Groceries on a budget

JessieBoland

I'm a college student so I don't have very much money to spend, and all of the nearby grocery stores seem to be quite expensive. Does anyone have any tips for buying groceries without having to spend too much money?

illuvatree

Buy food in bulk if you can. Bulk sections usually have things like different kinds of rice, quinoa, cereal, etc. And in the long run it can be cheaper than buying a bunch of packages of the stuff.

lynn_glenmont

Store brands, not name brands. Look at the store ad/flyer (usually available at the customer service desk if it doesn't get delivered to your apartment or dorm): the big ads on the front page are generally the best buys, because they are intended to tempt people to come to that store (instead of another chain), in hopes that they'll buy other things as well that aren't on sale. Eat what's cheap that week, or what's in your kitchen left from what was cheap last week.

Think of what you're buying in terms of the number of meals you'll get out of it. Three dollars (in my area, maybe $2.50 on sale) may seem like a lot for a loaf of bread, but if there are 16 slices in the loaf, that's the basis of 8 sandwiches and maybe a third of the calories in 8 meals, or a slice of toast as part of 16 breakfasts. Oatmeal, rice, dried beans, store-brand cold cereals, and store-brand peanut butter all give you a fair number of meals (or parts of meals) for what you're paying for them (especially on sale), and they all keep well at room temperature (I'm picturing my college experience, in a dorm with a mini-fridge, a toaster oven, and an electric water-kettle in the room, and a range top down the hall shared by about 50 students. Fortunately, hardly anybody used it for anything except JiffyPop -- yes, I'm old -- so you never had to wait long to use it. If you have a real kitchen at your disposal, it gives you more options.) Look for canned tuna on sale.

I don't know what to tell you about meat, without knowing what kind of kitchen facilities you have access to. I never bought meat in college, because it was expensive, especially in packages suitable for one or two, plus it would have had to be something suitable for quick cooking on a range top, and those cuts also tend to be more expensive than cuts you cook for a longer time. We would mix cream of chicken soup with rice; I remember it as being very tasty. If you do have a full kitchen, you could buy a large package of chicken breast (boneless) when they go on sale, repackage them with enough for each meal in each packet, and freeze them. They're incredibly versatile. Or if you like stir fries, get some eye of round when it goes on sale, cut it down to 2 to 3 oz per person per package (because you're going to stretch it with lots of veggies and some rice or noodles), and freeze it.

Only pay for convenience (prepared, ready-to-eat food, whether it's pre-chopped celery, pasta salad from the deli, frozen pancakes, or frozen dinners) when you absolutely must or when it really is such a fantastic deal that it's cheaper than you could do yourself, or maybe something that requires equipment you don't have. The point is, don't pay the store or the food manufacturer to do things you can do for yourself. Learn to cook from scratch.

Buy in-season fresh produce; it's generally cheaper and better quality than out-of-season produce (but some things like onions, potatoes, carrots, bananas don't vary much in price or quality by season, at least not in my area). Comparison price between fresh, frozen, and canned veggies, but don't buy canned peas if you can't stand canned peas (just an example; substitute your own preferences). Comparison price different sizes of products you want to buy; larger containers are often a better unit price (price per ounce, etc), but not always. (Of course, only buy larger sizes of perishables or nonperishables that will become perishables once you open them if you can eat them before they go bad or if you have freezer space.)

Good luck.

JourneyingJessica

I cut my grocery bill in 1/2 by using Costco (similar to BJs or other bulk food stores). The trick is to control portions so you don't just eat it because its there. Things like Greek yogurt, snacks, bread, milk are all cheaper. For me it worked out. For most daily things i could get 3 from Costco for same price of 2 at store.