A Healthy Grocery List on a College Budget!

Hello there!

I'm so it's excited it's Monday because in two days I will be back at school to move in for my final year of college! I'm starting to pack everything up and it's all becoming real! Can you tell I'm excited?? It's a little bittersweet because it's my last year but I'm really looking forward to all the fun times to come.

As soon as I get my things in order at my apartment, I'll be hitting up the grocery store to restock my fridge. And with living on my own comes the responsibility of choosing healthy foods and not blowing a bunch of cash on snacks. (Mom and Dad, you raised me right!) So today, I thought I would share with you my healthy grocery list on a college budget!

Last year, I found I would rotate between 8-9 meals and then bought my grocery based on them. I would suggest before going to the grocery store, you should sit down and write out meals you enjoy such as salads, grilled chicken and veggies, pastas, quesadillas, etc. and buy what you need according to those meals. If you're stumped on meal ideas, Pinterest has a world of options. Also, planning out your meals for the week can prevent you from overspending.  

Now everyone has different food preferences but these were items I noticed I kept in my fridge or pantry last year.

Purchase weekly:

- Tortilla shells 

- Shredded nacho/taco cheese

- Chicken breast

- Deli Turkey or cold cuts

- Bananas

- Avocados 

- Tomatos 

- Salad greens

Purchase every 2-3 weeks or as needed:

- Milk

- Eggs

- Butter

- Feta cheese

- Orange Juice

- Greek yogurt

- Cottage cheese

- Frozen fruit

- Frozen veggies

- Wheat bread

- Hummus

- Pasta

- Granola

- Oatmeal

- Coffee creamer

Purchase when out:

- Rice

- Spices

- Popcorn

- Condiments

- Canned soup

- Peanut butter

- Tomato sauce

- Coffee K-cups 

- Lemon/Lime juice

Other tips to consider when grocery shopping that can help save you money:

- Buy in bulk: buying things in bulk from stores like Costco or Sam's Club will be more expensive initially but you won't run out of the product quickly and in the end, the unit price is smaller.

- Buy store brands: contrary to popular belief, name brand isn't always better. Store brands are typically the same quality as name brands but much cheaper. While there are some items that I will always buy name brand, the money you save when you buy store brands is worth it!

- Check "sell by" and expiration dates: when buying perishables like milk, eggs, and cheese, it's important to check the "sell by" and expiration dates before purchasing. By checking these, you can increase the longevity of your food and extend your next purchasing date.

- Coupons are your best friend: as a kid, I always rolled my eyes when my mom would pull out her coupon book before going to the grocery store but now, I get it. (sorry Mom!) Being able to save a couple dollars here and there can really add up and end up being big savings. 

I hope this list helped and gave you some ideas! Thank you so much for reading!

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