It’s one of life’s essentials, but food and drink prices are rising fast.
Here are some top tips to help you keep your food and drink costs low whilst at home or on campus.
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Shop together
Organise a time with your housemates to do a regular big supermarket shop together. If you agree in advance, you can share popular items such as milk, bread, pasta and rice. Not only will this save on space in your kitchen it will save all of you some money too!
Prices are cheaper in the larger supermarkets – try to avoid shopping daily in smaller food outlets as this will cost you more in the long run.
It also a good idea to plan your meals in advance and write a list of what you need for the week. This can help you to avoid making impulse purchases and keep your shopping cost to a minimum. Check out these additional tips on supermarket shopping on the Money Saving Expert website.
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Shift to value brands
A lot of basic foods can be bought from the value range, and with most things you really won’t be able to tell the difference. Check out this guide on downgrading your supermarket brands to find out more.
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Batch cooking
Once you’ve got our big shop in, it’s time to get cooking. Batch cooking with housemates is a great way to save money and reduce food waste.
Decide on your meals in advance and make sure you freeze what you can in suitable portion sizes. You can find out more about what food you can freeze and what you can’t in this article from SaveTheStudent.
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Make use of facilities on campus
If you are on campus, don’t forget you can get hot water from any university outlet free of charge. Why not bring some tea bags or coffee granules along with your reusable cup and enjoy your hot drinks for a fraction of the price of a coffee shop purchase?
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Heat leftover food for lunch
If you are on campus at lunchtime and want to save money on a hot lunch, make use of the microwaves on campus. You’ll find free microwaves in the Guild of Students and hot and cold water facilties in the libraries. We’re also working on installing more microwave and hot water facilities in buildings across campus, so watch this space.
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Too Good To Go
Liverpool Guild of Students has signed up to the Too Good To Go scheme to help students search for unsold food so they can buy and collect it for a great price.
Globally more than a third of food is wasted which is bad news for the planet and for our budgets. This anti-food waste app gives people the chance to rescue delicious, unsold food from businesses to save it from going to waste.
Download the app now to get started.
Help with managing the cost of living
As a student at the University of Liverpool there are a number of things we can do to help you manage the challenges of the rising cost of living, whether it is with unexpected short-term costs, or with long-term financial management.
Financial challenges can be a significant cause of anxiety, affecting your mental health, ability to focus on study and general wellbeing.
If you are in immediate financial difficulty and require support please contact our Money Advice & Guidance Team on money@liverpool.ac.uk or book an online confidential one-to-one appointment. If you are an international student, please contact our International Advice and Guidance Team on iagteam@liverpool.ac.uk or book an online confidential one-one appointment.