Solo student living!!! - New start

edrushuk

I am hoping to move into a brand new flat shortly. I am currently into my 3rd month of my debt repayments, so money is tight.

While the flat has white goods it is missing everything else! As I intend to live within my budget. I am hoping to get all my required furniture through my local freecycle. But I need to start planing my regular household & foodbudget.

So I am looking for shopping lists, receipe, cleaning tips etc to start me off! Especially what I really need for the first 6 months. Just point me towards the appropriate threads!

I will be reading things about student living etc also

Hope this all makes sense!

Susanna

Pink.

Hi edrushuk,

These older threads should help you put together a list of essentials although you'll need to build them up gradually.

Help!! Basic shopping list needed

1st ever shop... And doing it OS!

Storecupboard Essentials

Emergency food tin

OS store cupboard basics

It might help to check out these threads too:

What can a single person use on this board?

Need help cooking for one.

living on your own/cooking for one....

Saving Money On Food For a SINGLE person

Help a Single Saver

Single moneysaver living on my own!

For cheap recipes have a look here and for cleaning tips have a look here

Good luck,

Pink

edrushuk

Wow, thank you soo much Pink, much appreciated!

S

[Deleted User]

I am a university student and am looking to make as many savings as possible. I mostly cook for just myself except when my boyfriend comes over, who does not eat meat but does eat fish. I share a house with others so have to share limited freezer space with others. I have managed to save some off my food shopping bill by taking a calculator with me and add as I go so I know how much I am spending. I by value brands where I can but this is not always possible as often the value brands sell out (I live in a deprived area). I take lunch to university and work (usually sandwiches or left overs from previous nights dinner if I made too much). I want to eat properly cooking healthy low fat meals, not the stereotypical student diet. I hate baked beans and pot noodles or other instant noodles! Currently I spend around £15 - £20 per week on food and toiletries, can I get the bill down further without buying lots of frozen food as we really don't have the room for it?

parsonswife8

Buy one of those packs of veg that have an onion, a turnip, some carrots and potato in for about 99p and make some homemade veg soup using a stock cube.
It will keep in an airtight plastic container in the fridge for a few days and you could take that anywhere for lunch if you have a flask.
If you have any left over chicken you can always chop some up and add it in for yourself.
A few slices of bread or a roll or two with the soup, will give you a good filling meal and warm you up.
Also veggie curry leftovers.

Miss_Piggy_2

When cooking with meat (not ideal for BF obviously) doing things such as shepherds pie, I tend to use half the amount of meat I would normally do and bulk it out with very finely chopped veggies (bottom of the fridge things like wrinkly peppers and bendy carrots!). Then freeze other half of meat for another meal.

Also, try going to supermarkets later at night. Things are usually marked down a lot at that time and you can get some good fruit and veg and bakery bargains.

Miss P
xx

trying-very-trying

I would go with Miss Piggy's suggestion of shopping after teatime, if possible for the reduced to clear items.

Could you try splitting the price of popular foods with your house mates, i.e buying bigger value packs of toilet roll, potatoes, onions, milk etc. Or sharing your cooked meals, say take a night each. This will only work if you all like the same type of foodstuffs.

As for bulking out meals, suet dumpling are a great cheap filler, 2oz of value sr flour and 1oz suet, should be enough for two of you.

My dd is a student, but shares a flat with non students. One works in a bakery, so there's always rolls, she's been told to help herself. She likes to bake so buys value flour etc, allows everyone else to eat her cakes, they share their potatoes or whatever.

Sharing what you have cooked also has the advantage of saving on the gas/electric, which is probably metered.

She also has the advantage that she's not too far from home, and never leaves home empty handed after a visit.:rotfl:

Lilith1980

I dont know which supermarket you go to but how about some value pasta and value pasta sauce?

I buy Tesco's value pasta sauce which is 24p a jar and I get two meals out of that but you could get three (I am just greedy!!). Not sure how much their value pasta is as I have to geT gluten free. Do that with either some mince beef or I do mine with chicken which is nice.

I normally cook with one half of the sauce and freeze the other in a tuppaware container until I need it again.

Or I do something called chicken Jumbalaya which is chicken, brown rice, courgettes, carrots or any other veg you want. Cook the chicken and veg, add the uncooked rice and then add the a teaspoon of chillipowder, two teaspoons of cajun spice and two of tumeric. Mix it up so the rice is covered and add enough boiling water to cover the rice and cook until the rice is soft. Its a really filling meal.

Miss_Piggy_2

[quote=Lilith1980;15217571



Or I do something called chicken Jumbalaya which is chicken, brown rice, courgettes, carrots or any other veg you want. Cook the chicken and veg, add the uncooked rice and then add the a teaspoon of chillipowder, two teaspoons of cajun spice and two of tumeric. Mix it up so the rice is covered and add enough boiling water to cover the rice and cook until the rice is soft. Its a really filling meal.[/quote]


This sounds lovely - will be trying this myself!!

Janey51

Don't know what I am doing wrong, but a lot of the links on this thread don't seem to be valid.

Penelope_Penguin

Janey51 wrote: »

Don't know what I am doing wrong, but a lot of the links on this thread don't seem to be valid.

I've not tried all of them, but the sample I tried all worked

Which ones don't wiork for you?

Penny. x