Poor Kid's Grocery List?

Restlessme
Restlessme Posts: 191 Member
I'm sure we can all understand as college/grad students that...we're kind of poor at this stage in life. I currently live in on-campus housing, but in an apartment style type of housing. I have three other roommates and a kitchen that's usually full of food...that doesn't belong to me.

Do you all have a set grocery list that you shop for, either weekly or bi-weekly and meals to go along with them? While I know what I'd like to purchase, I'll admit I didn't realize food was so darn expensive!

:flowerforyou:

Thanks for looking!

Replies

  • I buy the majority of the groceries for my family, and most of the time I'm going to the farmer's market for fresh veggies and fruits - not too expensive, depending what you're purchasing. I also buy an organic bread there, which is about $4-5, pricy but soooo good! I can usually leave the store spending $20-30, a couple of times a week. But I'm also buying for 4-5 people (depending if my boyfriend's coming over to eat too!) For you, I'm sure it would be significantly less since you're only purchasing for yourself.

    I stick with staples - green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, green onion, red onion, any fruits (mainly apples and bananas), milk, cheese, bread, and maybe some lunch meat for quick lunches.
  • I'm on a (very limited) meal plan this year but next year I will start living on the apartments also. I try to drink a lot of protein shakes and those can be used at a meal replacement. I try to have lots of other drinks too like milk, water bottles and my favorite juices. I found some really good health snack bars in my school store that they are now starting to stock at Walmart and such.

    Lately I have been eating those little chackers that come with soup sometimes they look like little shell they are really cheap on $2.50 for a bag. I started to think about how I'm going to have real meals next year. I'm probably going to bring food from back home when my buys it and stuff I know my parents will want to make sure I have food at school
  • jayche
    jayche Posts: 1,128 Member
    Rice, Potatoes, Bananas, Eggs and Chicken if it's paycheck week.

    All in bulk
  • Tachyonic
    Tachyonic Posts: 64 Member
    Raw veggies (carrots, snap peas, cucumbers)
    Lite/Low-Cal salad kits (a little more expensive than just buying dressing + raw lettuce, but I always find that I forget about the lettuce if I buy it raw, and it goes bad)
    Hummus
    Bread (it's a little more expensive, but Dave's Killer Bread is great and good for you... lots of low-calorie options to choose from, too!)
    Egg whites
    Lucerne or Laughing Cow sliced cheese or cheese sticks (I love pepperjack, and it's the lowest calorie cheese!)
    Fresh fruit (apples, mandarin oranges, and if I have some extra money, kiwis, strawberries, mangoes, nectarines, blueberries, blackberries depending on what's in season)
    Raw potatoes (great for making sliced potato wedge "fries" instead of eating McDonalds fries for a craving!)
    Miso soup (a little expensive, but fills you up for very few calories)
    Progresso/Campell Healthy/Low-Cal soup cans
    Oatmeal single-serve packs (great for filling breakfasts, only 120 calories per pack)
    Vitamin water (I am addicted to this stuff, and it's a little better for you than diet soda)
    Turkey breast lunch meat
    Kosher hot dogs (tend to be very low-calorie and easy to make for a snack)
    Frozen broccoli
    Frozen chicken breasts
    Frozen fruits + non-fat yogurt for low-calorie smoothies
    Frozen shrimp
    Cous cous (easy to make, and lower-calorie than making rice or pasta)
    Supplies to make home made pizzas (flour, yeast, etc.) - sometimes I skip the mozzarella & sauce and go for a Mediterranean pizza (pizza dough with tomato, spinach, and feta on top)

    Hope that helps a little bit!
  • Gohita
    Gohita Posts: 2 Member
    My weekly musts are : potatoes, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, eggs, yogurt, bananas and apples or grapes. I try to always keep grainy bread, tomato sauce, legumes and rice in the pantry. Quinoa is great too. Depending on what I've planned for the week I'd also get lettuce, spinach, carrot, avocado, beetroot, broccoli (etc etc) ...and meat, normally tuna or chicken. I don't spend much on drinks... water and tea work great for me.
    Having a general idea of what meals you'll be cooking during the week/month will help you make the best of your groceries. With these ingredients that I've mentioned you can make easy omelette dishes, salads, soups....There's LOADS of options ;) good luck!
  • I don't have a set "list" that I follow for every grocery trip, but my biggest suggestion is to follow the sales and let them inform what you buy. Buy larger quantities when things like boneless, skinless chicken breasts are on sale at the store and freeze them in single-serving packages - you don't need anything fancy, just some quart sized freezer bags. A lot of veggies will freeze well this way, too, and you can throw everything together in a single quart bag for a quick meal.

    Invest in a water filter pitcher if you don't already have one - combined with a couple of reusable water bottles, it'll save you a lot of money in the long run and you'll be more likely to drink water that actually tastes good (water straight from the tap around here is NASTY). It's generally best to stick with basics when it comes to beverages - water, skim milk, and the occasional glass of juice (just don't let your juice expire, because that's money wasted!). I try to keep a carton of milk in my fridge at all times because I drink it in my tea and use it in my cereal and a lot of my cooking.

    Also make sure you're looking at how much items cost per ounce or per unit when it comes to buying food. You want to go with the size that's the least expensive per ounce that you can feasibly use up before the expiration date - bulk is only better if you can use it or freeze it before then! Your own personal eating habits play a role in what is most cost-effective as well. I personally buy a more expensive brand of milk (Born Free) instead of the store brand because it lasts significantly longer - it takes me a while to use up a half-gallon of milk, so it's more effective for me to pay the extra dollar or so for the name-brand milk because otherwise I would have to buy two half-gallons of the store brand milk and see half of it spoil before I could use it.

