Grocery Shopping for a Broke Student?
Replies
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Im a student and massively cut down my bill when I stopped buying processed food (and cut down a little on expensive fruits). Also less processed crap = greater volume of food for fewer calories = weightloss yay! My go to's are seasonal veggies (were having a marrow glut here) couscous, bulghar, oats, quinoa and rice proetin powder when i can buy them cheap, lentils, mushrooms, soy sauce to brighten things up, tofu. I also make my own hummus with canned chickpeas and a tablespoon of tahini. As soon as I start dropping into the small supermarkets on my way home (usually when hungry!) crackers, chocolate, expensive vegan yoghurt/crisps/coffee/food bars start creeping in my food bill goes up and my weight loss decreases!2
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Check out youtube or foodtv for videos on how to cook. You will never regret it and your friends will be happy to come over and be your tasters. I used to tell a friend to buy the vegetable or bring the wine/beer and I'll provide the meal, she would reciprocate by buying lunch at a restaurant.
If you don't eat much meat, check out vegetarian times website or check out a few cookbooks at the library. One of my new favorite meals is a lentil/mushroom 'meat' loaf.
Roasting vegetables all at once is a time saver. Eat alone, on a piece of toasted baguette or over pasta or polenta. You can make your own polenta with plain cornmeal and boiling water. Add parmesean cheese and eat while it's in the mushy stage or you can pour in onto a sheet pan and bake for a firmer texture..super cheap.
I swear my views fund half of these cooking channels on YouTube but watching and doing are two different things.
Oh that's a cute idea! I should try that with my sister! She loves cooking but she makes me sick every time with all her dairy haha. Maybe that would encourage her to eat more vegetables too haha
I'm going to have to look up a recipe for polenta later tonight, I've never even heard of that
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weightlosssloth wrote: »Im a student and massively cut down my bill when I stopped buying processed food (and cut down a little on expensive fruits). Also less processed crap = greater volume of food for fewer calories = weightloss yay! My go to's are seasonal veggies (were having a marrow glut here) couscous, bulghar, oats, quinoa and rice proetin powder when i can buy them cheap, lentils, mushrooms, soy sauce to brighten things up, tofu. I also make my own hummus with canned chickpeas and a tablespoon of tahini. As soon as I start dropping into the small supermarkets on my way home (usually when hungry!) crackers, chocolate, expensive vegan yoghurt/crisps/coffee/food bars start creeping in my food bill goes up and my weight loss decreases!
Woot another grocery list!! I actually have some tofu in my fridge and some chickpeas! Thanks0 -
Superstore and Sobeys here (P.E.I.) offer 10% off to students on Tuesdays. You could see if the grocery stores in your area offer anything similar. You will need to show your student ID.1
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Amy's soup, eggs, frozen vegetables, frozen berries, oatmeal, cheerios/granola, peanut butter, whole wheat crackers, brown rice, rice cakes, kashi/kind granola bars, popcorn, baby carrots, apples and bananas are all cheap too
Kind bars aren't cheap atleast I don't think so. I paid 15$ for a box and they aren't too filling4 -
AngelxAnnih wrote: »Here in Canada food is crazy expensive. On a week of $50, this is my suggestions:
Eggs 1.99 a carton at fresh co or food basics
Frozen veggies 2$ a bag good for two or three meals
$10 pack of 3 1lb ground lean beef
Potatoes
Rice 4-5$ for a decent size bag
Lentils $3 per bag
Curry powder
Coconut milk 1$ /can
Onions
Garlic
Ginger
Whole chicken (you cut it up and for one person that’s 5 meals) $8 at food basics
Salad fixings $5-8 depending
Dressing $2
Oatmeal $2 for instant $3 for oats
Light mayo 3$
That’s a week of eating really healthy with enough left over for bread.
