1. Plan your meals ahead

Make a list of a few meals you’re going to make. Get some inspiration from TikTok or Instagram and write out your shopping list. This way you’re more likely to stick to it when you get there and not get side tracked. Also think about buying enough for an extra meal or two. This way you have your lunches sorted for the next week and don't spend more money on food.

Remember: There are microwaves on campus for you to heat up leftovers!

2. Buy in bulk

When you’re shopping make sure you are looking at the price per kilogram or litre of items. Sometimes it is better to buy a larger bag of pasta as the price per kilogram is actually cheaper that way. Some shops make this really clear and it’s important to make sure you’re getting the most for your money.

3. Buy pantry food

Pantry foods like rice, beans, pasta and anything canned come in large quantities and can live on for long periods of time, preserving far longer than refrigerated foods. Pantry foods are also incredibly versatile making them a great addition to meal prep as you can mix and match them with multiple dishes and foods. Look at how many versions of pasta exists, expanding into multiple cultures and dishes.

4. Buy in season

Local is best. In season and local produce will be considerably cheaper (and fresher) than any other foods. It costs farmers and distributors less to get into our local stores as they can avoid import taxes that would increase the prices considerably. You can tell when food is in season as you'll notice the prices drop, but if your unsure take a look at this seasonal calendar

Whilst fresh food tends to be pricier in the supermarkets, you can head to farmers markets for cheaper alternatives. If you buy in bulk you can also freeze produce so you can preserve it.

5. Share meals with your house mates

If you live in a shared household you can band together to tackle groceries and meals to reduce costs and save time. Each of you can cook meals on different days depending on what agreement you come up with. Remember to state your boundaries in what you can and can't do as well as respecting other people's needs too - good communication is the key. It can be a struggle working with other people and not everyone can do it. As a group you can make use of the university's student budget planner to help your costings.

Speaking of shared households something you can do when you go back to visit your parents is to ask if they have any additional household items they wouldn't mind you taking back to university.

6. Look for those deals

Make sure you are looking out for deals, especially when it comes to junk food. You can often get pizza deals that come with sides which will be much cheaper than going out to eat.

7. Shop in the reduced section

Shop in the reduced section and pay attention for yellow labels which are for discounted items close to their sell-by date. Don't worry they're still good to eat and you can always freeze the items to preserve their life a little longer.

When you'll find the yellow sticker on food items varies between supermarkets. Morrisons has the best prices bright and early in the morning whereas Sainsbury offers its best bargains around 7 pm so do your research.

A trick you can utilise around public holidays is to head into a store on the day before as it will be closed for a longer period of time. Items that are meant to go out of date on the closed day will be reduced and your likely to find more.

Finding a great deal is amazing but make sure you need and will use an item before purchasing otherwise you'll be wasting your money, no matter how good of a bargain it was.

8. Get a club card

Club cards are so important now. You can save even more money on your shopping and also collect points to get money off in the future. You can sign up online and most are easily downloadable to your mobile wallet so you don’t have to worry about carrying a card round.

9. Buy frozen

Another great way to save on your money is by buying more food from the frozen section. You often get more for your money and some foods can even be better for you. In particular, frozen fruit and vegetables can be just as good, and in some cases even better for you than fresh as they hold their nutrients. You also don’t have to worry about it going out of date or remember to keep buying it each week.

10. Shop around

If you’re finding that your regular shop is going up in price, maybe it’s time to think about swapping products you usually buy for or look even look at other shops. It might sounds obvious but it can make a huge difference to your weekly shop.

11. Grown your own food

If you live in a flat you're probably raising an eyebrow at the subheading but this can involve you too! A garden would open up a lot more space for you to grow some greens but your windowsills will easily suffice for commonly used products like herbs, watercress and spinach. If you have even a little bit of outside space consider using hanging baskets and grow bags for bigger veggies.

You don't even need to buy seeds, you can utilise scraps from fruit and veg to start your own. For example, the hairy white roots of spring onions can be cut off and placed into a jar filled with water. They will regrow every 10 days or so, just make sure to change the water every few days and if you aren't around, ask a friend or flatmate if they can help. 

Start small and start with produce you like to eat. The increase in food prices isn't going to slow down anytime soon and the climate crisis is showing us a decrease in crop yields which is no help to our current global crisis with food poverty. Learning how to grow your own food and using everything as a resource won't just help you in the present, it's a skill for the future. It's time we reclaim the creativity and skills that kept us alive for all these years.

Want more tips? Read first year Journalism student, Amia Clarke's tips to save money on your food shop