As a college student, I’m always looking for ways to save money. That includes when shopping at the grocery store! Buying nutritious and filling meals for a week shouldn’t break the bank, especially when you plan ahead. Here are my top 5 tips that I follow when grocery shopping to keep myself within a budget:
1. Shop from your own pantry first
How many times have you gone to the store, passed an item, and thought “Oh I think I need more of this!” only to come home and add it to the collection of unused pantry items? I know I’ve been guilty of this. Before you go to the store and even before you make a list, check to see what you are stocked up on first. Do you have a can of black beans collecting dust in the back of your pantry? Or have a veggie in your fridge about to go bad? Incorporate those items into your meals for the upcoming week!
2. Make a list!
Write out what you plan to eat for every meal of the week. Then list out the ingredients required to make each of those meals. Plan to make meals that require similar ingredients so there is less of a chance of you buying an ingredient and it going to waste. Be sure to include snacks to this list as well!
3. … and stick to it!
I know how tempting it is to add items to your cart while shopping, but this is usually the biggest culprit to your total being much larger than you expected at the end of your grocery trip. My biggest tip to combat this is, if you can avoid it, do not go shopping while hungry! When I’m hungry I almost always buy more things at the grocery store than what I need.
4. Sign up for grocery store loyalty programs
Most grocery stores have loyalty programs with deals and discounts only offered to those enrolled. These are usually free to sign up for and they usually have perks beyond discounts on groceries such as discounts on gas! If you don’t feel like signing up yourself, check with family members and friends to see if you could use theirs.
5. Buy in bulk
Shopping at wholesale clubs like Costco or Sam’s Club is another great way to save money household necessities. However, I only recommend this if a family member, friend, or roommate already have a membership to these places because it can be costly for a college student. Buying in bulk usually has a larger up-front cost, but you save money in the long run because you don’t have to replace household items as frequently as when you buy them in smaller quantities. If you have roommates, I’d recommend splitting the cost of shared household items, like toilet paper, dish soap, etc. so you are both saving money.
Another great, and cheap, bulk buy option is Best Food Forward, a student organization we have mentioned on the blog before. Through them, you can purchase fresh fruits and veggies at an average of 50% the cost you’d be paying at a grocery store. Check out their website (https://www.bestfoodforward.org/) to learn more about ordering food through them.