Wouldn’t it be nice if apartments came with a stocked fridge?

Unfortunately, it seems like that’s going to be another responsibility your child has to tackle on their own.

But the good news is that buying groceries (even for one person!) isn’t as hard as you’d think.

Get a pen and paper ready, because after this you’ll be full of ideas on what your student buy on their next shopping trip. 

Find Out What Groceries The Roommates Will Provide

When it’s your child’s first round of buying items for the apartment, empty cupboards waiting at home, be sure to consult with roommate(s) if there’s anything that they will provide.

This range of items may include:

• Spices
• Paper towels
• Oven mitts
• Slow cookers
• And more!

If others are willing to pitch in, let them!

Remember The Basics

But, if everything is up to your child (whether they’re living alone or their roommate[s] won’t be there for a few months), start with the items that would be easily forgettable:

• Salt and pepper
• Cooking oil
• Plastic bags
• Aluminum foil
• Colander
• Paper plates

These are things that every home or apartment has stocked, so think about what might be in the cabinets at home that everyone needs!

What are some essentials your child needs for his or her first apartment? Download our free checklist!

Stock Up On Fresh Items

It’s also important that this be a trip where you stock up on various fresh items. These perishable foods are essential for any fridge or freezer, so be sure they go into yours:

• Meat (which can last a whole semester if it’s frozen right away!)
• Fresh fruit and vegetables
• Eggs
• Butter
• Cheese
• Bread

BONUS: Buying items that can freeze (like meat and butter) in larger quantities is also smart because then you can pull it out and defrost in a pinch when getting to the store is impossible. 

Think About Meals Ahead Of Time

When planning a shopping list, think about some of the meals that would be good to eat (or have prepared as a meal prep) and what ingredients go into them.

Tacos always sound great, so write down the items you’ll need when you make them.

If a meal requires going to multiple stores to get supplies (not every store will have your preferred brands!), then make a separate list with those items on it, as well. This keeps items from getting lost or forgotten on a large list, especially if it’s only one or two items that will be coming from a different store. 

Make A Second Lap

When you have the essentials in the cart and think that’s everything, don’t check out right away.

It may sound tedious and time-wasting, but you’ll be thankful if you go up and down each aisle one more time before leaving (and we mean EVERY aisle—seriously.)

It can be easy to forget something that you don’t realize you’re missing...

• You may think you’re good on cleaning supplies, but have you bought a plunger?
• You have paper plates, but what about napkins?
• There’s pasta in your cart, but what about a sauce?

It’s inevitable you may miss something anyway, but the fewer things you forget, the better shape you’ll be in when you head home to fill the empty shelves. 

After your child has hit all the points and their cart looks full, they’ll be ready to take everything home to stock up for dinner tonight.

It’s okay to forget things when going to the store alone—as long as your child can make it through the night, they’ll be just fine shopping by themselves from now on!

Photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash