Food Allowance Amount

[TupperJen]

My daughter is doing a semester at a UK university, and it's self catered accommodation. We've said we'll pay for her food - but how much does a student need, I don't want her having to live off pot noodles, but also not eating out 7 nights a week either!!

Any suggestions as to what a student food-budget might be on average?

I send my ds £50 pw which I think is top-endy but he is a fitness fan who focuses on protein and eats lots.

A woman might well eat less (I eat a lot less than he does) but even so £30 absolute minimum abd that would mean budget shops (Aldi) and no takeaways. Plus she will need ££ for transpprt, socialising, clubs, toiletries...

Thanks for that, she will fund her own extras from her savings, we'll pay accommodation and food.

And she's able to cook from scratch, so hoping that by giving her budget might encourage her to seek the bargains and cook/eat sensibly, not just the takeaways etc.
Now hoping that one of the other students in college bring the cooking pots/pans, as she doesn't really want to buy it for one semester.

After accommodation my son has just under £70 per week left over but that has to cover not only food but cleaning items, toiletries, phone, travel etc.

On actual food both he and dd probably spend about £30-40 per week.

Food only £25-30. If you include personal care items (shampoo/deoderant/sanitary items/etc) then £40ish.

My DD is able to cook from scratch most days. She eats a lot of chicken, salad and potatoes on £35 which includes all meals each day. The purchase of an airfryer in the tiny halls kitchen made a big difference to what she could prepare.

£25 a week all in should buy a pretty decent standard for one person if she’s organised.

Depends where she is.

I’d think closer to £30-£35 most places if OP wants her daughter to eat reasonably healthily. Especially if batch cooking isn’t an option (which it may not be if there’s no / limited fridge or freezer space)

I used to spend about £25 a week 30 years ago! We did cook proper meals though but hardly bought any meat, it was mostly veggie meals.

£50 I'd say as you don't get economies of scale cooking on their own and they might want the odd kebab or Subway. Get him a pack of stuff to start off with like salt and pepper, coffee etc as getting those in to start with costs a fair bit.

What supermarkets are near her accomodation ? Also are they big or small size? A Tesco Extra will be cheaper than a Tesco Express and a Aldi will be cheaper than a Waitrose.
Most have online websites where you can check prices.
My dd spend £40 pw including toiletries (no fancy brands)

Ds spends £35-£40 mostly cooks from scratch but that does include meat, chicken and fish including salmon, plus a Pukka pie sort of thing every week which will push the price up. He also has chicken or ham sandwiches. This is supermarket only, he keeps tabs on any takeaways in a separate pot.

Ds said at the end of summer term there was a donation site for clothes, bedding, pans, utensils, all sorts as lots of international students don't take all that back with them. Not sure where they go but contact the uni and see if there is anything like that available to donate to her.

Also remember laundry costs, each uni varies, some get free tumble drying some don't. Ds is at a uni where you don't need detergent as the machine dispenses its own internally.

Get her to do a meal plan for 2 / 3 weeks.
And do a "shop" on one of the online stores.
She needs to adjust for only shopping for 1 which is always more evpensive as she cant do bulk deals.

In terms of kitchen equipment lots of unis will have stalls at freshers distributing items last lot left behind/donated for free or small payment. There’s an eco hub shop at DD’s uni that also has free household items, bet most unis have similar.
Someone may be willing to share if she asks but she’ll easily be able to pick up a few things.
If it’s circuit laundry it’s expensive.

I think £25 is optimistic unless she is veggie and doesn’t eat much. Seriously, breakfast cereal and milk, lunchtime sandwich and fruit, and what’s needed for an evening meal will cost more than £3.50 per day. Ds only buys apples and bananas as fruit like grapes is too dear. Use of a freezer is helpful.

I am assuming she’s within 20 minutes of an Aldi or Lidl as you would be in 95% of student digs.

50 for food and 50 transport/socialising etc?

What happens if they can’t use that detergent? Is there an option to use their own? DD would be an itchy mess!!

@Countrylife2002 It is an environmentally conscious one, so it is non-bio laundry detergent. To be fair it isn't the norm, most use Circuit Laundry where you throw your own pod or detergent into the drum. Ds is at Warwick which uses Washpoint which has the non-bio self dispensing. To be fair it wasn't something on his list of why he was choosing that uni and it is only for the first year anyway as after that they don't live in uni halls.

DD can only use Surcare which js a specialist detergent . Oh well, we will see where she ends up and deal with it then - there must be an way!

@Countrylife2002 if you Google the universities your DD has applied to and laundry it will tell you which system they use. Most use Circuit which means your own detergent. Hopefully all of the ones she is looking at are Circuit. If not, contact the uni accommodation department and ask about alternative machines on campus.

Thanks everyone, gives me a good starting point to consider. I might start at 35/40 a week, then if she finds she's always poor we have room to wiggle... and she has her own savings as well... it's only for the one term. Unfortunately she can't bring a starter pack from home, as she's coming from overseas, not really practical to pack food along with everything else!
I will mention to her about the food pinching etc, say to her not to bulk buy for the week unless she knows it won't get eaten etc.
She might have flatmates that want to contribute/cook together, but most likely not.

Big mistake.

Lots of students have fallings out over who's pots and pans are used. A basic set of pans costs £10 at Argos, add in a frying pan for £6-7 and she will be sorted.

I think set an amount but once she gets her timetable it might need a bit of adjustment. I used to have a day with three lectures, one morning, one afternoon and the last one 6-9pm.

Unless her halls are very close it isn't really practical to cook if she has a day like that.

In all the halls my to have been in the students all have their own pots and pans but you only need a max of two pans plus a frying pan and an oven tray. Ds only has one pan.

Be aware that many halls need induction pans.

Yes mine had one saucepan and one frying pan from aldi and a universal lid off Amazon. I’m sure she wouldn’t but do ask before using someone else’s stuff it was a source of friction in DD’s flat (mainly because several yp left things filthy and didn’t put back)

Yes, it was a source of friction for ds too. He is autistic and hated that others burnt things onto his baking tray. (he shared with international students)

I would say £50.
Especially if your overseas as other might arrive with a basic supplies from home and parents ie oils and spices which will add to costs.
And they will be buying all toiletries and other bits they forget if not much luggage.