl or aldi. Not everything is cheaper but many things are such as tinned tomatoes, pulses etc
• check out local shops such as greengrocers and butchers because supermarkets are not always the cheapest option
• frozen fruit and veg can be cheaper than fresh and a good alternative
• go green rather than red as meat is more expensive
• if doing EE then bulk out your meals with cheaper ingredients such as pulses, lentils, meat-free mince so you use less meat
• if buying meat go for cheaper cuts and invest in a slow cooker. Or buy joints and whole chickens that can be used across several meals rather than packs of chicken breasts
• beans, lentils and pulses are all good sources of protein and much cheaper than fish and meat
• batch cook meals taking advantage of special offers and freeze portions so they are ready for use
• go for shop own-brands rather than premium brands as they are usually just as good and a lot cheaper
• you don't have to buy mullerlights. There are several supermarket versions that are also syn free or other brands that are on special offer such as activia or shape zero
• know where your supermarket puts the things that are nearly out-of-date. You can sometimes pick up bargains on things like meats - but only if you know you will use it within the date
• if you have storage then big bags of staples like pasta and rice can save money in the long-term
• invest in a water filter rather than buy expensive bottled water
• have breakfast at home so you're not tempted to eat on the go
• if you and/or your husband work, take lunch with you rather than buying out
• make your own versions of favourite family takeaway meals - save on the £s and the lbs
• and don't shop when you are hungry!

Hope that helps a bit

 

[RegField]

If you have any Indian or Pakistani shops near you, have a look at their prices for rice, lentils, beans, vegetables and herbs. A friend of mine buys huge bags of excellent Basmati rice from a local Indian supermarket and it works out very cheaply. Also they have unusual vegetables and huge bunches of stuff like coriander for much less than the ordinary supermarkets.

 

[ColJack]

go for the aldi "super 6" as they sell stuff cheap each week..

visit the supermarket late at night ( about an hour before closing if it's not a 24hr one ) and you get reduced prices on stuff that's going out of date.. most of which can be frozen or cooked up into meals and then frozen..

meat is expensive so the more veg you have instead the better..
don't try and be "eco friendly" on a budget, why should you suffer because so the chickens get to run about in a field rather than live in a barn?

 

[shoegal999]

Found this really useful! I'm a student teacher and always end up spending a fortune when I do my shop!

 

[Jennyonaplate]

If you've got freezer space, buy the meat deals when they have 3 for £10, then freeze the meat separately so you can get it out and defrost it as you need it.

I'm a big believer in the local markets for fruit and veg - so cheap!

Avoid buying pre-packaged fruit and veg if possible, it usually works out so much more than loose stuff, and you often end up with more than you need.

 

[katy24]

When I was a student I loved Lidl for fresh fruit and veg - last time i went there was a whole bag of potatoes for less than 40p!! They do amazing fruit and veg deals.