How much do you really spend on food each week?

I made a food budget before term started, but it did not include coffee between lectures, late snacks, or the days I cannot face cooking.

How much do you actually spend in a normal week, and what changed your total the most?

Campus drinks and lunches were the leak in my budget. I started bringing coffee and one easy lunch three days a week. I still buy food sometimes, but now it feels like a choice instead of the default.

I also keep one frozen meal for the nights when the meal plan collapses.

honestly the biggest difference was shopping with a list and not while hungry. groundbreaking information i know 😂

I plan 4 dinners, not 7. Leftovers cover some days and I leave room for going out. A perfect plan just meant wasted food.

pasta_night wrote:

I plan 4 dinners, not 7. Leftovers cover some days and I leave room for going out.

This is much more realistic. I track groceries separately from food bought on campus because they are different habits. Seeing the campus total made it easier to change without cutting the actual grocery budget too far.

Separating groceries and campus food is smart. My grocery spending is not terrible, but the small purchases are adding up.

I’m going to start with packed coffee, two lunches, and a backup freezer meal rather than attempting a total lifestyle transformation on Monday.

Check whether your campus has a microwave and water refill point. Mine does, but I somehow spent a semester carrying cold food and buying drinks before noticing.