If you're a student in college, living on your own, or just tight on cash, you know the hustle is real when it comes to feeding yourself. Here are some tips to help you make the most of the little money that you have by grocery shopping instead of eating out:

1. MAKE YOUR OWN FOOD

Try to stick to foods that you can make instead of buying from restaurants or eating out. This helps you work around the cost of labor and packaging that goes into your precooked meals. Because you'll be putting in work to prepare and cook your meals, you'll appreciate it more and end up eating less.

2. MAKE A LIST

Sure, you've heard this before. You check the fridge and note down anything you're missing and rush off to the store to buy replacements. Here's a better way: Plan your meals for the week in a list. This is your first list. Commit to this list and make sure these are healthy and realistic ideas for the food you want to have in the near future. Note down ingredients for the recipes that you do not already have in your fridge or pantry. This is your second list, your shopping list. Keep track of what you eat over time to keep your lists synchronized with what you actually eat. This can also help you avoid overeating!

3. CREATE A BUDGET

Now that you've decided to make your own food and know what you need to buy, you need to figure out the funds to bring the ingredients home. Check how much money you have and how much you are willing to spend realistically. This is a skill that gets easier with experience so try to overestimate the cost of groceries until you know how much each item costs.

4. PICK YOUR GROCERY STORE

You've got your list, you know how much you can spend, and you're outside your door. What now? Be smart about where you shop for groceries. If you know some stores charge more for food than others, stick to the bargain stores. It helps to check your local sales paper for any deals going on and go to multiple stores for different things. If you know one store has a deal on apples and another has a deal on bread, make two shopping trips to two stores instead of one shopping trip to one store.

5. DO NOT BUY IN BULK

Just because there is a deal for you to buy more to save, you should not have to buy more. You know you only need one sweet potato until your next shopping trip, but if you buy three, you pay less for each sweet potato. This might sound brilliant, but those two other sweet potatoes might go bad before you eat them and there goes the extra money you spent to get the deal. Buy only what you need. It helps to shop with a calculator to make sure you know what you're paying, calculating percentages, and keep track of how much you're spending on that trip.

6. USE A BASKET NOT A CART

Carrying your heavy groceries around helps you stick to what you need over what you want. The heaviness on your arms and the lack of space will keep you from adding more things on impulse and help you stick to your list. If a store doesn't have baskets, bring a friend to help keep you in check and keep you company. Having a voice of reason often helps you avoid impulse buys.

7. GO IN WITH A PLAN

Once grocery shopping becomes habitual, give yourself a time limit of how long you can spend in the store and where you need to go. If you need carrots, there is no need for you to walk through the cereal section. Planning your route and sticking to a schedule helps you to keep in check and avoid debating yourself on any purchases you COULD make over what you SHOULD make.

8. BRING AN ACTIVITY

When you're on the line for the checkout, try to keep yourself busy. Grocery stores often stock all the snacks, candy, gum, and small "necessities" closest to the register so that customers will "remember" that they need something and add it to their cart. Avoid this by playing games on your phone, reading a magazine, or talking to that friend you brought along for company. Remember to be aware of the line moving so that you don't hold up the customers behind you!

9. PREPARE YOUR FOOD

Use measuring cups and spoons, lay out your ingredients, and look at your food as you make it. You'll find yourself using less of the ingredients as you follow a recipe, making them last longer, and enjoying the fruits of your labor (no pun intended).

Good luck and happy saving!