I am a chocoholic. There can be no doubt in the truthfulness of this statement. I crave it when I am hungry, desire it when I am happy, and need it when I am sad. I will be the first to admit that I am truly, utterly addicted. You can be sure to find a stash secretly stored in my house, and sometimes I even replace meals with an overdose of chocolate.

So, how can you survive being a chocoholic on a student budget? I usually need something sweet every day to keep my sweet tooth from gnawing away at my subconscious. Dairy Milk, Galaxy, Toblerone – you name it, I want it! So here are my top 5 tips at keeping those rumbling stomachs happy without harming the student overdraft:

1) Look out for deals in the supermarket. 2 for 3 offers or even half price deals can make such a difference on a student budget. Try to avoid recklessly grabbing one single bar from the local newsagents as they tend to hike up the prices. Instead, buying multipacks will give you more for your money.

2) The phrase ‘sharing is caring’ does not apply to chocoholics. So even when those bags of Cadbury Dairy Milk Giant Buttons or Maltesers explicitly say ‘to share’ on the front of the package, what it actually means is; devour! Do not share, under any circumstance.

3) If you’re looking for a quick chocolate craving fix and have baking goods in the back of the cupboard – why not try a chocolate mug cake? It takes 5 minutes and is super easy. All you need is your favourite large mug, and the following ingredients; 4 tbsp self-raising flour, 4 tbsp caster sugar, 2 tbsp cocoa powder,1 medium egg, 3 tbsp milk and3 tbsp vegetable/sunflower oil. You simply mix all the ingredients in the mug until smooth and then microwave for 3 minutes. Then voilà!

4) When you are feeling incredibly desperate, you can always stroll into Hotel Chocolat and deviously pretend you are about to whack out the gold credit card and buy the entire shop. This will almost definitely guarantee a free sample as the shop assistant will insist you try many delicious and creamy tasters before you subtly make a quick exit.

5) If you hold yourself back from a little indulgence, you will probably go crazy and make some irrational decision to buy every packet of Continental Viennese Truffles in Thornton’s. (Which are all kinds of mouth-watering yum!) Instead, allow yourself a treat every once in a while, otherwise the urge to go on a chocolate spending frenzy will become stifling and you will explode! My favourite place for a treat is the Chocolate Café in Canterbury. They serve waffles and ice-cream drowned in melted chocolate and triple chocolate muffins the size of a small child’s hand. If you are within a 20 mile radius it is an absolute must for all self-pronounced chocoholics!

The trick is about balancing. Try not to over-indulge too often, but at the same time, do not restrict your cravings because you will make them worse. On a serious note, if you are struggling to cope with binge eating and feel the need to talk about any of these issues raised above, the Student Wellbeing Service is free and accessible for any Kent Student on campus.

Published on InQuire Live. 15th December 2014. http://www.inquirelive.co.uk/features/article-9425/im-a-chocoholic-get-me-outta-here/