How to ace the fresher’s food shop

Fresher’s is an exciting and daunting time for everyone, filled with a host of new experiences. Obvious ones include the first time living alone, moving to a new city or going on a night out (especially for the summer babies whose IDs are still hot off the press). However, there are some more mundane events to adjust to, including the first big grocery shop for just yourself. All of the dizzying freedom running through the aisles of a big supermarket can lead to some deep financial regrets. In an effort to prevent you from hauling kilos of wilted carrots into the bin come Christmas holidays, here are a few Do’s and Don’t’s from a past freshers survivor.

Do : Make a shopping list.

Whilst making a shopping list is obvious, it is also essential to prevent the shop from racking up in price. Make a list, and make it as varied as possible because fresher’s flu is all too real, and while a pack of tomatoes won’t cure it they certainly won’t cause any harm. Focus on buying the cheap bulk items – such as pasta, rice, beans and vegetables – as these will constitute the bulk of your meals while costing only a fraction of the price on the final receipt.

Don’t : Buy tons of alcohol straight away

It may seem appealing to stock up on bottles of vodka and crates of Coronas “just in case”, especially as the beginning of the year brings the first round of student loans: a tempting time for big purchases. However, the reality often involves too much of the alcohol disappearing too quickly, resulting in tensions with freeloading flatmates and a whole lot of hangxiety. Instead, buy it as you need it to prevent being the unwitting supplier for the whole flat.

Do : Remember to buy Lemsip

Trust me on this one. Fresher’s flu is coming for you one way or another, and the last thing you’ll want to do, when you wake up with a pounding headache and killing sore throat, is to trek to the Fallowfield Sainsbury’s in the rain. Have Lemsip (other brands are available) ready to go and you’ll make your life a whole lot easier, and your flatmates will be very grateful too.

Don’t : Fill up the shared fridge

Don’t be that person. Sharing one small fridge among too many people is a canon event of first year student living, but annoying as it is, it requires compromise. That means, don’t buy masses of spinach and milk and ten-packs of yogurt pots when realistically half of it will wilt or go sour anyway. Not to mention the rightful irritation it causes amongst the seven other people who need to fit in their meals for the next week.

Do : Expand your supermarket choices

Convenience is key, as is evidenced by the queues trailing out of the Rusholme Lidl and Fallowfield Sainsbury’s during fresher’s week. There is more than enough to worry about without the constant need to wait for 15 minutes for just a block of butter or bottle of milk.

So, when you have a free hour or two, I would recommend travelling further afield to Aldi, Asda, or big Tesco to get the goods for the week. While an essential here and there from local supermarkets is handy, the local shops are overpriced and understocked and the ransacked shelves near campus hardly make for a successful shopping trip. Might as well get everything you need from one place, the bus journey to do so really is worth it.

Don’t : Assume a good discount will make you a new person

A three-for-two deal is always tempting, but only sometimes a good idea. While uni is a time to discover new parts of yourself, if you couldn’t stand beans back at home, you won’t magically love them now just because they are cheap and make up one of your five-a-day. Furthermore, even though they are a great idea on paper, realistically your detailed, high-protein meal prep plan won’t survive the first week and half of the perishables, that you have no other use for, will go bad.

At the end of the day, everyone has wildly different preferences, priorities, and budgets, and, with a little trial and error, you will learn what works best for you. But at a time when everything can feel quite overwhelming, these are just some friendly tips to help you get started.