Living on a college budget can be tricky if not downright stressful. And as we all know, a college kid has to eat. If you are one of those students (or if you’re the parent of one of those students) who is wrestling with making ends meet and not starving at the same time, here are a few guidelines that have helped me manage my money and food.
Not Cheap
Okay, so the first thing to establish is that food is expensive. The majority of your budget will be spent on eating. Those $1 double cheeseburgers from McDonald’s may seem like a frugal way to eat but when you factor in nutritional value it’s an incredibly bad strategy. Now I don't know exactly what your budget is but this guide is just for general shopping and cooking.
The Store
I don't know what grocery stores are in in your area, but I would definitely do some research on who has the cheapest what. Some may have cheap produce, but expensive everything else. Some may have cheap meat. Others may be outrageously expensive. It takes a little more planning and work, but by utilizing this knowledge you can save the overall maximum amount of money. Furthermore, invest in a bicycle and backpack and you’ll save even more money and get the added benefit of a workout. For example, I get most of my meats and cheeses from a local butcher shop, my produce from a locally owned produce store, and everything else from Kroger. Overall, this increases the quality of the goods I get without increasing the cost.
I find that I generally go to the store once a week on average; however, this does not mean that I buy a complete set of groceries every week. I usually make one big trip where I get my bulk non-perishable foods (dry beans, pasta, rice, etc). Every other trip is to restock on things I go through during the week (cheeses, produce, etc).
Meals
“Cooking in bulk” is your friend. That's why you need a crockpot. Chili, beans, soups, meats - pretty much all can be cooked overnight then stored (or frozen) and eaten throughout the week. Example: I made an entire crockpot full of chili last week and ate it at least once every day - the entire cost of the ingredients was about $8. These bulk items are good for taking with you for lunch/dinner because NOTHING costs more than eating out lunch every day because you're hungry. Taking food with you is the best thing ever.
In the same way you plan your grocery trips, you need to plan your meals. This doesn't mean setting exactly what and when you’re going to eat. It's more like guidelines to help you eat more efficiently. Think about your schedule - when will you be home and when will you not? If you know there is one day that you will be on campus for the whole day, make sure you have a meal to take with you. Making pre-wrapped sandwiches and burritos is a great strategy for this, as all you have to do is throw them in your bag and eat when you're ready.
THE FOODS!
Bases
Pasta, rice, dry beans, grains - these are what I call my bases because they make the foundation of whatever it is I'm cooking. You already know the gist on pasta (college kids could keep the pasta industry alive) so I won't go into that. Rice is an easy thing to do even if you don't have a rice cooker but that would be another good investment. Beans are probably the most versatile food ever. First off, they're cheap - a one pound bag of dried black beans is roughly a dollar. Secondly, you can make pretty much anything with them. Cook them according to package directions and blend (either with a blender, food processor, or mashed with the bottom of a glass or even a fork) then WAM! refried beans right there. Throw in some chili powder while they're in a crock pot and now you have a chili base. Mash 'em, shape them into patties, and now you have black bean burgers. The possibilities are endless, really. Try different beans and see what you like.
Another “base” I would like to touch on is flour. If you like to bake or enjoy making things from scratch then flour is a must have. I have a love for bread making (everything from tortillas to ciabatta) therefore I generally spend a bit more money buying top quality flour. However, if you don’t have said passion it is usually easier and cheaper to buy bread products.
Produce
Buying produce effectively goes hand-in-hand with planning effectively. It definitely falls into the "buy it when you need it" category. I can't tell you how many times I bought a fruit or veggie and never used it in time and it rotted away. Spoiled produce is lost money. So, to avoid this, you need to plan out how much of what you need for each meal/dish. With chili, for example, I know I need one onion, one bell pepper, two tomatoes, a few jalapenos and a few habaneros. I also know that I will want some onions and bell peppers to use as toppings, so I'll get one more of each. Writing down exactly the numbers you need is very helpful.
I don't eat that much fruit, but the same strategy applies. Also, buy what’s in season! Buying things out of season is more expensive and the goods are generally of lesser quality.
Finally, be creative and take advantage of deals. When you go to the store, look to see what's on sale and substitute as needed.
Meat
Generally, meat is expensive and I don't buy a lot of it anymore for this reason. In Denton, where I live, chicken is cheapest, followed by beef and anything else, such as seafood and lamb, which is the most expensive. Ground beef/turkey is usually pretty cheap (around $2-3 a pound) and can be used in a variety of ways. There are two routes I go with chicken: The first is buying just a whole chicken. This I can get for around $4 and have around 2-3 pounds of meat. However, you do have to learn how to carve one up (which is fun, but messy, and the first time I tried it the final pieces looked like they had been carved with the lawn mower), and you will have to store a lot of it in the freezer. The other route is to buy a big bag of frozen breasts or whatever. This can save a lot of time, as all you have to do is thaw and cook, but these can be quite a bit more expensive. As with produce, take advantages of sales and specials. If a pack of hotdogs is $1 then yes, get some and freeze them.
Cold cuts are great but definitely do your research on who has the cheapest cuts. And while the pre-packed deli meats may be cheaper, you definitely lose some quality (which is the tradeoff unfortunately).
Although they aren't meat, I'll put them here: EGGS. They're cheap and delicious and a great source of protein. If you can find a friend or a place that has hens and fresh eggs, GET THEM! They're usually cheaper and taste much better.
Dairy
Cheese is like meat – expensive (which sucks for us, considering the amount we eat). Generally, I buy one big bag of shredded cheddar (because it goes on EVERYTHING), then some parmesan and some feta. You'll have to find the combination that works for you. Cheese is definitely something I buy every week at the store depending on what I'm out of.
Milk is pretty easy: It's better to buy too little than too much. Don't buy a whole gallon unless you know you will drink it. I usually only buy a quart and most of that is used for cooking. You'll probably have to try a few times before you figure out exactly how much you use.
Tips and Tricks
Spices can also be very expensive. The way I got my spice rack looking like it is now is by buying a little bit at a time. Find out what you use most (salt and pepper? garlic powder? seasoned salt?) and buy that first. Then add on when you need or want to try something else. Indian and Spanish markets usually have very cheap/better quality spices than big stores. A lot of my spices I get from this hole-in-the-wall Indian bazaar: $2.75 for a 12 oz. bag of spice. That's about three times cheaper than the store. Again...research is your friend.
Stereotypical college foods work well too: Ramen is always useful to have around when you need it (just watch the sodium content). Things like Easy Mac, when on sale, can be a frugal buy, but don't depend on them .
Canned veggies and soups are good to stock the pantry with. Buy them when they're cheap, even if you don't need to use them immediately because they will store forever. I always have some green beans, corn, and pork'n'beans stacked away.
If you can live without them, don't buy sodas.
A great resource for frugal living (which includes food budgeting) is reddit.com/r/frugal
Don’t think that you have to forego eating out completely. Part of the payoff of saving money on food is that you get to spend more on special occasions.
In conclusion, you don’t have to fall into the stereotypical pitfalls of college eating – the days of eating nothing but ramen, pop tarts and frozen pizzas are no longer required. Cooking has not only become part of my daily life, it has drastically improved it! It is an excellent method of working out the stress of school, helps you sharpen various skills, and allows you impress almost anyone. Sharing a homemade meal with people is one of the best bonding activities you can do. I feel that, in our modern society where everything is on-the-go and has to be done in the quickest, most convenient way possible, the act of cooking and eating has been downgraded on our priority lists. Cooking isn’t about having hand-picked cherry tomatoes imported from Italy or owning brand name appliances – it’s about having fun, experimenting, and getting to enjoy something you did from start to finish.
