Every student understands the value of money as we often sacrifice enjoyable food for more important commodities like alcohol and Dusk entry. However, there is a way to procure gourmet ingredients on a student budget.
A supermarket’s reduced section is a gold mine for the thrifty student who’s bored of pasta and desperate for flavour. The yellow labels have the power to transform your diet, so no more lying to parents about your eating habits.
You can garner wild and interesting ingredients to create a variety of tasty, almost restaurant quality dishes that make you feel like an actual adult.
An excursion to the reduced section can reveal some great deals for high-value items. Find full fillets of rainbow trout and sea bass at just £2-£3, or a whole bag of mussels for just 47p.
Even high-value meats such as steaks and lamb fillets – normally priced around £6-£8 – can be reduced by 50%-75% after those magical yellow labels are slapped on.
Three main supermarkets provide this life-saving service in Stirling, the first being Waitrose. This reduced section is the smallest of them all with peak times between 5pm and 8pm. They offer just a 10% discount, but a good deal can be found on high-quality ingredients if you’re lucky.
Sainsburys is next, who boast a plentiful reduced section. Peak times are from 5pm to 8pm with the best produce being available from 6pm to 7pm. Reductions start low, however, with a minimum discount of just 15%. Partnered with the out-of-town location, a visit to Sainsbury’s may not be the most economically efficient choice. Next!
Saving the best for last, Tesco is king of the reduced section. A minimum reduction of 25% graces the large variety of foods, including a plethora of proteins from lamb fillets to stingray. Peak times are between 4pm and 8pm, with the best produce available between 5pm and 6pm.
Instead of just eating to live, the reduced section means students can live to eat. Next time you’re planning dinner, consider how you can spice things up. Spend less, enjoy more.
