Super Student Shopping: The Basics

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Student:Craft - Super Student Shopping

Introduction
Well, in response to some of the messages and feedback I'd received by email, PM and on thestudentroom.co.uk I have decided to postpone the post scheduled for today and publish Super Student Shopping: The Basics instead! A lot of people were asking...and I've seen a lot of discussion on "how do people survive on £10 / £20 / £30 a week?".


The thing is, moving to university is a huge milestone in someones life. You always meticulously plan what you need to take to your new halls, all that stationary and a few posters...but no thought ever goes into how you're going to have to start shopping for yourself.


Trust me, as a student about to go into my final year I took all the food at home...the full fridge and stocked cupboards for granted. Getting used to planning and cooking your own meals is not easy...but a necessary step in your life if you want to become independent.

Speaking to other people, alongside my own experience has shown me that the majority of my money is spent on food (Going out can dent the bank balance occasionally as well). This article is going to teach you when to shop, how to shop and what to buy. So lets begin:

• Your Budget
• Preparations
• When to Shop
• Where to Look
• What to Buy
• Getting the most out of your food

Your Budget

Right, so if you haven't seen the first article: Managing Money: The Ultimate Student Guide, then get over there and read about 'finding out where you are'. Once you've decided how much money you have...then we can go from there.
I'm also aware that some students have a food allowance from their parents. Sainsbury's for example offer a 'Meal Card' that parents can top up, like a gift card, from home:

"Kids off to uni? There’s an easy way to make sure they’re eating properly when you’re not there to cook them something healthy. A Meal Ticket from Sainsbury’s means your kids always have funds to buy food – not to mention all those non-food digs essentials like cutlery, crockery and bedding! The handy credit-card size Meal Ticket is the perfect start for student life (and peace of mind for you!)."

More Information can be found here.

Preparations

• Take a List

• Plan your weekly meals

• RULE NUMBER 1 - Take a List

If you have to take one piece of advice away with you...and you read no more...please take a list with you to the shop. This is one of the smallest changes you can make, which in my opinion will bring the biggest returns and savings to your piggy bank!

Set some time aside at the beginning of the week and go through your fridge, your cupboards and your freezer to establish what you currently have, and what you need. 

If you spontaneously think of something throughout the day, you may find it useful to jot it down in a notebook so you don't forget.

The benefit of this is so you know exactly what you need to buy when you go into the shop! It sounds minor...but products are spread strategically around supermarkets to convince you to impulse buy a whole range of other products that you just don't need. Taking a list makes your intentions clear. You go straight to the bread, to the sweetcorn, to the yoghurt and then to the till. Easy. :)

• Plan your weekly Meals

Now, lets be serious about this...you don't have to write up a spreadsheet with monday-sunday (Well you can if you want) but just give yourself an idea of the sort of food you want to be eating. Once again, jot it down in a notebook, or as I did a little post-it note pinned to my board.

The advantage of this step is that it allows you to ensure you're going to be eating a balanced diet, with food you like and are confident cooking. An example of something I would write:

When to Shop

Some advice for choosing the best opportunity to go shopping:

• Do NOT shop when you're hungry

Haha, so this might sound like a 'gimmick' point, but shopping when you are hungry adds a whole new obstacle for you to jump over. How can you possibly expect to stick to your shopping list if you 'fancy' a tube of Pringles, some prawns tonight instead of the chicken you had planned...or some ice cream for the walk home.

It was a consistent point across the range of information I researched and rings true personally...especially during my second year. I would go to Sainsburys with the intention to buy dinner for the week, yet return with a couple of bags of snacks and £15 down. Not good.

Why come home with a load of junk when you can have planned and most importantly budget friendly meals. Now I'm not telling you never to buy the snacks you want. Spontaneous purchases are okay, you just need to monitor the frequency of these purchases if they are not included in your budget.

• Strategically time your shopping trips

So, my weekend job (while at university) is in the Marks and Spencer stockroom / salesfloor. I soon began to realise at certain times during the day, the managers would reduce the price of certain stock by 25%, 50% and even 75%!

