The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the views of the campus.
This article was written by a student writer from her West Chester campus.
Managing classes, homework, and trying to prepare home-cooked meals in college is already hard enough. However, grocery shopping doesn’t always have to be difficult. Here are some tips for managing your big trip to the store and how to save money while eating well:
Stick to your grocery list
As fun as impulsive decisions can be, the price definitely adds up, especially with food. Sticking to your grocery list will be key to budgeting. Make a list in advance so you don’t get sidetracked down the aisle. Often times, grocery shopping can become stressful, even more so when you have a lot to buy. So, instead of trying to remember what to buy during your shopping, you can get in and out without buying anything extra by sticking to your original list.
Plan ahead
Before you get to the store, plan your meals for the week. Whether that means just planning snacks, or getting every little ingredient for a full meal. Look at what you already have and what you may be low on. This way, you won’t have to guess and hope you got the right ingredients.
Home cooked meals
Although treating yourself and going out to eat can be fun and delicious every now and then, you never know exactly what ingredients they use. Cooking at home not only benefits your budget, it can also benefit your health. This way you will know exactly what is going into your body: the different nutrients, the oils used, or how the food was prepared.
“Clean ingredients”
One of the most important things to cooking healthy food is buying the right ingredients. Instead of getting pre-packaged foods and meals, buy the ingredients and make them from scratch. A lot of pre-packaged meals contain various chemicals and harmful ingredients that make them last a long time. Although it may be more convenient to prepare clean meals, clean meals come from clean ingredients. Consider cutting out highly processed foods and replacing them with nutrient-dense ingredients.
While it’s important to eat clean, it’s also important to satisfy your appetite and get sweets! Listen to what your body is trying to tell you! There is nothing “bad” you can eat, everything comes in moderation. Feed your soul 🙂
(tags for translation)#budget