Dont go catered! If, like you say, youre good with ways of saving money then you'd be great at food budgets and the like. Spend a tenner in Lidl or Aldi sensibly or even on the market, and youve saved at least £40 already than you would have spent living at Pollock.
The food is... well, everyone says its not too good. I wouldnt know, but im so excited at the idea of having a kitchen to myself (ourselves) in a flat and cooking things.
It is so much cheaper anyway you think about it really. Friends at pollock halls say they spend just as much on food as self catered people cos they either dont wanna eat whats on offer at pollock or they dont get to the canteen in time.
Also, (sorry to ramble, im so excited about being self catered, and im deffo no genius in the kitchen) but all the self catered flats are in the city itself, most on cowgate which is a brilliant street in edinburgh.
Ah well, ill shut up, but just some ideas to maybe think about (or not)