Now this could be for various reasons such as the condition of the packaging, end of line food, or expiry date. Either way, there are huge savings to be made...and remember, certain foods can be frozen. What you need to look out for are the yellow reduction stickers.

Check the table out below to optimise the timing of your weekly shop:

Supermarket Rough Reductions Schedule

Amount you may be able to save
	Up to 25% off	Up to 50% off	Up to 75% and up
Asda	12pm	5pm	9pm
Morrisons	-	5pm	7pm
Sainburys	10am	5pm	8pm
Tesco	8am	4pm	8pm
Co-op	8am	5pm	7pm

Source: Money Saving Expert


Where to Look


I am assuming the majority of people will be shopping in one of the large supermarket chains. This way I am able to make a more valuable assessment of where products will be placed and when to buy. I appreciate you may shop at one of the smaller news agents, however these tips may not necessarily be suitable.

• Look above and below at the supermarket.

This is a big one, and something an old friend used to tell me constantly. You don't always need to buy branded food. Basic brands situated out of eye level are just as good, and up to 80% cheaper than their costly equivalents. Still treat yourself, but be reasonable about it.


Supermarkets specifically design a store for maximum profits. This means placing popular advertised products at eye level and their cheaper equivalents 'out of sight'. Just think about it...sweets and batteries are placed at till points to coerce you into a purchase. 

• Check out the end of the isles.

Discount food is often put at the end of the isles to draw attention to it. You can get some great deals here, but remember, try not to get enticed with food offers that you just don't need. If it's on your shopping list, or an equivalent sure why not. :)


What should you buy


So this is going to be a personal decision, but remember to give yourself a balanced diet. The following is a shopping list you may want to consider based off some of the products I buy on a regular basis. Lets have a look at a sample shopping list for one:

EXAMPLE OF WHAT YOU MAY CONSIDER PURCHASING. THIS "IS NOT A HOW LITTLE I CAN SPEND" LIST.

I've just taken all these prices straight off the tesco.com website...so subject to availability in your store. As you can see, there is a wide range of meals you can make with these products which all offer good variety and great value for money.


Bare in mind, every week you will not need to buy things like Rice, Pasta, Mince, Squash, Cheese, Butter, Honey and Porridge Oats. These are one off purchases every 3-4 weeks (some even more) and will not need to be included in your weekly list.


Weekly I was spending no more than £20, topping up the sweetcorn, the fruit, veg, pasta sauces and a few snacks.


Obviously feel free to use this list as an EXAMPLE...remember NOT to starve yourself to save money, but to just be sensible. 


I hope this shows how it's possible to survive more than happily on a £20 / £30 budget and hope you can adapt it to suit your favorite foods and preferences.


I'm quite an athletic person, who eats a lot of food...so yours is bound to be cheaper.


Getting the most out of your food

• It's all about double strength squash

Yes JUICE is often on offer, and I don't know about you...but it BARELY lasts in my fridge. Double strength squash solved all my problems. I drink a lot of water anyway, but it lasts...and it tastes good. It's also very cheap if you get the supermarket brand.

• Buy and Cook for 2, (Or more)

As I've said before, cooking for two (or more) is probably the ideal situation as it's a lot easier to buy for.


My flat mate and I used to spend about £12 each per week on food at the supermarket. He would buy 3 or so packs of chicken (often on offer) and I would buy all the sauces / veg to accompany it.
We bought a large bag of pasta and easy cook rice every couple of weeks and shared a large bag of porridge for breakfast. 


That left me (according to my budget) with £8 or so pounds to spend on snacks / drinks / pudding / whatever else I wanted to eat.


Doing this ALSO encouraged us to cook, as it turned into a social experience where we could chat etc etc.

• Cook and Freeze

If you're only cooking for yourself, still cook for 2 (or more), but freeze the extra. You can then eat it again later in the week, or for lunch the next day. :)










Wow, so as requested, that was the Super Student Shopping: The Basics article! I had real fun writing and researching this as I learnt a lot myself!


I've got a few ideas for the next post, but would love to hear your feedback on this and what else you would like to see.


Leave a comment and let me know please. =)


Student:Craft