Your guide to grocery shopping as a college student in Madison, Wisconsin
Getting by as a college student in your own apartment is tough, and since this is my first year living in my own apartment, I’ve faced the challenge of watching how I spend my money. After two months, I have a good idea of where I need to go for all of my grocery needs.
First off, the basics. My “basics” are pasta, cereal, milk, and snacks such as chips and salsa. For these, I go to Target on State Street. I don’t identify as someone who shops for groceries at Target, but I know they’ll have a box of Cheerios or the bottled Starbucks coffee that I drink every morning.
Fresh has a wide variety of basics, but I try to only get produce at Fresh because their prices are on the high side. Their strawberries are usually fresher, and they have a wider selection of frozen items like frozen pizza and frozen fruit. I also buy La Croix at Fresh because they sell the 12-pack cases instead of the eight-pack, which is what Target sells. If I make a meal from scratch or cook for myself and all of my roommates, I’d make a stop at Fresh because they’re more likely to have the quantity and quality of the products I’m looking for.
One of the most important food categories for your pantry is, arguably, snacks. One place where I absolutely splurge on snacks is Trader Joe’s. I like my snacks to make me feel like there is something exciting waiting for me when I get back from class, and Trader Joe’s does just this. On top of being cost-efficient, Trader Joe’s always has what I want (usually before I even know I want it). For savory snacks, I love their off-brand Pirate’s Booty, as well as their naan crackers. Since Crunchy Curls are like the sparkling water of food, I like to grab them here and there, too. I also love Trader Joe’s selection of coffee creamers. My favorite is the brown sugar oat milk creamer.
My favorite thing that Trader Joe’s has to offer is its selection of sweet treats. I love sweet treats; I appreciate a good ice cream sandwich after dinner or some chocolate candy throughout the day. Trader Joe’s always has some sort of sweet treat that I could have never imagined, and they always know how to hit the spot. My personal favorites are the Brookies, dark chocolate peanut butter cups, and cookie ice cream sandwiches. Honestly, you can’t go wrong in the sweet treat section at Trader Joe’s.
If there is one takeaway from this guide, it’s probably that you should just make the trek and shop at Trader Joe’s, but if you’re trying to be more time efficient, the easiest thing to do is to figure out which stores have the products you like and go to each one throughout the week