Yasmin’s Story: An Affordable Day in the Life of a Student in Chester

As students, we’ve all fallen prey to inflation and the ongoing cost of living crisis in the UK. This may be due to the increase in prices for everyday items, including groceries, or the possibility of increased rent and other fees. As such, we’re going to have to find ways to cut costs and brush up on our budgeting skills to ensure we can still enjoy our time here at university. This is where I come in. I’m here to give you ideas and suggestions for an affordable day out in Chester.

Start the Morning off Right

It’s important to start your morning off right with a cup of tea, coffee, or a glass of water with lemon. Making your own tea and coffee at home is considerably more economical, but if you’d rather go out to have a coffee, there’s a plethora of cafés in Chester that you can go to – try Pret, Starbucks, or Café Nero.

Breakfast

Breakfast is often termed as the most important meal of the day, so you definitely don’t want to miss it. Once again, you can always make your own breakfast at home. But if you’d like to go out for breakfast occasionally, there are several places in Chester with affordable breakfast options. You can have breakfast with your coffee at any of the cafés I’ve already mentioned, as they offer a variety of pastries and breakfast sandwiches at reasonable prices. Café Juno in Frodsham Square, Chester, is a cute little café to have your morning coffee with breakfast and, if you’re really keen, you might try to fit in some studying while you’re there. The prices are very affordable, and don’t forget to take your Student ID with you for a 15% student discount. It's well worth a visit! Wetherspoons in the Bull and Stirrup Hotel also serves an amazing breakfast from 7am – 11.30am. They have a wide variety of options ranging from large and traditional breakfasts to vegetarian and American style breakfasts. They also have amazing tea, coffee, and hot chocolate for £1.35 with free refills. Who doesn’t love a free refill?!

Get Stuff Done

You can use the rest of the morning to get some things done and catch up on your studies in the comfort of your own home. However, if you’d like a change of scenery, you can head to one of the University’s libraries and use their study areas or book a study room. Alternatively, head over to Chester Storyhouse Library.

Lunch

Before you spend your afternoon exploring the city, grab some lunch. Luckily, there are several restaurants around where you can get good food at good prices. Wetherspoons in the Bull and Stirrup Hotel has amazing options for lunch that aren’t too pricey. If you just want something light you can stop at the Pound Bakery or Greggs. But if you’re looking for something you can easily munch on while still walking around, then Chip’d is the place for you. At Chip’d you have the option of either a regular or large cone filled with delicious twice cooked potato chips served with your choice of 17 amazing dipping sauces, making it easy to walk and still enjoy your food.

Explore Chester

After lunch, you’re all ready for an enjoyable afternoon out in Chester. There are several activities you could pay to partake in, such as the City Sightseeing hop-on hop-off bus tour, the ChesterBoat sightseeing river cruise, and many more touring options. However, there are so many other things you can do, which involve spending a lot less.

Start your afternoon with a visit to Chester Cathedral. This is a great spot for photographs. You can follow that up by taking a walk through the city centre and visiting the iconic Eastgate Clock. You can walk around the Chester Walls for a great view of the city. Chester is known for its beautiful scenery and historic and Roman structures. If this interests you, there are several attractions you can visit, including Chester Roman Gardens and the Roman Amphitheatre. You could take a stroll by the River Dee. It’s a beautiful sight in the daytime with an array of ice cream shops and restaurants to sample. You could also visit Chester Zoo. If you get tired of all the walking around, you can rent a ginger scooter, which costs £2.00 for 20 minutes.

Shopping

If you feel like treating yourself to some shopping but don’t want to spend too much money, I know just the place. Around the city centre, there are numerous charity shops that have amazing things ranging from clothes and books, to films and jewellery at affordable prices. The money you spend at these shops goes towards helping different charities and causes of the shops’ choice. I recommend the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK shops for some good clothes. There’s no better feeling than buying good quality clothes for a fraction of the price while helping to support important causes.

Options for the Evening

After a wonderful afternoon in the city, you can choose how to end your day. You can make yourself a nice dinner at home to save money, then watch a movie or indulge in some pampering or relaxation, before preparing for the next day. Or, if that sounds a bit too quiet for you, head over to Alexander’s on Rufus Court for Alexander’s Live – you’ll be able to listen to amazing live music and comedy performances, and enjoy a variety of drinks at the bar. There’s a good selection of other bars in the city too.

I hope this has been helpful. Be sure to try out some of my suggestions if you haven’t already. Enjoy!