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STUDENT 101: GROCERY SHOPPING ON A BUDGET | Jazz Blackwell

In a post way back in the days of yore, I promised that there was a post to come about how to do your food shopping on a budget while you're a student. I never really got round to it - until now, that is.

For most, starting uni is the first time we'll be fully financially independent - and that includes being the first time you're fully responsible for your own groceries. In all likelihood, you're gonna be on something of a shoestring budget - there's a reason that the student stereotype is surviving solely on tins of beans and Pot Noodles. But that's not the way it needs to be - with a little planning, a general knowledge of the local area and a couple of useful tricks and apps, it's completely possible to eat pretty well on even a tight student budget.

TIP #1: FAMILIARISE YOURSELF WITH YOUR LOCAL SUPERMARKETS

This might seem glaringly obvious - perhaps to the point of being entirely annoying, but sometimes the obvious needs to be stated. The first thing you want to do when moving away to uni, whether you're going into halls or finding your own place, is to familiarise yourself with the supermarkets in the area. There are a couple of ways you can do this; the easiest is probably doing a quick google search of 'supermarkets near [your area]'. From there you can weigh up your options and make the most sensible decision for you - you're not likely to be able to afford Waitrose every week, even if it is your closest, and it might be worth making the extra five minute walk to Asda if that's your situation.

If you're going into halls, you'll probably find that your uni has assigned some older students to help with the move-in process. The majority of them will have lived in halls themselves, and they'll have at least a semi-decent knowledge of the area you're moving into. They're usually more than happy to answer any questions you have, so it may be worth asking which supermarkets you have in the area and exactly where they are in relation to the halls buildings.

Also remember that there's nothing wrong with budget supermarkets - Aldi and Lidl may be the butt of the joke in some circles, or the subject of a number of memes. But when you're a broke student, there's not really a lot of room for that kind of snobbery. Fact of the matter is that a lot of the products on offer at the cheaper supermarkets are every bit as good as their more expensive counterparts; you're usually just not paying for the name brand or fancier packaging. If you've got an Aldi or a Lidl available to you nearby, it's definitely worth picking those.


TIP #2: SUPERMARKET COMPARISON SITES
Now, maybe this is something most people already knew and I was just late to the party, but when I discovered supermarket comparison sites and apps at the beginning of second year, I was blown away by how handy it was. 

The one I specifically use is MySupermarket (not spons). It's pretty simple: you use the site to search for any items you need, and they compare the prices across fifteen different stores in the UK, including the leading supermarket chains. You can even compile an entire shopping list, and the site will tell you which supermarket is best to go to in order to spend the least. The site also allows you to see the best deals currently going on across all the stores they work with, and you can even use it to order a grocery shop online if that's what you prefer to do. My only criticism of it is that the mobile app isn't fantastic, and I much prefer working with the mobile site. 

TIP #3: LISTS AND BUDGETS
If you're looking to spend as little money as possible, I can't stress enough the importance of making a list before you hit the supermarket to get your grocery shopping. If you go in without one, even if you have an idea in your head about what you want, you're significantly more likely to go off-piste and spend money on additional things that you don't need. Make a physical copy of a list and take it and a pen with you to the shop so that you can check each item off as you get it. Remember here that there's nothing wrong with supermarket own-brand or value-brand products, and that frozen veg is no worse for you than fresh. 

It's also a good idea to set a budget before you go to the supermarket - perhaps even write it down on your list. If you go to the shop knowing that you want to spend no more than £20, for example, you're far less likely to overdo it. If you want to be even stricter with it, you can take only as much cash as you want to spend and leave your card behind at home; that way, you can't overspend even if you want to.

TIP #4: COUPONS, COUPONS, COUPONS 

This is another point that may seem redundant in its obviousness, but as with the first tip, it's obvious for a damn good reason. 

Coupons can be your absolute best friend when it comes to shopping as a student. Be they for cashback or for money off your entire purchase or singular products, anything that's going to help you save a wee bit of dough on your weekly shop is going to be handy for you. They can be a bit of a pain in the arse to find, but its worth putting the work in if you really need to scrimp and save. 

Your best shout for finding coupons these days is online; there's a whole page of them over on Money Saving Expert which gets updated regularly and is thoroughly checked to ensure all offers are fully valid and verified. There's also the offers page on P&G's Super Savvy Me website, where they regularly offer coupons on products from many of their daughter brands (note: P&G brands are all non-food brands, and these are mostly just useful for cleaning products and toiletries). You can also go the old fashioned route and check the newspapers for vouchers, but there's no guarantee here that you'll find any, and this does involve spending the money that the paper costs to get them. You can also check the App Store or Play Store to find coupon apps. 

