Living independently in a student property, you will need to get your head round the regular domestic shopping. If you have always lived at home or in halls of residence before, this may be new to you and rather a mystery. Here at Househustler we offer these tips to help the novice household shopper:

• Local corner shops may well be convenient, but are unlikely to be cheap. Explore various stores to compare prices. It may be worth travelling to make large savings

• Make a list before you go shopping. Check the cupboards to see what you actually need

• Decide as a household which, if any, items will be bought communally (for example, toilet rolls, cleaning materials.) Pay for communal items separately to personal ones

• Start a household kitty, with everyone contributing fairly and regularly, to pay for shared items

• Nominate a person to buy the shared items each week. (Prevents duplication, or no-one doing it at all)

• Paying by cash from kitty funds, and sticking to what money is available, avoids arguments about who paid for what and who owes whom

• Keep the receipts for ‘kitty’ items. This will show correct accountability, and help with future budgeting

• Apply for loyalty cards at stores you use regularly. Their points, discounts and offers are worth having. (Remember to present your tokens before the bill is finalised – otherwise the discount won’t be deducted)

• Watch local publicity for special offers and coupons. (Note the use-by dates – miss these and you loose out)

• If you need transport to reach your favourite store, plan ahead for weekly shopping

• In store, head straight for the ‘reduced’ section. Ignore sell-by dates – the food is still good

Houses for students can be disorganized, but a little planning will ensure the household shopping is efficient and economical.