Hey guys, welcome back to the blog! Today, we’re talking about my favourite activity ever, grocery shopping. There’s just something about walking into a grocery store, pulling our a cart and picking out produce that de-stresses me. But, I realise that this isn’t the case for everyone. Often times, grocery shopping can be stressful especially if you’re a university students or you are on a budget and pressed on time. I”l admit that moving out and having to grocery shop for myself for the first time was a bit daunting, but I’ve slowly found the ideal method for my grocery shopping. However, I also realise that not everyone’s requirements are the same and that we all have different needs and spending budgets. This blogpost isn’t to sway or pressure you into any sort of habits, it’s simply to share a few tips that have helped me grocery shop in a healthy and sustainable way. So let’s get into it!

Tip 1: Set your monthly/weekly food budget

So, before you actually get into it, it’s good to set a realistic food budget for each month. This will vary for each person but it’s important to keep some room for flexibility since some months you might fluctuate around your budget. Food budget is probably the most important part of your financial planning after accounting for accommodation/bills, so remember to set a clear goal.

Tip 2: Decide how often you need to go grocery shopping

Some students prefer to go grocery shopping weekly while others prefer to go every two weeks or even once a month. I always separate my grocery shopping, with one trip a month focused on long term supplies and weekly trips for fresh produce. To help you decide how often you need to go grocery shopping, determine how much of what you need to buy can be stored for longer. If you buy a lot of fresh produce, it’s best to go weekly to avoid overbuying and your produce going bad.

Then you can schedule the days that you go shopping. As a university student, finding time to go grocery shopping can sometimes be challenging, but you never want to walk up to an empty fridge. I coordinate my grocery shopping according to my class schedule, but I try to avoid shopping on Fridays as most of the items are often out of stock by the end of the week.

Tip 3: Make a list!

I always keep a digital list on my notes app as well as a physical notepad in my kitchen. This helps me note down anything I might need throughout the week. Lists are great to ensure that you stick to buying what you need. It’s easy to get distracted when grocery shopping; you go for one thing and come back with ten. Make a list to buy the items you find necessary.

Tip 4: Don’t go Hungry

One of the best tips I learnt when trying to grocery shop is never to go hungry because you’ll end up buying random foods and snacks that you never planned on and may not be the healthiest options. So never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach.

Tip 5: Stick to frozen & prepped veggies

I like to stock up on prepped veggies to make cooking easier and faster as well as frozen veggies and fruits which are more affordable and last longer. I am selective when choosing which veggies and fruits to buy frozen, for example, broccoli, green beans, and carrots are some of the veggies I like to buy prepped. While I often get frozen berries for smoothies and baking.

Tip 6: Prep yourself

My last tip is to try and be as sustainable as you can when it comes to packaging, while you can’t completely avoid plastic at times at the supermarket, you can implement a few habits. For example, I always keep a few reusable shopping bags on hand for when I want to shop as well as smaller bags for produce. It’s also helpful to use a shopping basket than cart, I found that the more space I have, the easier it is to go overboard on the grocery shopping.

A note from the author

Thank you for reading and reaching this far, please like if you found something useful here today. I hope you follow for more lifestyle tips like these ones and join the healthboss community, xoxo.

Check out more posts like this one

Grocery Haul List – https://healthboss.blog/2020/03/25/healthy-grocery-haul-list-quarantine-101/

Healthy Food Staples – https://healthboss.blog/2020/07/05/healthy-food-staples/

How to Eat Healthy on a Budget – https://healthboss.blog/2020/09/20/how-to-eat-healthy-on-a-budget/