TIP #5: SUPERMARKET LOYALTY PROGRAMS
Once you've familiarised yourself with the supermarkets in your area and decided which one is going to be best for you, think about looking into loyalty programs they might offer, as these can be a good way to save money or to be rewarded as a loyal/regular customer.

Personally, my closest supermarket is Morrisons, who offer the Morrisons More scheme which you can sign up to for free, with both a plastic card and an app that you can use. You get 5 points for every £1 you spend on groceries in-store or online, on fuel at Morrisons petrol stations or on food in Morrisons Cafés, or 25 points for every £1 you spend on gift cards in-store. When you reach 5,000 points, you receive a £5 off entire purchase voucher. They offer coupons through their More app, both for money off of various items and for extra points on certain purchases. They also have a 'More for Students' club that you can sign up to when you get a More account, through which you can get exclusive offers and discounts throughout the year. This is the only program I actually have any experience with, but you can find a really great comprehensive list  of the best ones over on Lovemoney. 

 So those are my tips on how best to go about grocery shopping on a shoestring budget as a student. Try them out and see if they help, and feel free to leave any more you might have down in the comments of this post. 

 Keep it weird,
Jazz xo
all that jazz budget shopping save the student
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MY GOALS FOR 2019 | Jazz Blackwell

Hello there friends. Everyone's favourite inconsistent blogger is back in the New Year, and (hopefully) back with a vengeance!

Okay, so it's been some months since I last made a post - the previous one being well before Halloween. I kinda dropped the ball with this thing, and dropped it hard. It was for a few reasons; I took a job, which ended up not working for me at all, I suffered deterioration in my physical and mental health, and I became completely snowed under with uni work, which I left completely to the last minute.

But enough for my X-Factor Audition sob story. Things are going quite well for me now, and it doesn't do at all to dwell on the past. Instead, I think it's best to use this post to look at the future; more specifically, the year ahead and what I'm hoping to do inside of it. I hesitate to call these New Year's Resolutions; those feel far too ephemeral, far too easily broken and far too much like a fad. Instead, I'm setting myself a list of things I want to have achieved by 31st December 2019 and I fully intend to post at least a couple of update posts throughout the year, as well as a round-up on the next New Years Eve.


1. Run 5k in 30 minutes or less

 Back in October, I got back on my bullshit, so to speak, in terms of physical fitness and was actually utilising my university gym membership four days a week and going to pole fitness classes once a week. I know working out isn't for everyone, but I was honestly thoroughly enjoying it, and my body felt the best it has in years. Unfortunately, with the aforementioned surge in workload, I fell off the wagon for half of November and most of December.

My plan for the New Year; utilise the Couch to 5k (aka C25K) app that I've loved so much in the past, and actually train myself to run 5km (3.1miles) in half an hour or less. I'm someone who enjoys running (shocking, I know), and its really something that helps my mental health. I'm hoping that setting a goal like this will really get me on track to do it regularly this year.

 2. Read 50 books this year

 I used to be such a big reader in school - I'd be plowing through a couple of books a week, sometimes having more than one on the go at the same time. Hell, I started my blog as a book blogger. Recently, however, I've kind of fallen off the reading wagon and I don't really have an explanation for it.

This year, I want to try and read a total of 50 books - just a little less than one per week. I'm cheating a little and including my compulsory reading for university in this; partially because I'm taking twentieth century lit this semester and am very excited about some of the books on our reading list, partially because it'll ensure I actually make myself read them, and partially because I'm being practical and wondering if I'll have time to read one a week outside of that. If all goes to plan, I'll have a reading roundup at the end of every month, where I let y'all know what I've read and how I felt about it.

 3. Be able to climb in pole

 I mentioned in my first point here that I've been going to pole fitness classes as of late, and it's something I'm really enjoying. It's an incredibly empowering and liberating sport, as well as being a fantastic work out. Thing is, as much as I enjoy it I'm not particularly good at it - mostly due to my distinct lack of upper-body strength.

My goal for the end of this year is to successfully achieve a pole climb - exactly what it sounds like. While spins are decidedly more fun (at least in my opinion), it's the climbing that's a real struggle, and I definitely feel like I'll have a sense of accomplishment if I manage to do it properly!

