"Why is grocery shopping so expensive? How can I save money?!"

Grocery shopping doesn't have to be stressful and it doesn't have to be as expensive as it may seem sometimes.

The number one thing to keep in mind when going out for things is to:

Buy the things you need, before going after the things you want.The second thing you need to do is to PLAN.

Here's what you need to do:

Before you even leave your dorm/apartment/house for groceries, STOP.

• Take inventory of what is needed before considering what is wanted. Overstocking may result in wasted food and ultimately wasted money.
• In order to avoid impulse buying, eat before heading to the store therefore the brain can have more influence in judgment than a hungry stomach. 

Once you've made it to a store, LOOK around you for a moment.

• Many popular brand named items are advertised in the media as being the best tasting or best working, however the price isn’t always the best sounding. A name for a product is what it is, a name.
• Another cheaper product can be just as good as a brand name product, just compare and contrast its ingredients and active ingredients if it's a household product.
• An example can be of the brand name aspirin you need because you get headaches from staying up all night studying. A cheaper generic brand contains the same active ingredient as the brand name aspirin.

As you look closer at items and what they're made of, you will soon find that in order to save more money you can just simply COOK things for yourself rather than buying pre-made products.

• Regarding processed foods, buying raw foods and ingredients is not only significantly cheaper but healthier as well. Cook meals instead of relying on prepackaged processed meals.
• Do you really want to buy a $4 pack of 3 frozen pizzas? Or do you want to make them yourself by getting more for your money, quantity, and most of all quality?
• Processed foods offer the convenience of a quick and easy meal, however the price of relying on them eventually affects finances

If you want to save money AND eat healthy, farmers' markets are your best friend.

• Use local farmers’ markets as a venue for fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. These markets are much cheaper and are tastier than the produce being sold in stores.