Budgeting for Food

How much is too much to spend on groceries? How can I get the most bang for my buck? The best way to feel confident that we are spending our money efficiently is to create a budget. Here are a few tips and general guidelines for creating a grocery budget.

Tip 1: Figure out how much you are able to and want to spend on groceries

• This could depend on many factors, such as your income and the price of grocery stores in your area

• You can figure out how much you already spend by looking at bank statements and adding up all grocery and food purchases

• Roughly, plan on spending at least $200 a month on food/groceries

Tip 2: Look at your grocery list to make sure you have a good variety of foods, and can make enough meals out of them

• One of the largest expenses will likely be meats, try switching to frozen instead of fresh meat or other forms of protein to cut down

• Produce will also likely be more expensive. Shop sales and use coupons to help with the price, without having to skip the healthy stuff

• Don’t skip the basics like spices, cooking oil, etc. These will last a while!

Tip 3: Eating out will always be more expensive, so don't be afraid to spend a little more on groceries

• If you spend a little extra money on food you are excited to make, it’ll make it easier to cook at home more often

• Try to limit eating out to one or two times a week if possible

Tip 4: Don’t put too much pressure of yourself to keep to a strict budget

• As college students, there are enough things on our plate, stressing out over every single dollar will do more harm than good

• Practice intuitive eating! Give your body what it wants, even if it means going over budget