Dollar tree is a good place for sauces, can turkey flakes and spices as everything is $1.25
Good luck
Omg I never even thought of dollar tree/dollarama. I'm over here waddling through loblaws -.-
Definitely going to have to get some flyers and shop around.
loblaws is one of the pricier stores - check out fresh co, no frills, food basics - all cheaper for the basics...and shop sales only at the more expensive stores (metro, loblaws, fortinos)2 -
AngelxAnnih wrote: »Here in Canada food is crazy expensive. On a week of $50, this is my suggestions:
Eggs 1.99 a carton at fresh co or food basics
Frozen veggies 2$ a bag good for two or three meals
$10 pack of 3 1lb ground lean beef
Potatoes
Rice 4-5$ for a decent size bag
Lentils $3 per bag
Curry powder
Coconut milk 1$ /can
Onions
Garlic
Ginger
Whole chicken (you cut it up and for one person that’s 5 meals) $8 at food basics
Salad fixings $5-8 depending
Dressing $2
Oatmeal $2 for instant $3 for oats
Light mayo 3$
That’s a week of eating really healthy with enough left over for bread.
Dollar tree is a good place for sauces, can turkey flakes and spices as everything is $1.25
Good luck
Omg I never even thought of dollar tree/dollarama. I'm over here waddling through loblaws -.-
Definitely going to have to get some flyers and shop around.
Get the Reebe app for your phone, it gives you weekly fliers from all stores in your area. Also get check out 51 another way to get cash back on purchases. Stay out of loblaws, very expensive!!!! Go to food basics or fresh co those are the cheaper places to buy foods with many great weekly deals!!! I’m in ontario also, Windsor currently but I used to live in Ottawa.2 -
Oh and don’t shop at dollarama, only dollar tree, that one everything is 1.25$ dollarama is getting more and more expensive2
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AngelxAnnih wrote: »Here in Canada food is crazy expensive. On a week of $50, this is my suggestions:
Eggs 1.99 a carton at fresh co or food basics
Frozen veggies 2$ a bag good for two or three meals
$10 pack of 3 1lb ground lean beef
Potatoes
Rice 4-5$ for a decent size bag
Lentils $3 per bag
Curry powder
Coconut milk 1$ /can
Onions
Garlic
Ginger
Whole chicken (you cut it up and for one person that’s 5 meals) $8 at food basics
Salad fixings $5-8 depending
Dressing $2
Oatmeal $2 for instant $3 for oats
Light mayo 3$
That’s a week of eating really healthy with enough left over for bread.
Dollar tree is a good place for sauces, can turkey flakes and spices as everything is $1.25
Good luck
Omg I never even thought of dollar tree/dollarama. I'm over here waddling through loblaws -.-
Definitely going to have to get some flyers and shop around.
Get the Reebe app for your phone, it gives you weekly fliers from all stores in your area. Also get check out 51 another way to get cash back on purchases. Stay out of loblaws, very expensive!!!! Go to food basics or fresh co those are the cheaper places to buy foods with many great weekly deals!!! I’m in ontario also, Windsor currently but I used to live in Ottawa.
Ooh I will definitely download both of those apps!!0 -
Superstore and Sobeys here (P.E.I.) offer 10% off to students on Tuesdays. You could see if the grocery stores in your area offer anything similar. You will need to show your student ID.
I actually have no idea where to use that student card other than the thrift shop for 10% off. I'm definitely going to have to look into that on Monday and make some use out of it while I have it!0 -
Tuna fish sandwiches are cheap. Get an instant pot 3 quart pressure cooker amazon has them. . You can cook lots of stuff in it. steam veggies. Slow cook like crock pot. Pressure cook beans and lentils. Stir fry on saute. scrambled eggs. Boil pasta too. Good luck
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I bought my daughter an Instapot for her birthday (it was what she wanted), and she loves it. Says she uses it almost every night, but she does have a large family now.Tuna fish sandwiches are cheap. Get an instant pot 3 quart pressure cooker amazon has them. . You can cook lots of stuff in it. steam veggies. Slow cook like crock pot. Pressure cook beans and lentils. Stir fry on saute. scrambled eggs. Boil pasta too. Good luck
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I’m a poor teacher, but also on a restricted diet. Rice is cheap and good to interchange with pasta. Dry beans are cheap, and if you can scrounge up a pressure cooker, easy to cook, and they can stretch meats. Canned and frozen veggies are usually less expensive too. I also eat a lot of cabbage. Last night I had a pasta with a sauce of cabbage, garlic, and sardines canned in tomato sauce. I like sardines much better than I thought I would.2
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