Mocked for budget &quot;cooking&quot;

If you are happy with the way you are - then just rise above it. Best option is to take the piss out of them back for their over the top food choices. Show them that you can take a bit of banter, but you will give it back too.

If your not happy with the way you are - then there are ways of eating very good food, very cheaply. As a student I used to live on a tiny budget, but would cook food that was hardly distinguishable from the students with much bigger budgets. You just have to think cleverly, look for good value discounts, shop at the end of the day/week, when discounts are cheapest - try markets instead of supermarkets for some late-day great deals on fruit+vedge. Buy ingredients that last a long time, and ration them out, and cook fresh for the most part, but only using the cheaper vedgetables. There are a lot of ways you can make potatos and onions taste great, and they are dirt cheap and last for ages.. forget the aubergines and the organic whatever though..

If you dont want to do any of that - thats ok, its a lot of effort, and most people just dont care. So just grow a thick skin, give back as good as you get, and show them that you do what you want, and do not cave to what others think. In the long run they will respect you for that, even if they dont like it/you/understand.

Reply 4

stripystockings

2

Original post by Callum323

ll off either so they can't give me much support. My "treat" for the week was tesco orange juice instead of tesco cordial. I also don't care what I eat, if it keeps me alive then I'm fine, frozen veg won't kill me. Looking through "student cookbooks", every meal has 15 expensive ingredients that I'll use once then have to throw away.

Does anyone have any advice? Should I just tell them to go **** themselves?

Check out the website cooking on a bootstrap - it has recipes worth varying prices, like recipes under 50p and some under 10p (per portion). It's a really, really awesome website. From the site, here's a list of what you could do with food you might otherwise throw away, here's tips on shopping on a budget (it's worth a read even if you think you're doing everything already, here's a sort-of shopping list which is basically advice on the cheapest/best value foods to buy, and here's a kitchen basics list.

Seriously, this site is a life-saver - everything on the "kitchen basics" list are foods regularly used in other recipes on the site, and are things you'll use again easily, and the recipes are awesome. There's some vegan and vegetarian recipes as well.

Edit: also, just wait until their bursary runs out and they're panicking, while you'll be totally fine. That's going to feel great.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 5

Original post by Callum323

It's a week into uni and I've been made fun of for the a few days for eating just sandwiches and frozen food. I applied too late for a bursary because I didn't know they were available. Everyone else spends about an hour in the kitchen dinner using brand name foods, making something different every day or going for a take away that costs them ~£10 for one meal.

I can't afford much due to my tight budget, and my family's not very well off either so they can't give me much support. My "treat" for the week was tesco orange juice instead of tesco cordial. I also don't care what I eat, if it keeps me alive then I'm fine, frozen veg won't kill me. Looking through "student cookbooks", every meal has 15 expensive ingredients that I'll use once then have to throw away.

Does anyone have any advice? Should I just tell them to go **** themselves?

It sounds to me like you unfortunately share a kitchen with a bunch of snobs. I would totally ignore them and eat whatever you damn well feel like eating.

Reply 6

FightToWin

14

Eat their food, if they dont like what you eat now they can't complain then :smile:

Reply 7

Nirvana1989-1994

Tell them to get f***ed, plus the ones that keep spending money on takeaways will run out soon anyway.

Reply 8

Truflais

Original post by Reality Check

It sounds to me like you unfortunately share a kitchen with a bunch of snobs. I would totally ignore them and eat whatever you damn well feel like eating.

This tbh. At least you're not wasting your money on brands and overpriced food OP. When they're low on money they'll realise how difficult it can be. Plus, if you're happy with what you're eating then who even cares? I'd just ignore them. Can't say I'd want to be friends with people like that anyway.

Reply 9

Twinpeaks

18

OP what uni is this???

As far as I'm aware it's the standard to eat like you are as a student :s-smilie:

You must be unfortunate in sharing a flat with a bunch of snobs as has already been said. Take it on the chin OP, and keep on doing what suits you.

