Students, let’s be real here, doing your weekly food shop is something that nobody looks forward to. Whether you hate hauling your heavy bags of pasta and milk back, whether you cannot for the life of you make a decision on what meals you fancy that week, or you just cannot bear the thought of those last few pennies leaving your bank account for the sake of replacing the load of bread you let get mouldy, we can all agree that it is certainly an arduous task. Food shopping, although less glamourous than our preferred counterpart, clothes shopping, can still leave you feeling good about yourself and your bank account.
Whether you are a ‘brand snob’, or you huddle around the ‘reduced to clear’ section at 5 pm every Friday for those flashy deals, each person seems to have a favourite supermarket, and what makes that even worse? When each University city seems to just not have certain supermarkets? (Eck hum, Nottingham – what is the obsession with Sainsbury’s?). Now, if you are a student of any university north of the midlands, then you might have a hard time locating one of these premium chains… but for everyone else, this article will take an in-depth dive in the ‘Waitrose Essentials’ items that DO NOT break the bank.
You probably thought you would never see the day when ‘Waitrose’ and ‘affordable’ were put together in the same sentence. But here it is, and folks, it certainly is doable. You can cook up avocado on toast for only £1.50 – incredible!
1. Healthy start to the morning
If you fancy a lighter breakfast in the mornings, why not opt for the Essential Porridge Oats with Wheatbran, a brilliant slow-release carbohydrate to start your day. Accompany this with Essential Original Soya Drink for 90p, Essential Frozen Raspberries for £2.15 per 350g and a banana for only 15p, and you can eat peacefully, knowing your body and soul is being nurtured with good food. And, your bank account is not hurting too much either.
2. Nursing a hangover
No stranger to a student’s kitchen cupboards is hangover essentials: your bacon, eggs, toast, hash browns, sausages. If it is greasy, you will eat it. Waitrose’s Essential range does not withhold your hangover-cure favourites; you can get 10 smoked bacon rashers for £2.25, whilst six free-range eggs are only £1, and Waitrose Essential White Flavoured Baps ensure you can create your own handcrafted McMuffin for 75p (by the way, if you really want to push the boat out then Essential Tomato Ketchup is an extra 65p).
3. Avocado
Avocados are the best friend of nearly every millennial, and rightly so. This exotic, green vegetable is versatile, healthy and becoming more affordable every day. Waitrose Essential Home Ripening Avocados are perfect for any student seeking an affordably nutritious diet, at only 90p each. Pair this with Essential Wholemeal Medium Sliced Bread for an extra 60p, and you have created the perfect healthy cooked breakfast or on-the-go lunch for only £1.50.
4. Household essentials
Let’s be real, we are in the midst of a pandemic. Even in the distasteful state of student living, getting the anti-bac wipes out is a must. At Waitrose, their Essential range ensures you can get nine White Ultra Soft Bathroom Tissue rolls for £3.75, whilst 72 anti-bacterial (and bio-degradable!) wipes are only a £1, and Essential Thick Bleach Citrus is just 60p.
Their ‘Essential Fabric Conditioner Gentle 50 Washes’ is also only £1.60, suitably appropriate for the student budget, and your clothes will be thanking you too.
5. Graduation BBQ vibes
In the warm heat of summer, all of your exams have long passed… what better way is there to celebrate than a BBQ with your Uni mates one last time.
With ‘Essential 12 British Beef Burgers’ and ‘Essential British Pork 12 Sausages’ only £2.50, accompanied alongside two large sweetcorn for £1.50 and ‘Essential Mixed Salad’ only £1, you can offer everyone a pretty varied spread for not such an expense. Add white sesame seed burger buns (six-pack) for only 70p to complete the meal.
