<human>: Can you provide a brief overview of the text?

Hopefully my peers are all settled into, or getting settled into, their respective homes / apartments while they go to college away from home. The thing I've heard most about lately is how people really don't know how to shop for food. If you are like myself, you went with your mother / father / both to the market / supermarket / what have you as a child.

However, that all changes when you hit the 20-something mark and have to start doing your own shopping. Suddenly, it's not so easy. It's your money now. It's your diet. What now?

The best piece of advice I've received is to **make a list of recipes**. Following that, of course, is to **make a list of foods**! But obviously, there's a lot to that. What recipes? How many days are you providing for yourself? Etc., etc. It's all very disorienting in that store all by your lonesome. I've found that it gets much easier over time, but I certainly wished I had someone helping me out for those first couple trips to the store...

So,
<bot>: Reddit, I ask you: What are *your* tips for shopping for food for yourself (or SO / children)?