There comes a time in most college students’ lives where they finally decide to stop paying for their school’s overpriced meal plan. After making this decision, most students then come to realize that they themselves have to quickly learn how to grocery shop, prepare meals, cook, and clean. This semester is my first semester experiencing and navigating these adult tasks. I cannot claim to have mastered all of this, but I can say that I am starting to learn the best and most manageable ways to navigate being off of Brown’s meal plan for the first time.
Firstly, it’s important to make a plan for the upcoming week. Start by figuring out your schedule and deciding which days you’ll actually have time to cook. Realistically, you’ll only be able to cook a full meal a couple of times a week, so you should buy groceries that reflect that.
I would also recommend stocking up on food items that you can prepare quickly if you’re pressed for time. Trader Joes has a great frozen food selection that offers a variety of quick yet delicious dinners. Having sandwich provisions is also a great idea because sandwiches are both easy to make and great meals at any time of the day.
Communicating with roommates about your grocery shopping and food preparation plan is also key to successfully navigating life off of the meal plan. Every roommate dynamic is different; some roommates opt to all do their own grocery shopping and cooking separately, while others prefer to grocery shop and cook together. Both options will work as long as you have developed a set plan and system with the people you live with. Something I have been workshopping with my roommates is alternating who cooks every night. So far this idea has been working well because it allows me to have breaks from cooking throughout the week.
Lastly, if your parents are planning to help you finance your grocery shopping, I recommend having a conversation with them ahead of time about how much money they are comfortable allocating to you monthly and how they plan on allocating said money. Having a predetermined system with your parents makes life a lot easier once you get into the swing of the school year.
Overall, being off of the meal plan is a great experience because it gives you a taste of real adult life. Like any “grown-up” task, it’s not always simple but definitely manageable if you stay organized with a couple of simple plans!