4. Post on this blog at least a couple times a month

 If you're a reader of this blog, it'll come as no surprise to you that I'm, at best, inconsistent. However, I really do want to try to be more active on social media in a blogging capacity this year; much like exercising, it's a hobby I really do enjoy yet I don't exactly make enough time for myself to do it.

To remedy it this year, I'm aiming to post at least fortnightly here and at least every other day over on my Instagram. Hopefully I'll be able to do it a little more frequently - maybe weekly or more - but I'm allowing myself that leeway to make sure I get into the habit.

5. Try to be late for class less than once a week

Much like Lewis Carroll's white rabbit I, frequently, am late. For pretty much everything - so much so that I was even given an 'award' for it at the end of my sixth form career. It's one of my worse habits - generally, I'm not that late for class (though on occasion I miss the first half of a lecture) but sometimes those first five minutes that I miss are vital to understanding the rest of the class, or I miss important information that I'll regret not having later.

My goal here is to reduce the number of times I'm late to class to one a week, at max. I'm not going to say I'll never be late, because I know myself well enough to know that that isn't possible, and that shit happens so that sometimes I'll be delayed on getting into uni. But if I can get there on time for all but one lesson a week, then I'll be happy as Larry.

 6. Try to see friends in a social setting at least once a week
My first two years of uni, I was great at socialising - always out doing things with my friends, even if it was just a short walk or a quick coffee. This year, however, for various reasons, that doesn't really happen so much any more and outside of classes, I don't really get to see people that often. 

This year, I want to make a concerted effort to spend time with my friends at least once a week, even if it just means them popping round to mine (or I to theirs) for a coffee and a chinwag. Studies have found that spending time around people that you like increases levels of serotonin - the happiness chemical - and have even suggested that socialising could lower your risk of dementia, so it's really worth trying to hang out with people more often. 

 7. Have as many assignments as possible done the day before the due date
Look. I'm a uni student. We're known as expert procrastinators. If there's one thing I really really am good at, it's putting shit off until the last minute. Really, it's not been that much of a problem for me thus far, and I've usually had things done on time. However, in the past couple of months I've had so much else to do and put so many things off that I've had to apply for extensions on deadlines. Not that there's anything wrong with needing an extension, of course; I'd just rather not need one because I put off work.

To avoid that this year, I'm going to try and make sure I have any of my assignments done the day before they're due, rather than the day of, so that I can proofread and submit them within plenty of time.

8. Make sure to go through my wardrobe and clear out at least once a month
If you know me irl, you'll know that I am the literal personification of the concept of a 'floordrobe'. My clothes generally end up on a massive pile on my bedroom floor, rather than hung up in the cupboard or folded in my drawers. Simply put, it's because I just have far too many clothes, and I don't even wear half of them. I also keep buying more - a habit I know is going to be harder to break than my messiness, so we'll maybe deal with that in 2020 instead. 

This year, however, my plan is simply to go through my wardrobe at the end of each month and clear out anything I feel like I haven't worn in a long time, anything that doesn't fit me, or anything that I feel like no longer suits my style. 

 9. Only eat takeout/fast food once a week (at most) 
Confession time: for the past month or so, I've been completely abusing Deliveroo and Just Eat, to the point I should be banned from both apps. Seriously; there should be a law on how many takeout deliveries are allowed to one address, in the interest of keeping me from ingesting a year's worth of sodium within three days.

My aim this year is to cut my takeout/fast food intake to no more than one day a week - not only will it help me to save the money I so desperately need to save, it'll also help with improving my physical health, and I don't think anyone can argue that that's a bad thing.

10. Get my skin conditions under control, so I can finally get my first tattoo. 
Since I was a baby, I've suffered with eczema and I've had issues with psoriasis for the past couple of years. It's something I'm used to and it doesn't bother me as much as it once did, but it is getting in the way of one thing in particular; since I was a little thirteen year old emo kid, I've been desperate to have at least a couple of tattoos. However, as you can probably imagine tattoos and such conditions aren't really the best of pals; it's not sensible to ink over broken skin and in some people tattoo ink can even cause breakouts of eczema. 

This year, I'm really going to try and make a concerted effort to get my skin under control for a long enough period so that I feel like I can get my first ink by New Year's next year. That's another thing that my last point should help with too; I could for sure spend the money I'll save on takeout on a tatt! 

So those are my goals for the coming year - here's hoping I manage to smash them! 

How about you guys? Have you got any goals or resolutions this year? Let me know! 

Happy new year,
Keep it weird, 
Jazz xo
2019 goals all that jazz jazz blackwell
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