One of the key factors to saving money is planning. One must plan for retirement, plan a budget, plan for the future and so on. This idea of planning doesn't have to be long-term, as very simple organization can prove dividends on financial well-being. Try to organize your funds in order to, not only keep track, but be more productive with money and avoid unnecessary waste.
Grocery shopping can be an easy way to save and waste money. You save money by avoiding high-price meals at restaurants but waste money buying too much of the wrong things or just the wrong thing all together. Instead of going to the grocery store with a completely open mind, walking aisle to aisle scanning, try to plan your meals for that week. For instance, you could plan for pasta on Monday and burgers on Tuesday. That way, you know exactly what you need to prepare those two meals. Buying a bunch of random groceries will lead to wasting as you throw away unused produce, dairy and meat.
Here is an example of a weekly meal plan:
Monday - Pasta w/ tomato sauce: pasta, sauce, salad ingredients, bread
Tuesday - Burgers: patties, cheese, lettuce, tomato, etc. and a side (fries, baked potato, etc.)
Wednesday - Tacos: taco meat, taco shells/tortillas, cheese, lettuce, pico, guac, etc.
You get the point. Buying items specifically for meals will result in less waste, more conservative spending and, frankly, better meals. College students are known for creating makeshift meals out of unsavory ingredients.
Plan before shopping and you may discover you are finally stimulating that palate. Oh, and of course, keeping your bank account in check!
Below is an example of a very organized shopping list.
http://www.relishrelish.com/default.aspx?p=sample-list
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