Preston on £10

Student voice

From cheap eats to fun days out with friends, discover how to enjoy Preston on just £10 with students Lois and Joseph's top budget tips.

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Meet Lois and Joseph

As a student, it can be hard to balance spending money on the essentials and fun stuff. Here are some ideas of how to enjoy yourself around Preston on a budget
A photo of student Lois Turley.
Lois Turley
BSc (Hons) Business & Marketing

Balancing money between essentials and fun can sometimes be a challenge. We're here to help with some ideas of how to enjoy Preston on a budget. One of the great things about living in Preston is it has lots of affordable options. Check out our favourite go-to money saving ideas below.

Try our £10 grocery challenge

You’re weekly food shop can be done for around just £10. At one of Preston’s Aldi stores you can buy three meals a day for a week for around - and even under - £10.

Here's how to do it:

Breakfast

Cornflakes, 75p, would last all week as breakfast bought with soya milk, 50p. Lunches could be a mix of soup and sandwiches. The cheapest loaf of bread, 45p, with 39p jam and four tins of soup, many 62p, as well as 89p multipack crisps, would last all week and ensures nice variety.

Dinner

For dinner, two tins of baked beans, a pack of four baking potatoes, penne pasta, and two ‘essentials’ pasta sauces come to under three pounds. That's four jacket potato meals and around three pasta meals. Aldi stores are located near campus on Corporation Street and the ring road, and also in Queens Shopping Park, London Road.

Commuters, being on the go, usually don’t have many cooking facilities to make food like this. On days with early get-ups, and not much time meal deals at Tesco are also a great option. Meal Deals are £3.40 with the ‘club card’, meaning £10 could get three days of last-minute lunches in Preston. Tesco's Express is located on Friargate right next to campus.

"Taking advantage of student discounts and club cards can help your money stretch further. The savings possible can help make it easier to explore more options around campus. Both local and chain businesses offer student discounts for you to enjoy."

— Lois and Joseph

Balancing study and leisure on a budget

Having a balanced and relaxed study and leisure day can be difficult to pull off with timing, but a huge benefit to your productivity. Many find it more accessible to study if leisure and studying is taken in moderation and certain times can be planned, and leisure can be kept cheap.

If the day has lectures ending at 3pm, you can plan in structure to your afternoon that allows for study and leisure. Here's how to enjoy activities with your friends on just £10.

From 3pm until 5pm, hang out at a spot like The Grey Friar, a ten-minute walk away from the university, or at Lampworks on campus. These options have meals for under £10. If you’re not feeling hungry, the ‘Shady Coffee’ café is located next to the Student Centre.

5pm until 6pm is a great time to study, right before dinner, which should be from 6pm until 7pm.

After dinner study for an hour and then continue the night relaxing. Enjoy some cheap snacks, like custard creams or Haribo’s, and catch an early night to be just as productive the next day.

Midweek treat

A great place to grab a bite to eat which is close to campus is Coco’s Soul Foods. It has a range of tasty options for under £10 which includes vegetarian and vegan choices. There is plenty of seating if you want to eat in, or enjoy your food elsewhere as a fun takeaway. My friends and I often celebrate after an assignment with a trip to Cocos. On sunny evenings the student centre offers plenty of outside space to enjoy eating whilst watching the world go by with friends.

Explore Preston's parks

A great way to pass the time is by enjoying the local scenery. Why not have a brew from a local cafe such as Holy Grounds and have a walk around Avenham and Millar Park. Steeped in local history the parks offer stunning scenery all set beside the beautiful River Ribble. It is a great route for walking or cycling and is a lovely place to explore.

Enjoy coffee and a good book

If you’re looking for a place to catch up with a friend or get some studying done, then the Rise café located near the train station is a great spot. It offers excellent coffees, smoothies, and baked goods and there's always something new to explore on the menu.

I enjoy sitting in and covering some reading before I have to go and get the train somewhere. You could grab a study book from the campus library or rummage for a curiosity read at Halewoods Booksellers on Friargate, right by campus.

Fun under a tenner

Level is a local entertainment complex. Play on arcade machines, challenge your friends to laser tag, practice your putting in the mini golf, or go for a turkey in a friendly bowling competition. Each of these options cost less than a £10, and are both located only a short distance from campus.

"My friends and I had a lot of fun getting to know each other at the Level when we first started university"

— Joseph

Preston has a lot to offer for students, and there is always something new to discover. What would you spend your £10 on?

Lois (Business and Marketing student),
Joseph (Journalism student). 

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