Whether they rent an apartment or live in a dorm, a large number of students are living alone once they begin college. Many problems come along with this drastic change. Students realize that they are in charge of every little detail of their new life and sometimes find it hard to maintain a good balance in things like finances.

One of the problems that occur is with buying groceries. Most students tend to go for fast food and ready-meals, without considering the side effects on their health. Finding the time to shop seems to be difficult, especially when budgets are limited.

Without having to skip class or cut down on going out, here are seven tips to help college students shop on a low budget:

1. Coupons. Checking websites and booklets for coupons is always a good idea.

2. Plan ahead and make a list. Writing down what you need is the first step to avoid over-buying stuff. This will prevent one from making unnecessary purchases and save on time and money.

3. Use student discount cards. Discount cards are becoming more available everywhere, making it easier to get discounts at restaurants and other places. It is important to ask about a student discount or a discount card whenever shopping.

4. Check weekly ads. Stores are always advertising their promotions and offers, and benefitting from those are the best way to stay on budget.

5. Buy store brands. Original brands are always more expensive than store brands, while the products are basically of the same composition.

6. Do not buy more than you need. Specially food. Over-buying is spending money on what is not necessary, leading to the student having to throw away spoiled food.

7. Eat before you shop. Do not go shopping when hungry; this will just lead to eating extra calories.

The infographic below explains these tips along with some statistics to prove their validity.

Cover credit: Mangostock/iStock/Getty Images