    Another important aspect to consider is quality - white bread may be cheaper than whole wheat, but it's also pretty useless in terms of nutrition. Make sure you're reading the labels and getting what you need from the foods you choose. And keep your loaf of bread in the refrigerator if you're worried about it starting to mold before you finish it - I've found that my bread lasts significantly longer if I keep it cold.

    Don't pay the store do to something for you - instead of buying the pre-cut fruit and veggies, buy the whole thing and chop it up yourself. The convenience isn't worth it when you're on a tight budget. The same goes for nutritional shakes like Slim-Fast - mixing the powder in a Blender Bottle works just fine, and I don't taste a difference between that and the bottled shakes. All you're paying for is the convenience. You don't even really need a Blender Bottle, either - it's not as smooth, but stirring also works.

    Things I like to buy a lot:
    - Hummus and baby carrots or pita chips
    - Bananas
    - Applesauce or fruit cups
    - Lean sandwich meat & cheese
    - Frozen meats (ONLY buy these on sale!!)
    - Skim milk
    - Cereal (usually the bagged kind, which tends to be less expensive)
    - Whole wheat bread
  • I usually spend around $30-40 dollars a week on food:

    I ALWAYS buy:

    Eggs
    Shredded Cheese
    One choice cheese (cottage cheese, provolone or string cheese normally)
    Ezekiel 4:9 Wraps (So Nutritious!)
    Sliced Turkey Mesquite
    Lettuce/Romaine or Spring Mix
    Fresh Broccoli
    Apples, Bananas or Strawberries
    Carrots or Celery
    2-3 cans of low sodium soup
    2-3 frozen diet meals (Lean Cuisine, Healthy Ones)

    With this list I have the options of soup, salad, wraps or diet meals for lunches and dinners throughout the week. Broccoli makes a great side! I always eat eggs, oatmeal or fruit for breakfast. I eat any fruits or vegetables for snacks, or if I have cottage cheese or string cheese that week!

    SOMETIMES I buy: (These are things that I do not buy on a weekly basis, but only when I'm craving it or feel inclined)

    Milk
    Frozen Vegetables- For when I'm feeling lazy or busy!
    Apple or Orange Juice
    Oatmeal Packets- These usually last awhile!
    Yogurt
    Sorbet- For Sweetness!
    Frozen Diet Treats- For when I have the craving for fudge and ice cream!!
    Raw Grilled Chicken and Alfredo Sauce- It's my weakness... no pasta though, I just pour it over broccoli and grilled chicken!

    I NEVER buy:

    Sliced Bread or Bagels (Bagels are treats! Panera only!)
    Easy Mac or boxed Pasta (Low-cost, but high calorie and FILLED with things you cannot pronounce)
    Chips, Crackers or other Snack items, (Pudding, Popcorn, Mini Cakes etc) Not necessary to live.
    Fish Sticks, Chicken Fingers and other unrecognizable meat products, along with "Tater Tots" and other fried potato products!
    Canned Fruit- Avoid anything with Syrup!
    Frozen Breakfast Options - Eggs are the cheapest and best way to go!
    Cereal- It's just carbs... where is the nutrition!? There are so many better options and it's so expensive!
  • ethieman
    ethieman Posts: 99 Member
    Greek yogurt (buy the big ones and divide into small containers is cheaper)
    Eggs (I probably go through a dozen every two weeks)
    Big carton of egg whites
    Shredded cheese
    Low cal multigrain/whole wheat sandwich wraps or sandwich thins
    Kraft Light Mayo
    Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges (Light)
    Rice
    Fresh Spinach (it goes on/in everything I eat)
    Spring Mix
    Salsa
    Celery
    Chicken Breast
    Mrs. Dash Seasonings
    Almond Breeze Almond/Coconut Milk Blend
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    beans, rice, and tortillas were a staple for me. I would make cilantro lime rice, cook up a big crock pot of beans and I'd be set. I'd also usually have a thing of pico de gallo on hand. I'm hispanic so mexican food I know.
  • holberta93
    holberta93 Posts: 2
    My normal weekly shopping list is (pretty much all from winco):
    Milk
    A tub of baby spinach
    Pepper jack cheese
    Pound of deli turkey
    tortillas
    oatmeal
    apples
    jalapeno ranch dressing
  • Grad student here:

    Breakfast-yogurt (depending which one is on sale), eggs, sometime cereal. If I am in a rush or low on groceries I like the carnations breakfast powder

    Lunch
    I am trying to learn how make veggies more delicious so I get
    -cherry tomatoes
    -romaine lettuce (tends to be cheap where live)
    -1 or 2 peppers, usually red and yellow
    -mushrooms
    -random veggie on sale here

    As a treat I like to go to the salad-making section and they have olives that have been preserved with different spices and stuffed with interesting things, like sun dried tomatoes. I get a little bit of that as a treat. I also have greek dressing (it's my greek phase)

    I get milk and feta cheese (for salads and other stuff).

    I don't eat meat often so I get the precooked frozen chicken breast pieces. They are $10 a bag and last me two weeks. It saves time and tastes pretty good. You can chose to cook your own chicken, which I do if there is a good sale

    I keep an eye out for sales in the frozen food isle. Last time there was a 10 for 10 dollars sale on these wild rice veggie frozen mix bags. They are yummy and each bag is a good side portion for two dinners!

    Of course the biggest money and calorie saver: STOP BUYING SO MUCH BOOZE lol I get a pack once in a while but I can't believe how much money I spent on booze as an undergrad.