Are Students Really Living Well for Less?

You've all heard it. That catchy slogan. Sainsburys, live well for less. Not long ago, The National Union of Students (NUS) declared that on average, a student will spend just £24.32 a week, putting them in a ‘desperate state’ to fund their basic living costs; living well for less actually causing a rise in student anxiety.

The average student shop costs £24.32 a week

Many students will have surely realised by now, whether it be their first, second or third year living away from home – life is expensive, and there is a reason that students are stereotyped to live on pasta alone. We have bills to pay, travel costs to cover and course resources to purchase – and on top of that, we still have to eat.

NUS statements were released ‘warning’ people that students were living on the lines of poverty; struggling to fund their basic living needs and being forced into debt, leaving them unsupported throughout their studies.

Keen to discover for myself how students feel towards their money, I created an online survey to see how Falmouth students felt about their budget.

I wanted to know how much the average student spent a week on food, and whether their diet had a contribution to the cost. Is the NUS right in stating that students are living ‘below the poverty line’ by spending so little on food?

My survey results showed that 42% of respondents spend less than £20 on food per week. 35% remained in the margin of what the NUS has claimed.

‘I live in my overdraft during term time and work two jobs during the holidays to pay it back. My loan doesn’t cover housing costs.’

When asked about the support gained from their maintenance loans, students of a landslide majority believed that they are not offered solid financial stability. Students are facing the fact that their loan doesn’t necessarily cover housing costs and have to rely on parents for financial support.

One student said that their course commitments does not allow them time for a decent job, so has to ‘scrape through,’ simply dependent on their savings. ‘Watching the last few pounds leave your bank is never a good feeling,’ says one student, who is frequently questioning where they can get money from.

Whilst housing rent can be cheaper than living in university halls, the added stress of bills and daily commutes has caused people to limit their food costs and adjust their diets to relieve their spending.

Those who have a vegetarian diet outweighed those with a meat-based diet by 10%, stating that ‘meat is a luxury’ that they often can’t afford, so a vegetarian diet is more practical. Some are comfortably limiting their meat intake to once or twice a fortnight, or substituting certain parts of their diet to save money.

Unfortunately, the stereotype of students living off pot noodles and pasta is not far from the truth in some cases. Many students in the margin of spending £20 a week or less, have said that their diet is ‘mainly those horribly cheap noodles from ASDA.’ They often ‘make one good batch meal a week and then eat the leftovers for quite a few days.’ This is a technique used by many to help cut down on costs and make money go much further.

Whilst the majority agree that money is one of the biggest causes of stress and diets are sacrificed because of it, others have shown that they accept spending more on food.

A student in the £30 a week margin stated that they ‘do not think less than £24 a week will lead to a healthy, balanced diet, as cheap foods are often high in fat and salt.’

Some have even suggested that they feel awkward when comparing their £20 a week meals with their flatmates.

‘It is stupid to define poverty as spending little on food.’

In response to whether £24.32 a week should be classed as below poverty lines, most people from my survey disagreed, stating that ‘it is stupid to define poverty as spending little on food.’ Some believed that this was a reasonable amount to spend if you know how to live cheaply and conserve money.

This sparked some interesting responses, yet the one I considered to be most conclusive towards the argument was: ‘it depends if they [students] eat cheap foods out of choice or circumstance.’ Should we really be classifying the difference in people’s lives as poverty?

Student loan payments will differ based on the income of parents, varying the amount each student receives. Diet and influences towards the food you eat will also change from person to person.

As it would seem, the NUS are right to state that finances largely contribute to a student’s stress and anxieties, but poverty? We’re not so sure.

Some were lenient that poverty wasn’t a far-off claim, as struggles with finance are ever present among university students. Publications such as Save The Student have suggested that stress due to finance and a change in diet as a result, can negatively affect a student’s grades.

Whether students are really living below the poverty line was put down to the individual’s overall living situation, rather than what their diet entails.

What is important to consider when spending money on food, as a student or someone who is new to living independently, is that you are still looking after your body mentally and physically, giving it everything it needs to be happy.

Stay healthy 🥑

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If you need any guidance on how to live cheaply but stay healthy, here is an NHS guide on simple ways to reach that goal: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/20-tips-to-eat-well-for-less/