After sharing my budget-friendly food ideas with you all, I wanted to talk about more ways to save money when it comes to food, but also ways this can go hand-in-hand with reducing food waste too!
Firstly, plan ahead of time! If you set out a weekly food planner, you’ll be much more likely to spend what you need, and not rack up additional costs for daily purchases, and this way, you avoid food wastage too! I can't talk about food planning without talking about stocking your cupboards too. If you can afford to, always buy in an extra one or two packets of non-perishable goods like noodles, rice and pasta (especially if the food is on offer!), this way you’ll never run out!
On that note, look out for foods that are on offer or have reduced stickers! I sometimes go into a shop thinking I’d get something like raspberries, then I see blueberries on offer and decide to get them instead to add to my breakfast. Plus, a lot of foods can be frozen, which means you can save a lot of the reduced foods from going bad and you're saving it from waste too.
Just because you're on a budget, doesn't mean you shouldn't treat yourself once in a while too. Plymouth has plenty of cheap restaurants aimed at students and/or with offers specifically for students, like Wetherspoons, McDonald’s or Subway offers too. You can get cheap as chips meals at these kinds of places, or you can get them delivered for a few extra pounds (you can save more by sharing delivery costs with your housemates!) but obviously think about your general health too.
Treated yourself to a takeaway and don't want to waste the leftovers? Most foods are safe to reheat the next day, especially if you’re vegetarian. I'd recommend always looking online if you’re not sure about something you’re thinking of reheating, as there's plenty of information about what you should and shouldn't, how long you should reheat and how best to reheat (in the oven, the microwave, etc). For example, if you order pizza, it can sometimes be in your interest to order more than enough for one portion so it can last you an extra day or two for a little extra. Takeaways are convenient and fun, but you can find cheaper alternatives in shops, and most supermarkets have 'fakeaway' meals that are just as tasty!
Talking of supermarkets, most shops will have their own brand of everything! Be sure to try their alternatives as they're often half the price for just as much product; this will save you money in the long run. Whilst we're still on the subject of supermarkets, let's talk meal deals! If you fancy a sandwich for lunch but didn't bring anything with you, it will only cost you a little bit more to get a snack and drink with it - extra food that doesn’t cost an arm and leg.
Hopefully these extra money-saving food tips helped you, and if you've got any others, please do comment them below.
Enjoy,
Jess Holloway
BA (Hons) Illustration and MA Illustration Graduate
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