Essential Grocery List For Your First Apartment!

Last Updated on April 30, 2025 by Corynn

---

So you’re moving into your new apartment. You have your boxes all set up for the movers, and your first night box is packed and ready to go. 

 Until you realize that you have no idea how you’re going to feed yourself.

Trust me this is one step that many people forget to plan out. Your grocery list for your new apartment. 

 You’re basically starting from scratch. Seasoning, sugar, flour, you name it!

Well For myself and my fiance (now husband), we tried to follow a grocery list but honestly, we got caught up over the fact that we had our own place. 

This meant we could buy WHATEVER WE WANTED!! 

 So if we wanted 3 different kinds of cookies, we got it! 

 I would honestly say with the cost of cleaning supplies, medicine, and food came up close to $600 CAD (about $400 USD)! 

Now you don’t have to spend that amount on your first trip, but I’m going to share some pointers that you can use to create a grocery list for your new apartment.

First Apartment Grocery List Tips

Tip #1: Create a Budget  

Budget how much you will be spending at the grocery store. Maybe one day, do a walk through your local grocery store and see how much everything is.

So you can generate a budget on how much you want to spend at the grocery store.  

 I personally budget at least $300 for cleaning supplies (typical for someone who loves cleaning haha) and $250ish for groceries (this is including seasoning and groceries to last us for at least a week in our new apartment.)

Tip #2: You Don’t Have To Buy Everything!   

You don’t have to buy everything right away! Buy the basics of what you need!  No need to go all out right away. As you go along you’ll realize what works for you.

Tip #3: Make a List! 

List all the things you need. Even if you have to go into your parent’s cupboard to see what you need. Don’t forget to ask your parents for help!

Sometimes they will either tell you where to get that item or buy it for you (bonus!)

If you enjoy cooking you’ll already have an idea of what you need. If you will be cooking for the first time on your own then my first apartment grocery list is great for beginners!

So now that we went over some tips you needed to know before going grocery shopping for your new apartment, here is a detailed list of what you need for your new apartment!

 

PIN FOR LATER!

Grocery List Essentials For New Apartments

Pantry

Things you can place in your pantry are; staple food, dry goods, and your favorite snacks! 

• Rice
• Pasta
• Pasta sauce 
• Broth (Vegetables, chicken, or beef) 
• Canned soup 
• Bread 
• Canned Beans 
• Snacks (Cookies, chips, etc.) 
• Tea or Coffee
• Honey 
• Cooking oil 
• Vinegar 
• Bread crumbs 
• Spreads (Jams, peanut butter, Nutella)

If you’re not a big fan of keeping your dry foods in their original packaging (Or just afraid of cockroaches like me!) I highly suggest getting the OXO Containers for your apartment.

If you are looking for a cheaper option I highly suggest going with these pantry containers.

Baking

Love to bake? Here are a few things you need to add to your grocery list! 

• Sugar 
• Flour 
• Baking soda 
• Corn Starch
• Vanilla extract
• Yeast 
• Baking powder 
• Cocoa Powder

Seasoning  

For this section, you can customize this based on what you like to cook. I am only listing the basics/staples that I see in a lot of kitchens! 

• Salt
• Pepper
• Cinnamon (ground or sticks) 
• Garlic powder
• Onion Powder
• Parsley 
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Cumin
• Italian
• Paprika
• Chili powder

Fridge

For this section, I feel like it’s the most important one because all of the things you need in your fridge are needed for all of your meals! 

• Fresh Fruits
• Fresh vegetables 
• Milk 
• Yogurt
• Cheese
• Deli slices
• Chicken 
• Ground Meat (turkey, chicken, or beef) 
• Seafood 
• Eggs
• Butter
• Juice 
• Water
• Coffee Creamer 

Freezer

In our freezer, we either have frozen vegetables that we can throw into a pot or quick meals that you can pop into the oven.

Here is a list of some of the items you can add to your new apartment grocery list:

• Frozen vegetables
• Frozen fruit
• Frozen meals (single-serve meals, pizza, etc.) 
• Ice cream/Popsicles

Condiments

I’m a big fan of using sauces with my meals! Ketchup on my fries, my burgers, my hotdog, basically everything (Can you tell I’m Canadian?). This list includes the basic condiments you need in your kitchen;  

• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Barbeque Sauce 
• Maple Syrup 
• Soy Sauce 
• Mayonnaise 

Medicine  

Between my husband and I, I’m always the one who’s always sick. So our medicine cabinet is pretty full at all times. We could run our own pharmacy (Just kidding!… Kind of). Here is a list of over-the-counter medicines you should have in your new apartment.

• Anti acid (Tums, pepto bismol) 
• Vitamins
• Ibuprofen (Motrin, Tylenol)
• Cough syrup 
• Allergy medication (Benadryl, Reactant, Claritin) 
• First aid kit or band-aids 
• Laxative 

Cleaning Products

If you’re anything like me, I love cleaning and finding different cleaning products that I can use. Knowing that this would be my first apartment I went all out on getting cleaning supplies. 

Although you don’t have to do that, here is a list of essential cleaning supplies you should add to your shopping list.

• Dish soap
• Dishwasher pods (If you have a dishwasher in your apartment) 
• Sponges 
• Lysol spray 
• Multi-purpose cleaner 
• Pine Sol 
• Mop
• Broom & Dustpan
• Dry Swiffer Mop 
• Bleach 
• Bathroom cleaner
• Toilet cleaner
• Glass cleaner 
• Microfiber cloth
• J-Cloths/Cleaning cloths 
• Baking soda (For the fridge, to keep the food fresh) 

Some of the things I purchased off Amazon. Although some of my cleaning products I got from Walmart or our local grocery store. 

Do I Need To Buy Everything Off Of The First Apartment Grocery List? 

No! You don’t have to buy everything off of the grocery list. You can start small and work your way up.

For instance, The cleaning products I bought a month before we moved in. As well as Some of the dry goods I bought two weeks prior. 

Take your time getting all the stuff you need for your apartment. The first grocery trip to your new home can be a lot.

So you may have to take multiple trips or buy only the essentials for now. 

 Once you start getting comfortable and in a routine, you’ll begin to realize what you need. 

This is a great idea if you are trying to save money or if you are sticking to a budget!