Stomach on a Budget

For my first post I figure I might as well go to the first stop of this whole food/cooking experience: the supermarket. Perhaps unfortunately for me, my college is located in a mainly suburban area. I'm a New Yorker and I'm used to being able to get groceries real cheap, real easily. I'm not going to complain, though, I still go to the supermarket every Sunday via a shuttle provided by the school for our convenience (because groceries do, unexpectedly, get very, very heavy). So my first year doing grocery shopping all by myself was actually last year, my sophomore year. A lot of money and, more importantly, a lot of food went to waste. It wasn't until a good time into the year that I really worked harder on budgeting and planning for every grocery Sunday. And college students aren't the only ones on a budget, so I think this is valuable information for those not very experienced in the food shopping department, and who shouldn't be scared to jump in!

1. Don't go hungry. Probably my most basic rule. Usually I'd go to groceries early afternoon on a weekend, without having eaten anything yet, kind of just thinking I'd go off, do this chore, and come back to eat - after groceries! I think we underestimate the effect of hunger. Going to the grocery store on an empty stomach makes everything look like a good idea for a breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A lot of food could go to waste (if it can spoil) or just go unused and passed its expiration date. Avoid purchasing things you don't need, especially if you're only feeding 1-2 mouths.
   
2. Make a budget. Pretty simple. I'm not going to tell you how to do this and pretend you, the reader, are stupid. But set a reasonable $ amount to spend per week, biweekly, monthly, however often you go grocery shopping. For me personally, I try to limit myself to $20 a week. Surprisingly, it's hard to stick to, especially when I want to try all these new recipes or ingredients. But yes! I force myself to stick to what I immediately need that week, and try to distribute the rest.
3. Lists, lists, lists! I'm a big fan of list making, for everything, so I can't help but do it for groceries too. It also helps put things in perspective (if I'm going to make lasagna, do I really need the celery and tuna for tuna salad this week?). Plus, budgeting isn't just about limiting things, but about choosing, selectively buying. I hate when I leave the grocery store and find out I had forgotten to purchase something I had been planning to get all week!
4. Store Circulars. I'm like pinching pennies, but not obsessively. But reading the store circular can really help you budget and, in a way, help you choose what you want for that week. If I see that pasta is $1 per pound when it was $1.19 per pound last week, I might just buy 6 boxes to stock up. It might not seem like a lot but I've purchased up to 10 boxes at once at $1 each. That means I 'saved' $1.90. I know it's not a lot but with a number like $20 as my maximum, I'm taking every dollar I get. Plus, $1.90 every week not spent on one thing means I can purchase something else with it. (More strawberries!) Not only are store circulars good for savings, but they also help you know how much of a deal you're really getting if you read them regularly (uhm, I only really mean once a week, you just have to pay attention to the products you buy or might buy). A recent example I can think of would be how I had bought bananas at 69cents/lb the past two weeks but suddenly in the circular they're advertising 99cents/lb. Had I not been watching out I might have thought, 'Oh wow, that seems like a good deal!'.

And lastly, but not any less important: Take these suggestions, make them your own. Don't be scared to make mistakes. Don't fear the mold growing on your parsley that you've forgotten about in the self of your fridge. We all live and learn.

Posts coming soon: making pasta 'fun'! quick meals for the fast luncher. favorite baking recipes. any suggestions? :)