Before coming to Edinburgh, I knew that it would be difficult having to budget money aside for food as the prices here are insane! However, after staying here for two months, I have a few tips and tricks that can allow you to save up for other things while being able to feed yourself well in Edinburgh!
For almost every lunch meal, I will visit Tesco to get my hands on the £3.60 meal deal (you need to sign up and get a Tesco clubcard). Tesco has the cheapest meal deal and the options are incredible. From pastas to sandwiches, you can pick from a range of options and some are even vegan friendly! The snacks are my favourite part – I get to choose from chips, chocolates and even ice cream! You even get a drink to go along with everything else. Some might ask me, “Carmen, why don’t you just cook for lunch”. As an amateur cook and a busy university student during the day, I rather get my lunch from a nearby Tesco to save time. However, if you prefer cooking, go ahead! I will normally indulge my meal deal in the comfort of Edinburgh Futures Institute where there are many seats to eat alone and clean toilets if you ever need one!
For dinner, I will cook in my accommodation, which is David Horn House. The kitchen is spacious and you are provided with basic amenities to cook almost anything! I try to spend around £15 a week on groceries. I normally cook pasta, rice and Chinese noodles! Sometimes I will go on Youtube to search for quick and easy recipes and I love experimenting on new foods especially while on exchange! As someone that can eat the same foods every day, cooking and grocery shopping is no problem for me as it has become more like a routine already. I would recommend shopping at Cameron Toll Shopping Centre where the Sainsburys and Aldi have tons of options. However, if you are on a tighter budget and not that picky, Lidl would be just fine! Remember to sign up and get your hands on the Nectar card for Sainsburys, the savings are crazy!
Of course, I will allow myself to eat out once a week with friends and enjoy a meal without worrying about the cost! It also gives me something to look forward to every week! Best restaurants that I would recommend in Edinburgh would be Potterrow Bar (very delicious food and very affordable), Sora Lella (best vegan pasta in Edinburgh), 10 to 10 in Delhi (amazing and affordable Indian food) and a little bonus… The marshmallow lady (hands down the best hot chocolate I have ever tasted). The best part? Everything is always a walking distance away so you can always try out different restaurants each week no matter where you are in the city. This is what I found works best for me especially as someone that does not want to cook all the time.
Usually, if I stick to this plan, I manage to spend at most £50 per week on food. Of course, it is not necessary to put yourself through such a tight budget but being on exchange gave me the idea to want to put myself through this fun challenge. I wanted to grow to become more independent and aware of my spendings (especially since I always ate out in Singapore). So, I would say, contrary to popular belief, it is mutually exclusive to eat well and live on a tight budget in Edinburgh!
– Carmen
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