A Guide to Budgeting Groceries as a Broke College Student

By Jacob Chen

Are you tired of spending all of your money on groceries? In 2025, the average college student spent between $272-$429 on groceries per month. That doesn’t even account for going out to eat occasionally, or picking up your morning coffee. With the rising cost of food, and an increase in food insecurity, you need to learn how to budget ASAP. With just some basic tips and tricks, you will be saving money left and right!

Buying in Bulk

Buy your food in bulk! The amount of money you can save just by buying in bulk is significant. Especially with meats, the most expensive part of people’s diet. Many stores that sell in bulk require an annual membership such as; Costco, Sam’s Club, or BJ’s. Usually these memberships cost anywhere from 50 to 100 dollars, but definitely end up saving you more money than what you spend on it. Don’t forget to check the shelf life and how much you would get through by the expiration date!

Cook Your Own Food

Cooking your own food is the best way to save money. Sure, it saves some time and effort to hit the “pay” button on your doordash account, BUT, it also leaves your wallet aching! When you buy doordash or go out to a restaurant, you are paying for various fees that lead to the given business making a profit. Service, delivery, upcharge on the food itself, etc. If you can learn to cook for yourself, you will be able to save money and eat delicious, restaurant quality meals. No more bland, freezer burnt microwave meals! Pressed for time? Meal prep the food for other days of the week. Instead of making just one serving at a time, cook a whole week’s worth of meals! Generally, your proteins (beef, chicken, pork, fish etc.) will last in the fridge for 4-5 days after cooking. With vegetables, expect to get 5-6 days after cooking them.

Track Your Spending

Tracking your spending is the most financially sound way to make sure you don’t overspend, or go over what your budget allows. Simply figure out what your weekly or monthly budget is, then take note of the amount of money you spend on your groceries. Apps like “PocketGuard” or “Goodbudget” can make budgeting a lot easier due to the clean layout and ability to set a budget or change it right on the app. It may seem like common sense, but as a busy college student, spending habits are often overlooked and you end up spending way more than you had expected.
Cheap and Easy Recipes?

For cheap and easy recipes, check out some food youtubers or websites. “Budget Bytes” is a food youtube channel designed to help you make quick, easy recipes on a budget while also lowering the amount of food waste you have. With so many easy to make recipes and how easy it is to follow along with the videos as you cook, their channel is a no brainer. If you would rather read/download a recipe, check out goodcheapeats.com. Not only do they offer tasty, cheap recipes, but they also help teach you how to meal plan and find cheaper groceries!

Food Pantry- SUNY NIAGARA

SUNY Niagara offers a food pantry service to any student enrolled in the school! They have both perishable, and non-perishable goods. The pantry is located in Room G-126. To inquire about their hours, go to room G-243.

Although simple, using these tips and tricks can really add up and save you a lot of money. Now go out there, eat delicious home cooked foods, and feel good about all the money you are saving!