Moving away from home means grocery shopping alone for the first time for many students. This newfound freedom in deciding what to buy and what meals to make can be stressful for many, especially financially.
Eating healthy can be even more challenging, as it is tempting to reach for the cheaper alternatives. However, there are some ways to save money while still getting the healthy products you need and want.
Publix BOGO (Buy One, Get One)
While Publix is never my usual place to go grocery shopping, as I believe it is often wildly overpriced, their BOGO deals often save my grocery trips. By downloading the Publix app, you can access dozens of BOGO deals that change weekly.
Produce, proteins, frozen items, and anything else you can imagine can be BOGO. I often use these deals to stock up on items such as my coffee essentials for the week or to get better deals on fresh produce.
Rain Checks
One of the biggest hacks my mother ever showed me goes along with the Publix BOGO deals. When a popular item is on BOGO, it’s often sold out before I even get there. When this happens, go to the customer service counter and request a rain check on that item. This allows you to get that product anytime within the next month for that same price.
I often get rain checks for items that weren’t even sold out so that I can get them again when I run out for cheaper. I do this with items that I always use, such as my cold brew or coffee creamers. Rain checks allow you to have deals on your favorite product, even when they aren’t on BOGO that week. This is by far my biggest hack to saving money at Publix!
Amazon Subscribe and Save
While Amazon isn’t a grocery store, I like to use the subscribe and save feature for items that I buy regularly. You can save money on items such as shampoo, paper towels, toothpaste, and more by setting up when you need refills. Instead of ordering the items you need manually when you run out, just estimate when you will run out, and it will be shipped to you automatically and at a lower price.
This saves so much money in the long run, as it discounts the items about five percent to 15 percent if you simply set up recurring deliveries. Not only does it save money, but it’s also so convenient for busy college students.
Aldi
This is not so much a hack, but rather a suggestion. While many people prefer to stick with name-brand items, ALDI is a much cheaper alternative to grocery stores such as Publix and Whole Foods. With the amount of money I would usually spend at Publix, I am able to get double the amount of groceries at ALDI for the same price.
While ALDI prices are always low, they even have weekly deals as well. I find that the produce is equally as good as any other grocery store at a much lower price. Just don’t forget to bring a quarter for the shopping carts and your own bag for your purchases.
Happy saving!
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