As a student in college, I have definitely spent my fair share of pocket change at coffee shops and convenient stores around town. They are easy, convenient, and usually stocked with a poor, but doable, selection of fresh produce and snacks. However, in retrospect, spending $1.19 on yogurt or even $0.75 on an apple is much too expensive.

If I purchased an apple and a yogurt 5 days a week for 4 weeks, I would spend a total of $38.80, which is almost a full weeks worth of groceries. Thankfully, I have learned a few money-saving tips along the way. For example, purchasing food in bulk as opposed to single servings.

If I take that same $38.80 and spend it on 32 oz. tubs of yogurt each containing 5 servings, (the package actually says four, 1 cup servings, but single serve yogurts are normally only ¾ of a cup. To keep things consistent I have used a ¾ cup serving) I would have enough money to purchase almost 13 tubs of yogurt priced at $2.99 a pop. That comes out to 65 ¾-cup servings of yogurt with a unit price of $0.60 per serving. Why do we buy single serve yogurts again?

Bulk shopping isn’t just meant for tubs of yogurt, but for grains, fruit, veggies, nuts, seeds, baking ingredients, coffee, tea, etc. I suggest heading on over to the bulk section in your local grocery store and checking out their selection!

Here is an easy recipe I use to make breakfast on-the go. These yogurt parfaits are made with nonfat yogurt (from a tub of course), fresh berries, granola, and my secret ingredient, a mason jar!

Yogurt Parfaits in a Mason Jar

Ingredients

• ¾ cup nonfat/low-fat yogurt
• ½ cup berries
• 2T granola

Method
Layer yogurt, berries and granola in a mason jar. Screw on the cap and you are ready to go!

What is your favorite food to purchase in bulk?