A College Student's Guide to Saving Money at the Grocery Store
Posted on Sep 18, 2009 by Whistlebury Properties
Earthfare located in Five Points in Athens, Georgia - close to the University of Georgia campus
On a tight, college student budget? If so, looking for ways to save at the grocery might help you stretch your dollar and fill the fridge and pantry at your apartment at the same time.
Here are some tips to ring up savings on your weekly grocery bill:
Buy What You Need
Before grocery shopping, write a list of the items you need. Then, when shopping, only buy those items. Sale items and non-essentials are often positioned where they will catch your eye and tempt you but stay strong and keep to your list. Also, shop for toiletries and other non-food items at discount stores, not the grocery store where they tend to be more expensive.
Don’t Go to the Store Hungry
I used to think this was silly but if you’ve ever been starving at the grocery, you’ll quickly realize the truth in this rule. When you are hungry you will buy anything that sounds good at the time because you are hungry. If you go to the grocery with a full tummy, it’ll be easier to stick to your list.
Check the Entire Shelf
Grocery stores will often place the higher priced items at eye-level. Consumers choose more items to buy from eye level so the more expensive items can be located there so be sure to look at the top and bottom of the shelf for potential better bargains.
Use Coupons
Be careful with coupons – while they do offer money savings, they can also tempt you into buying the non-essentials. Before hitting the store, visit some coupon Web sites and see if the coupons match the items on your list and use them!
Use Cash Instead of a Credit Card
Be careful not to buy more than what you can afford. If you only bring the money you intend to spend in cash, then you can’t spend any more. (you might need to carry along a calculator with you and account for tax with this method so you don’t get into trouble at checkout).
Be Willing to Try the Generic Brand
With some brands, you may not even notice the difference between the name brand and the store brand. This is an easy way to save money on the items that you want to purchase.
Share with your Roommates
Often it’s hard to cost-efficiently shop for just one person so consider sharing with your apartment roommates. A large carton of milk or a full loaf of bread could spoil or mold before one person finishes it all but sharing with one or more people can ensure you aren’t throwing away groceries before you can use them.
Keep these tips in mind the next time you are grocery shopping on your college student budget and hopefully you will experience some savings.
In Athens, there are several grocery stores close to campus including Kroger, Publix, Earthfare, The Daily, and more.
Happy shopping and saving!
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