Learning how to save money on groceries as a student is a brilliant way to set yourself up for the future. Groceries are likely to be one of your biggest areas of expenditure, so it’s a good to have some ideas up your sleeve about how you can reduce this cost.

Food is an absolutely non-negotiable expense, and whilst you want to make sure you’re sticking to a good food budget, you also want to make sure that you are not restricting yourself too much in this area.

To succeed at university you still need to try and eat a relatively balanced diet to stay happy and healthy during one of the most important times of your life.

Shop at Low Cost Supermarkets

Low cost supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl are the perfect places to shop as a student- you can find everything you need at absolute bargain prices in comparison to other supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s.

Don’t be afraid to shop the value ranges at the supermarket- the quality is still good, but you just avoid paying the mark-up for the fancy packaging and brand name.

You might also be interested in: 9 Things You Don’t Need To Buy Before University

Meal Planning

Planning your meals ahead can save you serious money on your food shop. Meal planning is when you decide what you are going to cook every day for the week ahead. It’s a great way to save money at home.

This means that there is less food wasted, and you know in advance what you are going to cook- there is then no need for any last minute takeaways after a late night study session at the library. Or the morning after a big night out!

Share Cooking With Flatmates

If you share a student house with several others, a great way to save money (and time!) is to each take on the responsibility of cooking for the whole house one night a week.

This means that on several nights of the week, you don’t even have to think about buying or cooking food. Someone else is doing it for you!

All you need to consider is your night of the week, and perhaps figure out a couple of meals at the weekends, and a few ideas for breakfasts and lunches throughout the week.

Batch Cooking

Batch cooking is a brilliant way to save time and money if you’ve got access to a freezer. The idea behind batch cooking is that you cook large pots of a certain meal- perhaps a curry, pasta sauce or bolognese sauce.

You then have a ton of food leftover which you can then freeze and defrost at a later date. This means that you use up all of your ingredients, and also means that you have a nutritious meal already in the freezer when you need a quick meal after a long day.

Hold ‘Pot Luck’ Dinners with Friends

‘Pot Luck’ is when you organise a dinner with friends (or perhaps even your sports team!) and each bring a ‘pot’ of food. You could cook a main dish, or even a dessert. The idea is that everyone tries a little bit of everything, and you’ll all get to try something new!

These are some top tips that you can use to reduce your spending on groceries- you can be sure that they’ll help you to succeed at managing your finances at university and create good financial habits for the future.