If you find yourself running low on meal card money at the end of every year, maybe you need a new approach when it comes to meals in college.

Grocery shopping can be essential to help yourself avoid this dilemma the end of the year. Commuters and other students living off campus on their own who choose not to rely on meal cards need to become especially familiar with this household errand.

Getting the most for your money is important and these five tips will help you stretch your dollar.

1. Make a list:

Going into a grocery store can be overwhelming and without a list you may find yourself impulsively putting things into your cart without considering what you may actually need for a good, home-cooked meal.

By planning ahead you can know exactly where to start and you can get an idea on how much you’ll be spending.

It’s also important to plan out your meals in advance, this way you can make sure to get all the ingredients and avoid having to make multiple trips.

2. Keep Coupons on Hand:

Finding coupons to use along with your grocery shopping list is a great skill to have.

There are tons of websites and blogs dedicated to saving other people money, such as Coupons.com and Smartsource.com. These are both free to use sites and allow you to print the coupons from the school library.

3. Using discount cards:

A large majority of grocery stores have their own discount cards, and there isn’t much required to sign up for it.

Usually the discounts are taken off your total at the end of the transaction and sometimes you can also earn coupons for future purchases.

If you don’t already have a card, ask the cashier as you’re checking out if you can fill out a form, and you should be able to redeem the card right away.

Be aware of each stores’ policies, as certain groceries require you to show the physical card each transactions. If so, don’t forget your card at home. Other stores will look up your account using your phone number so you’re always covered.

4. Stick with the store brand:

Every major grocery store has their own version of products. Target has Market Pantry and Stop & Shop has Guaranteed Value.

The store brand is always a cheaper alternative compared to a name brand product and can be found close to the name brand items.

There is never much of a difference between the two except the price. You should try to stick to store brand, unless you have a coupon for a name brand product.

5. Buy what you need:

While shopping you may find yourself gravitating towards food in bulk because it is cheaper per ounce.

The problem with this is that you face the risk of letting it go bad before you get to use it.

If you don’t think you’ll be able to finish a product before it expires, it’s better to go for the smaller portion. By buying only what you know you will use, you save money and you don’t end up wasting food.

These tips should help you save your money and your time while grocery shopping on a college budget and schedule.