01
Find Your Supermarkets
Work out which supermarkets and grocery stores are convenient for you so buying food becomes part of your normal weekly routine.
A Student Guide to Shopping, Groceries & Cooking in Frankston
Living at MPG Lodge and getting used to life away from home? Here’s a practical guide to groceries, shopping, cooking and making everyday student life in Frankston easier.
Everyday Student Life in Frankston
Moving away from home for university is not just about attending classes and finding somewhere to live. There are plenty of everyday things that suddenly become your responsibility too.
Where will you buy groceries? What are you going to cook? Where do you go when you need household supplies? And how do you avoid spending all your money on takeaway during the first few weeks?
Once you are settled into MPG Lodge, getting familiar with the shops and services around Frankston can make everyday student life much easier.
You do not need to have everything worked out immediately. Start with the basics, find the places that suit you and gradually establish a routine that works around your study schedule.
Start With the Everyday Basics
If you have just moved into MPG Lodge, there are a few things worth getting familiar with during your first week.
02
Stock the Basics
Start with versatile ingredients you actually eat rather than filling your shelves with things that seemed like a good idea at the supermarket.
03
Learn to Cook a Few Meals
You do not need to become an expert cook. Having a handful of simple meals you can confidently prepare makes independent living much easier.
Grocery Shopping in Frankston
One of the first things worth doing after moving to Frankston is working out where you prefer to buy groceries.
Frankston has supermarkets, smaller grocery stores and specialty food retailers, so students have different options depending on what they need and how they prefer to shop.
Rather than buying food every day, many students find it easier to plan one larger grocery shop and then pick up fresh items or anything they forgot during the week.
If you do not have a car, think about how much you can comfortably carry back to MPG Lodge and whether you are shopping on foot or using public transport.
Making Your Grocery Shop Go Further
Student grocery shopping does not need to be complicated. A little planning can reduce waste and make cooking during a busy week much easier.
01
Make a Shopping List
Check what you already have before shopping and write down what you actually need. It is simple, but it can stop you buying the same things repeatedly.
02
Plan Around Meals
Think about a few meals you can make during the week and buy ingredients that can be used across more than one dish.
03
Avoid Food Waste
Buying more fresh food than you can eat may not save money. Start with realistic quantities and learn how much you actually use each week.
Cooking While Living at MPG Lodge
MPG Lodge has shared kitchen facilities, giving students somewhere to prepare their own meals rather than relying entirely on takeaway or eating out.
If you have never cooked regularly before moving away from home, keep things simple at first.
Pasta dishes, rice-based meals, stir-fries, wraps, salads, eggs and other straightforward meals can be useful starting points because you can change the ingredients without learning a completely new recipe every time.
Once you are comfortable preparing a few meals, cooking becomes much less of a task and much more of a normal part of your routine.
Easy Meal Ideas for Busy Students
You do not need complicated recipes to eat well while studying. Build a small collection of easy meals you can make without much planning.
01
Pasta
Pasta can be combined with vegetables, sauces, meat or other proteins and is easy to adapt depending on what you already have available.
02
Rice Bowls
Start with rice and add vegetables, protein and a sauce. The same basic idea can create plenty of different meals throughout the week.
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Stir-Fries
Stir-fries are useful for combining vegetables, protein and ingredients that need to be used before they go to waste.
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Wraps & Sandwiches
Useful for lunches or days when you do not have much time to cook, with plenty of options for different fillings.
05
Eggs & Breakfast Meals
Eggs, toast, oats and simple breakfast foods can also work as quick meals when your university schedule gets busy.
06
Cook Extra
When appropriate, preparing more than one serving can give you another meal without having to start from scratch the next day.
Using a Shared Student Kitchen
Living in student accommodation means the kitchen is a shared space, so a little consideration makes things easier for everyone.
Clean up after cooking, keep track of your own food and belongings, and avoid leaving the kitchen occupied longer than necessary when other students may want to use it.
It also helps to clearly understand which food and supplies are yours rather than assuming something is communal.
Shared kitchens can also be social spaces. Cooking at the same time as other residents is often an easy opportunity to talk to people and get to know the students you are living with.
Student Living at MPG Lodge
Shopping for More Than Groceries
Groceries will probably be your most regular shopping trip, but from time to time you will need other everyday items as well.
Frankston has a broad range of shopping options where students can look for clothing, toiletries, stationery, pharmacy items, electronics and other everyday essentials.
When you first move in, try not to buy everything you think you might possibly need at once. Live in your new accommodation for a little while and work out what you actually use.
This is particularly useful for interstate and international students who may arrive with limited luggage and gradually pick up additional items after settling in.
Simple Ways to Manage Everyday Spending
Living away from home often means managing more of your own everyday expenses for the first time.
01
Know What You Spend
You do not need an elaborate spreadsheet, but having a basic idea of what you spend on groceries, transport, eating out and entertainment can be useful.
02
Cook More Often
Eating out is part of enjoying student life, but preparing your regular meals yourself can make it easier to keep everyday food spending under control.
03
Leave Room for Fun
Managing your spending is not about never doing anything. Planning for social activities and occasional meals out can make your budget more realistic.
New to Australia?
Grocery shopping can be surprisingly different when you move to another country.
You may find unfamiliar brands and products, while some ingredients you regularly use at home may be found in specialty supermarkets or international grocery stores rather than your usual supermarket.
Give yourself some time to explore. You will quickly work out where you prefer to shop and where to find the ingredients and products you regularly use.
Cooking food you are familiar with can also be a nice piece of home while you are adjusting to life in a new country.
Find a Routine That Works for You
There is no single correct way to manage student life.
Some students like planning meals for an entire week. Others prefer deciding what to cook a few days at a time. Some shop once a week, while others make smaller trips more often.
The important part is finding a routine that works with your university timetable and does not make everyday tasks more difficult than they need to be.
Once shopping, cooking and other basic responsibilities become routine, you can spend less time thinking about them and more time focusing on study and enjoying your time in Frankston.
Settling Into Life at MPG Lodge
Finding your favourite shops, learning a few meals and getting comfortable with everyday life are all part of making Frankston feel like home.
If you are already living at MPG Lodge, explore our other student guides for more information about studying, transport, university life and making the most of living in Frankston.
More Guides to Student Life in Frankston
Shopping and cooking are only part of adjusting to independent student life.
Explore our other guides covering living in Frankston, studying locally, moving away from home and getting settled at MPG Lodge.
