This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Sonoma chapter.

When it comes to me spending money on food, I am going to be completely honest. I HAVE NO SELF CONTROL. It got so bad that for about 2 weeks I did nothing but eat out. Whether it was a sandwich from W&B, a panini from Charlie Brown’s, a full meal from Sushiko, or a large shrimp pho from Pho 90. I didn’t realize how often I was eating out and how much I was spending until my roommate brought it up. I couldn’t remember the last time I did groceries nor the last time I had cooked something. Although at the moment I could afford eating out whenever I wanted, I realized I should probably start saving money and being more careful with how I swipe my card. I am now a lot better when it comes to eating out, so here are some tips to stay within your budget!

1) MEAL PREP

I cannot stress this enough. Take the time to write down which meals you will be having which days. For example, yogurt and fruit for breakfast, pasta for lunch, and tilapia and vegetables for dinner. You can cook your portions for as many days as you wanna have that meal. I usually make pasta or any type of noodles for about 2-3 meals, fish for just one meal (so that it’s fresh), and cooked vegetables for about 2-3 days. It might take you about 30 minutes to an hour to cook, but you will be saving money, that’s for sure!

2) Discount Stores

Don’t go straight to Safeway or Oliver’s. Try going to stores like Grocery Outlet, Food Max, or even the 99c store for discounted prices. PSA the 99c store has some really good stuff! I have been able to do most of my basic groceries there. I buy things like salad, pasta and pasta sauce, vegetables, berries, bagels, etc. And then I head over to another store just to buy things that I couldn’t find at the first store.

3) Pinterest Pinterest Pinterest.

One thing that I have found super helpful is searching up recipes with 5 ingredients or less. You will find more than a few different recipes that taste really good without having to put in too much effort. There are also many different recipes that require the same ingredients so you don’t have to worry about buying too many different ingredients!

4) Coupons

If you do prefer to go to Safeway or Riley’s for your groceries, check out what coupons they have available and try to figure out what days they have more sales on. I know that Safeway has an app where you can download coupons and then use them while at check out, so check your app store to see if there’s an app for your favorite store!

5) Eat Before You Shop

Make sure you don’t go shopping on an empty stomach! You are going to want to eat everything in sight and end up buying things you don’t really need. If you don’t get the chance to eat, make sure you make a list of your necessities so you don’t go crazy while you are looking around!

Groceries On A Budget

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