As a college student, watching your spending carefully is a just fact of life – and that includes making sure you don’t overspend on food. If you’re not careful, you’ll burn through your cash quick and believe me, no one wants to have sleep for dinner.
Be smart, be frugal and be efficient with your dollars – It’s your hard-earned money. Here are 10 tips to help you save money on food as a college student:
1. Stick to a budget
This may seem obvious, but it’s worth repeating.
Having a budget is key to ensuring that you don’t overspend on food – or anything else for that matter. When creating your budget, make sure to factor in all your necessary expenses, including food. Once you have an idea of how much money you can realistically spend on food each month, stick to it!
There are several methods to budget your money, so don’t feel boxed in to one particular way to save cash. Here are some suggestions:
- Use technology. Budgeting apps like YNAB or Goodbudget can automate many of the nitty gritty number crunching for you. The only downside is to get them to work best for your lifestyle, you’ll likely have to shell out some money.
- Envelopes. Your grandma uses this to budget her money, so maybe you should too. The concept is pretty straightforward – at the beginning of each month, take out all the money you can afford to spend that month in cold, hard cash. Then organize the bills in envelopes by type of spending. One envelope for groceries, one for eating out, etc.
- Zero-based budgeting. Basically, have a plan for every penny. Your income minus expenses should equal zero every single month. This doesn’t mean spend every dollar, but have a plan for each one…”expenses” can count as putting money into a savings account or the stock market.
2. Shop smart
One way to stay within your budget is by shopping smart. That means taking advantage of sales and coupons whenever possible. It also means knowing what items essential and which ones you can live without (more on that below).
If you’re looking to get the full benefit of those coupons, use a shopping app for the grocery store you frequent. Some providers, like Kroger, even let you build out your own shopping list, with the app telling you which items are on sale or have promotions on them.
And finally, when grocery shopping, try not purchase too many perishable items at once, since they will likely go bad before you have the chance to eat them all anyway. Use that freezer!
3. Cook more meals at home
Eating out every day quickly gets expensive – both for your wallet and waistline!
A great way save money and eat healthier is by cooking more meals at home instead. More often than not, homemade meals are cheaper and healthier than their restaurant counterparts. Johns Hopkins even published a study showing that cooking at home is a “main ingredient” in a healthier diet.
4. Brown bagging lunch & dinner leftovers
If cooking from scratch sounds like too much work, then consider brown-bagging lunch or reheating leftover dinners instead.
Packing yourself a lunch is usually cheaper than buying one somewhere off campus. And if eating the same thing two days in row doesn’t sound appealing, there are plenty ways spruce up leftover dishes so they taste new again.
Here are some tips on how to rejuvenate your leftovers.
5. Get creative with ramen noodles
Ramen noodles aren’t exactly gourmet, but when prepared correctly, they can be surprisingly tasty –plus they’re dirt cheap.
Oftentimes, a pack of ramen will be the least expensive item at a grocery store. A single pack only costs a little more than one or two quarters. A box of 12 costs less than $3.50.
If you’re looking for some inspiration, check out this list of 50 ways to upgrade your ramen noodles.
6. Take advantage of campus dining halls
If your school has a meal plan take full advantage of it by eating as many meals in the dining hall as possible. Not only is it usually cheaper than going off-campus, but it’s also more convenient.
Also, leftovers still apply here. Some dining halls allow you to grab a to-go box and take food with you. This way, you can save precious meal swipes and still be satisfied on a budget.
If you don’t have a meal plan, which is likely the case for most off-campus students, consider having some of your underclassmen friends swipe you in instead. Most meal plans come with “guest swipes,” so you won’t have to worry about making your friend starve later in the week by running him dry of his meals.
7. Drink lots of water
Staying hydrated is important. Instead of guzzling down sugary juices or sodas, opt for good ol’ H2O.
It’s free and much better for you.
In fact, the average American household spends nearly a grand every year on soda alone. Think of all the things you can do with that money instead of giving yourself yellow teeth for temporary satisfaction!
8. Bring snacks with you
When hunger strikes on campus, having snacks handy can help stave off temptation and spending money, too.
Dropping cash unnecessarily at the vending machine can quickly become a costly habit. You can get much more for much less by bringing snacks with you wherever you go. Here are some ideas:
- Granola bars
- Trail mix
- Fruit
- Peanut butter crackers
9. Cut down on alcohol & energy drinks
OK, I know this is the last thing any college student wants to hear.
Spending most of your cash on booze is fun…but it’ll cost you. A good first step is to follow the advice above and start tracking/budgeting where your dollars go. Once you see and realize just how much you’re spending on alcohol, you’ll likely be inclined to cut back, or find cheaper alternatives instead.
Energy drinks are also another favorite of college students, though they too can quickly cut into your funds if you’re not careful. Consider making an investment up front and buy a coffee maker. It’ll set you back some cash in the short term, but the health and financial benefits will reveal themselves later on when you’re saving money by creating a more sustainable caffeine fix.
10. Join forces with friends
One way to save big on food costs is teaming up roommates, classmates or other friends. Create a list, head to the store and divvy up the purchases after.
Splitting groceries amongst several people always works out to be cheaper than buying everything yourself, and cooking together can fun, too!
So, there you have it – 10 tips to help save money on food as a college student. By following these simple, yet impactful suggestions, you’ll be able stay within budget and eat healthier. Win-win!