Student food shopping :)

TeamMCS

I was having a think about this earlier, and I dont think we've ever done anything like this.

Many parents may have kids heading off to uni soon (or may even be at uni now?) so this could really help lots of parents (and students) to budget week to week not to mention how to assure they are eating well

Personally I eat for around 20-25 quid a week (this can be higher if I have to buy hygine and cosmetic products), this usually consists off milk, mince meat, chicken breasts, 3 assorted sauce "jars", bread, ham, some sort of juice and fruit and a few pounds of "odds and ends". Obviously this varies week to week (to include ceral etc etc). However I'm generally not sold, I think it could be cheaper.

So far the biggest thing for me is to always remember, "eating for 7 days... no more.. no less". This usually stops any "extra" purchases (I went a bit mad when I got my car back, headed to asda.. Filled up my cabnet and fridge at the cost of 55 :P)

So my question is this, assume we have a budget of anywhere between 15-30 pound a week to spend on food (the average amount of money a student has to spend). This is quite a bit of cash, obviously we could live off tin cans for a 5 quid a week but this isn't about "surviving".

What should a student have on their "list" (and maybe mention where to get it from?).

cmallaby

Well why don't you break it down. I am a fellow student, not yet as far as Uni but if it's just a bit of common sense.

Four meals a day yeah? Breakfast, Dinner, Tea, Supper.
List all the things you like for these periods.

So if you like cereal for breakfast put down that, if you're more a bacon/sausage sandwich person.

Do you have a canteen at Uni? If so why not compare the price they would cost compared to what you could pay in a supermarket.

For example, a sausage sandwich at my college is £1. I reckon you could get a pack of sausages for £1.30? and a decent loaf of bread for around 70p (or less). If you look at it that way you could get a weeks supply of sausage sandwiches for the 2 you would be paying and college is quite cheap compared to most!

Just work out what you would be happy to eat for each of these times, if you aren't particuarly fussed for supper then put down a cuppa. Work out for each of these sections what you would be paying at Uni so a lunch would be maximum £2.50, see how far you can get within that limit.

Use your budget of £30 and work out what you have paid, and what you have left over. Then you have a fair idea of how much you could cut your budget by and use that money for something else!

Summary: (I know that was long and boring)

Find out what an average meal would be at uni. Use this for your daily budget and see how much you can save a day! Leave a little bit emergency money for lee way.

Does this help?

System

Have a browse through this post. I hope it is usefull.

cmallaby

Well that helps back my theory up a list of the meals and what they used. You should make a note of what you have used too. Circumstance may mean you only have time for a sandwich for example. Still can make a difference!

across

the best thing about being a student for me was going home for sunday tea taking my washing home and coming back to start the week with a box full of food and a fresh bag of washed and ironed clothes!!! i spent loads on chocolate but i did work every weekend very early plating food in hospital even if i'd been partying til late! and sometimes on weekdays as well as studying and this bought me some nice clothes to go out in and lots of books!!

cmallaby

Absolutly if you got friends you got money cutters? you could share food (not wasting as much, not buying as much!)

TeamMCS

Just to add, I know our onsite food outlets are amazingly overprices (its cheaper to actually goto maccy D or gregs , try 2.60 for a crappy roll).

As for breaking it down, thats an interesting thought. one which had crossed my mind but that could take ages (espeically if you take into consideration mutiple meals using similer ingrediants).

This is not so much for me, just a general consensus would be nice . I'm going to read over that post someone above mentioned

TeamMCS

Sorry just adding something to this:

After reading some of the suggestions in those posts, wow they are unrealistic.. namely this:

bread (2 loaves) 2 x 40p = 80p *Value, goes out of date in 3 days and taste like MDF
butter = 60p *cheap?!... Best I could find was around 80, mind you it lastes for ages
jam = 60p
mince (2 small portions) = £1.80 *usually costs about 2.60 for basic 400grams
cheese = £1.50 *about right, maybe nearer £2.. depends on size
tin of tomamtos (3) = 90P *Wouldn't buy it
Garlic paste £80p *sab
bag of peppers = £1.20 *sab
turkey steaks = £2.00
bag of onions = £1.00 *yuck :P
wraps = 99p *sounds about right
big bag of pasta = 80p *hmm, maybe nearer 1.20
rice = 99p *I usually get the ready in 5 stuff, which is kinda dear.. that stuff usually takes about half hour.
sausages = £1.30 *Thats about right but they go out of date very quickly and I just dont get round to eating them. Not to mention they are terrible for you
bag of potatos = £1.00
chilli sauce = £1.00
gravy granules = 70p *usually around 1.30.. but last for ages, bit of a one of thing
pasta sauce = 60p *:| WHERE?!... usually around 1:50 for enough to use with 500gk of mice
tin of tuna (2) = £1.20 *healthy but wouldn't be on my list
chilli beans = 50p

sweet jesus, someone will have to tel lme where this supermarket is...


Just for everyone, this is how my last trip broke down

SS milk 1.16
OJ 1.39
AJ 1.39
Pasta sauce *2 2.50
Beef Steak [stew] 500g 2.08
Lean ham (enough for a week) 3
Mince 500g 2.89
Pasta sauce (bolog) *2 2.28
Madras sauce: 1.52
Oranges: 1.20 (Would appear the guy forgot to charge me)

That came to 19.41... Again I'll emphasise the variation week to week, sometimes that'll include celeal, other times I'll have some sauce left over etc etc... but it's usually around 20-25...

Granted I included some vodka and pepper in that, but we'll forget that . I'd love to hear from various parents on the subject, I've only been doing this a few months now so I'm no major budgeter but I'm guessing they've done it for years..

*reads rest of thread*

cmallaby

So £20 make that your budget yeah? and work with the 4 meals per day strategy. But i said a bit of emergency money for your vodka or whatever (actually make a limit of 'luxeries' that will help some how.)

Also get a book, and use your receipt and when you've used an item cross it off on your receipt and put the day you ran out beside it.
So 7 days a week if you bought it on Sunday and ran out on Wednesday put day 3 and then take it next time you go shopping! If you 'NEED' it say milk then buy more (according to the estimate?) if you don't then don't bother.

Try out different brands as well maybe a cheaper one is as good/better than one you'd usually buy, if it isn't don't buy it again !

freebie_junkie

i try my best with budgeting my supermarket shop but a loaf and 8 muffins cost me a fiver! blah! can anyone suggest any corners to be cut on this shop:

(p.s. its a tesco coz i collect teh clubacrd points for deals- i wanna stiuck to the same supermarket! oh yeah and i tried to make my own bread and it was bloody awful! i can make tonnes of stuff but not bread! i cant eat the cheaper crisps or yogurts coz ive checked teh ingredients. my OH stays with me at teh weekends so theres some extra stuff in there for him, i.e. he wont have cheap facial tissue!- he buys me a big shop every 3mts. to make up for this though)

18 pack loo roll- 3.89
crisps (3 multi packs for)- 2.50
bread- 1.99
spread- 92p
beans (4 cans)- 60p
carrots (2 cans)- 34p
muffins (2 x 4packs)- 2.90
anti-bac wipes- 91p
petits filous (3 packs for)- 3.00
steam veg (2 x 4 packs for)- 2.00
grapes- 1.00
mushrooms- 56p
milk- 56p
orange juice- 1.24
vimto- 1.95
red cabbage- 47p
tissues (3 x mansize boxes)- 1.89
bin bags- 74p



any more savings to be had?! please?????

freebie_junkie

p.s. i dont drink so i save on that