Hello! It’s Molly again and I thought I’d give you all some tips on how I budget and save money down in Penryn and Falmouth in this current cost of living crisis.
Hello Fresh
This brilliant food service delivers all the ingredients and recipes needed for up to five meals each week for as many as four people. I used this throughout my first year to help me learn the basics of cooking and to get a variety of meal ideas for the future. A convenient and easy start for any student learning to cook! They currently offer 60% off students’ first box and 25% off the next three.
5-day Firstbus app tickets
A small saving, but something that I have only recently learned is the 5-day bundle of £2 day bus travel tickets instead of the usual £2.50 adult day rider. There are also student Falmouth-Penryn Kernow unlimited yearly bundle tickets available (more information can be found the fxplus website).
Train travel
Splitmyfare.co.uk is a great website to grab yourself a cheaper train ticket and save on your travel to or from the university (with a 4.6 on Trustpilot). If you frequently use the train, I also highly recommend purchasing a railcard – a 16-25 railcard is £30 for a year but will save you 1/3 on your overall ticket price!
HC Medication Form
Did you know that as a student you are able to apply for the NHS HC low-income scheme? If eligible, you could save on monthly prescriptions, dental fees, and eyesight fees. Definitely worth applying for if you are struggling with costs related to your health.
Falmouth CRAP Facebook page
Community support is a beautiful quality found around Falmouth. It is especially seen through this Facebook page of people from Falmouth and Penryn helping each other by donating items they no longer want or need. Here you can collect free useful bits and bobs, for new students settling in, such as a free bookshelf, kitchen utensils, or even fabric scraps. If in need of an item, you can ask to see if anyone has one they no longer use or want. Giving is also highly encouraged!
Food
The Lidl plus app, Tesco Clubcard and Sainsbury’s nectar card are definitely worth getting if you plan on doing your weekly food shop at any of these places! They offer great daily food discounts, coupons, and points that you can spend on whatever you like in-store or online.
Another thing to note is the Lidl £1.50 box of fruit and veg that would otherwise be thrown out. These go quickly though so getting yours early is essential!
Finally, if you are struggling to afford your weekly food shops, the SU has recently introduced a pantry in their building where you can get yourself free basic ingredients such as kidney beans, pasta, canned fruit, and potatoes (as well as sanitary products).
Below, I have created a suggested weekly shopping list if you need some ideas of where to start.
Other tips…
❋ Pre-pack lunches the night before! – Save buying more expensive food while out and about
❋ Best gyms I’ve found for money and equipment à The Space and Falmouth Fitness and performance gym
❋Try to get bills included when renting a house – saves a lot of stress!
❋ Get stuck in! For many uni is an only a one-time thing so make use of all the amazing free & discounted events & opportunities the university has to offer e.g., sustainability week, freshers week, black history month as well as lots of creative and informative student workshops!
Weekly Shopping List suggestion:
I try to have most of these in each week…
- Bread
- Milk
- Eggs
- Cheese
- Pasta
- Hummus (great for sandwiches)
- Chopped tomatoes
- Red kidney beans (good protein to throw in lots of dishes!)
- Broccoli
- Cucumber
- Spinach
- Bananas
- Easy peel oranges
- Frozen fruit (for smoothies)
- Pizza (to freeze for a day when I don’t want to cook!)
- Chocolate (Because you deserve to treat yourself now and then?)