Feel like you're (literally) eating up your Student Loan? Bet you won't have thought of these tips for saving money on food and groceries...

When you start shopping for your own food at uni, one of the biggest shocks is just how expensive it can be - especially cheese.

When it comes to food shopping, students tend to fall into the same pitfalls over and over again.

How often have you bought a one-off meal from the local shop around the corner instead of stocking up at a big-budget supermarket?

It's time to break those old habits and look at this shiny array of top tips and hidden gems to save yourself some cash.

Here are the best ways to save money on food:

1. Get cashback on your shopping using the best supermarket cashback apps.
2. Downshift to value brands - a lot of your basic foods can be bought from the value range, and you genuinely won't be able to tell the difference. Use our guide on downgrading your supermarket brands to find out more.
3. Look for yellow stickers in the reduced section. Many supermarkets sell food that's getting close to its sell-by date at a cheaper price.
4. Freeze everything that's freezable - making use of your freezer will save you a shedload in the long run. The trick is to freeze things in portions and know what's freezeable and what's not.
5. Take advantage of new customer discounts with online grocery delivery services and same-day food apps.
6. Get a part-time job in a cafe or restaurant that feeds staff meals during breaks (and lets you take leftovers home). Some companies with the best perks do exactly that. 
7. Plan your meals for the week, shop accordingly and use the freezer when necessary.
8. Write a shopping list before going to the supermarket - and try not to deviate from it.
9. Also, do a stock take before going shopping and let this dictate your meals for the week.
10. Set a weekly budget and stick to it.
11. Buy meat in bigger cuts and make it last. For example, buy a whole chicken and use the breasts and thighs for a few dinners, use the extras for your lunch sandwiches, then boil up what's left and use it as stock for soups.
12. Buy tinned food when possible, as it lasts a very long time.
13. Avoid waste by knowing which foods you can eat after their best-before dates and using our tips to make food taste fresh again.
14. Learn to cook. Learning some decent budget recipes will save you money if you can ditch overpriced supermarket meals for one. Our student cooking tips will get you started.
15. Eat out on your birthday. Loads of places will give you a free meal to celebrate. Hope you're hungry!
16. Invest in decent food containers so you can take lunches into uni - and never buy lunch on campus.
17. Buy in bulk (but only when it makes sense) - particularly with your toilet paper. However, don't overbuy food. It's best to only buy what you know you will use to avoid anything going to waste.
18. Never go to the supermarket when you're hungry.
19. Take turns cooking with your housemates - just make sure you take turns washing up too.
20. Buy frozen fruit and veg instead of fresh - you won't believe how much cheaper frozen can be. This works for meat and fish, too, with frozen cod going perfectly in our cod and pesto dish.
21. Chip in for basics and bulk buys with your housemates.
22. Invest in a slow cooker. Even the cheapest of meats taste amazing when they've been cooked for 12 hours (or, in the case of our pulled pork recipe, around six hours).
23. Never pay for plastic bags. Not only is it a waste of 10p, but they're bad for the environment too. If you already have lots of plastic bags at home, you may be able to recycle them for money.
24. Use loyalty cards for money off and freebies. See our list of the best loyalty cards currently out there.

Sources

Save the Student
54 ways to save money on food

By Save The Student
Save The Student is the UK's leading student money website, helping you budget your money, make sense of student finance, look for part-time jobs, find extra funding and more. Founded in 2007, the website provides free and impartial guides, tools and verified deals to tackle the real-life money problems students face at university.