Eating in the UK can sometimes be expensive, but there are plenty of ways to save money while still enjoying good food. Here are some tips and resources to help you stretch your budget:
- Get a supermarket loyalty card. Most large supermarkets offer free loyalty cards that give you access to money-saving deals, discounts, and points that can be redeemed for coupons or rewards. Popular ones include Tesco Clubcard, Sainsbury’s Nectar, Morrisons More, Co-op Membership, Lidl Plus, and Asda Rewards.
- Use student discount apps. Apps like Student Beans and UniDays regularly offer discounts on food, groceries, restaurants, and more. Be sure to check them often for updated deals.
- Take advantage of meal deals. Many supermarkets offer “meal deals” — typically including a main meal, a drink, and a snack at a discounted price. Pro tip: choose the most expensive items to get the best value.
- Try meal kit subscriptions. Services like HelloFresh, Gousto, and Simply Cook deliver recipes and ingredients to your door, making cooking easier and often cheaper than eating out. They usually offer student discounts or introductory deals.
- Use your Campus Card. Get discounts on food and drinks across campus, including meal plans via Clever Cuisine, which offers tasty and affordable food on campus.
- Compare supermarket prices online. Websites like PriceSpy help you compare prices across different supermarkets so you can shop smart.
- Reduce food waste and save money with apps.
- Too Good To Go connects you with local restaurants, cafés, and stores selling surplus food at a discount, helping reduce waste and save money.
- Olio lets you find free or cheap food shared by people in your community, plus other household items.
- Choose supermarket own-brand products. These are usually cheaper than branded items and can be good quality — look out for ranges like Tesco’s “Everyday Value.”
- Larger supermarkets tend to be cheaper than small, local supermarkets. For example, a Tesco Extra may be cheaper than a small Tesco Local.
- Grab late deals on ready-to-eat food. Some places like Itsu in Reading offer discounts on sushi and cold foods after 7:30 pm, perfect for a cheaper dinner.
- Enjoy local student nights. For example, Mission Burrito in Reading town centre offers 30% off food and drinks for students every Wednesday — just show your student ID!
- Look out for student discounts at restaurants:
- BrewDog offers a student discount of 25% off food and drink in their bars every day, and an additional 50% off food and drink every Sunday from 4pm.
- Slug and Lettuce offers 25% off food all day Sunday-Thursday by verifying your student status via the MiXR app.
- Honest Burgers offer students 20% off the total bill (food & drink) Sunday-Thursday with a valid Student Beans account.
- Busaba will give students 25% off food for groups of up to 6, Sunday-Thursday, when you show a student or NUS card.
- COSMO is an ‘all you can eat’ buffet which offers 10% off food bills Monday-Thursday. You must show a valid student or college ID.
- Pho offers 15% student discount on dine-in or takeaway Vietnamese meals.