Reply 10

markova21

Original post by stripystockings

Check out the website cooking on a bootstrap - it has recipes worth varying prices, like recipes under 50p and some under 10p (per portion). It's a really, really awesome website. From the site, here's a list of what you could do with food you might otherwise throw away, here's tips on shopping on a budget (it's worth a read even if you think you're doing everything already, here's a sort-of shopping list which is basically advice on the cheapest/best value foods to buy, and here's a kitchen basics list.

Seriously, this site is a life-saver - everything on the "kitchen basics" list are foods regularly used in other recipes on the site, and are things you'll use again easily, and the recipes are awesome. There's some vegan and vegetarian recipes as well.

Edit: also, just wait until their bursary runs out and they're panicking, while you'll be totally fine. That's going to feel great.

Thanks for the link. I've heard of Jack Monroe and have seen her in an ad on TV.

Reply 11

Trinculo

Original post by Precious Illusions

This tbh. At least you're not wasting your money on brands and overpriced food OP. When they're low on money they'll realise how difficult it can be. Plus, if you're happy with what you're eating then who even cares? I'd just ignore them. Can't say I'd want to be friends with people like that anyway.

Even though you have no clue what was actually said (or even if anything was said) other than a vague notion that the OP "has been made fun of"?
I'm calling it - over sensitive person who needs to get over it.

Reply 12

Truflais

Original post by Trinculo

Even though you have no clue what was actually said (or even if anything was said) other than a vague notion that the OP "has been made fun of"?
I'm calling it - over sensitive person who needs to get over it.

It just seems *****y to mock someone because of something as silly as what they choose to eat :dontknow:

Especially when it's largely because of a lack of funds.

Reply 13

Original post by Trinculo

Even though you have no clue what was actually said (or even if anything was said) other than a vague notion that the OP "has been made fun of"?
I'm calling it - over sensitive person who needs to get over it.

S/he's is only a week into university and is understandably a bit sensitive to these things coming from a slightly disadvantaged background ... Don't you think that casually calling the OP 'over sensitive' is a little harsh?

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 14

Trinculo

Original post by Precious Illusions

It just seems *****y to mock someone because of something as silly as what they choose to eat :dontknow:

Especially when it's largely because of a lack of funds.

But firstly - we don't know what actually happened, if anything. It could just be the OP being extremely sensitive and over-reacting.

Secondly - really? Living in a Fresher flat and getting upset because of being mocked over "frozen food and sandwiches"? What's the solution? A safe space for food?

Reply 15

username2183021

OP

2

Thank you for the advice everyone :h:

I'll check out those budget cooking websites. I should learn to cook anyway, it's probably not healthy to live on frozen stuff for a whole year. Also it's Warwick uni for the person that wanted to know. Thank god I didn't go to my other choice of Exeter, I would have been driven out by now :s-smilie:

Reply 16

Trinculo

Original post by Reality Check

S/he's is only a week into university and is understandably a bit sensitive to these things coming from a slightly disadvantages background ... Don't you think that casually calling the OP 'over sensitive' is a little harsh?

You don't know that anything actually happened. OP didn't say anything other than "I was made fun of". That could mean almost anything.

Reply 17

Original post by Trinculo

You don't know that anything actually happened. OP didn't say anything other than "I was made fun of". That could mean almost anything.

I think you're being pedantic - all I am interested in is how the OP reported how it made them feel. Would it hurt you awfully to be a little kinder with your words, Trinculo? For the sake of a fresher in his/her first week?

Reply 18

Original post by Callum323

Thank you for the advice everyone :h:

I'll check out those budget cooking websites. I should learn to cook anyway, it's probably not healthy to live on frozen stuff for a whole year. Also it's Warwick uni for the person that wanted to know. Thank god I didn't go to my other choice of Exeter, I would have been driven out by now :s-smilie:

You'll find some people more to your liking, I'm sure. I hope Warwick's working out for your apart from this! All the best.

Reply 19

Truflais