The thing about college is that everyone is typically running on a tight budget, and learning how to make that budget livable and enjoyable can be hard. Your grocery receipt can easily turn expensive really quickly. Here are some helpful strategies to make eating on a college budget easier:
1. Find reliable recipes you can easily make and enjoy.
Cooking isn’t for everyone, but the truth is that you should have at least three meals that you can cook well. Now, in college, the key is to have three reliable meals, meaning ones that you could easily make and consistently enjoy, no matter how often you have them. Build time for consistent meals! Not only does this save you money by not wasting it on snacks you don’t need, but it can also help you structure and manage your weekly schedule.
2. Plan your meals.
Meal prepping is a huge key to success when it comes to saving money on food. Finding a few recipes you enjoy ensures that you do not waste money on food at the grocery store that you can’t make a meal out of. When you make that rookie mistake, it’s pretty easy to waste an extra $10 every day on fast food or downtown restaurant runs to compensate for your lack of food. That spending alone could be the difference of hundreds of extra dollars in your budget that you could be using for other areas of your life.
For me, 80% of the food I buy at the grocery store will be for my meals. The other 20% of my cart includes a few snacks and treats to make sure I don’t go insane. Balance is the key to success.
3. Don’t buy brand name foods.
An easy hack to save money at the grocery store is to avoid name brands. In fact, the only name brand you should go for is the grocer’s brand. Often, staple foods like noodles or dairy products will be sold for 50-75% less by the actual grocer. For the most part, the “off-brand” tastes exactly the same, anyway.
4. Be strategic about where you buy your groceries.
Not all grocery stores are created equal. I’ve noticed that when I go to HyVee, my tab always seems to be above my normal spending in comparison to Walmart or even Schnucks. Still, sometimes HyVee rolls out better deals, making it a smart choice. Another thing to consider is if you have a Fuel Saver reward with HyVee or Rewards Points with Schnucks. Ultimately, rewards can and should play a role in where you buy your food.
In my observations, Aldi is by far the most cost-effective choice. If you can work your recipes where a bulk of your groceries can be bought there, save yourself the money and do so. In fact, Aldi is a smart place to go for staple groceries at the very least, (i.e. any produce, dairy, meats or grains). For more particular items, just head to a different store. It may seem tedious, but it has saved me a ridiculous amount of money.
5. Limit unnecessary food spending.
This one takes real discipline, but if you have a strict budget, then you don’t have a choice. Cut out the unnecessary snack foods, the daily coffee runs or the nightly ice cream or fast food runs. Obviously, another big waste of money could be on going out to bars on weekends. Alcohol is expensive. Keep those things in mind, and do whatever you need to do to save money.
Grocery shopping doesn’t have to drain your savings. Budget your money and follow these hacks and you’ll definitely save some money each week on food.