The stereotype of the poor college student is all too real. Students are known to scrimp and save and still sometimes not have enough to feed themselves for a whole week. However, feeding a college student on $20 a week really isn’t that hard if you budget correctly. Personally, I spend around $20-$30 a week on food (and I’m not a particularly light eater). Here are a few tips to stretch your dollar so you’re not spending your entire savings on food:
Tip #1: Plan Ahead
The best way to budget your money and have enough food to get you through the week is to make budget-conscious shopping lists ahead of time and stick to them in the grocery store. This may involve a little math (I know, gross) but it will be worth the number-crunching when you’re not wasting away by the end of the week. Plan out each meal ahead of time if you have to, and never, I repeat NEVER, go to the store hungry or else you’ll end up deviating from your list a lot more than you think you will!
Tip #2: Avoid Eating Out
I tend to plan my meals so that they cost $1 or less per serving. Even fast food typically costs more than that. It’s okay to spoil yourself from time to time eating out with friends, but try to avoid going alone if it can be helped. If you’re a busy person and find yourself relying on fast food more frequently than you would like, take a bagged lunch with you, maybe even some snacks in Ziploc bags. Carrot sticks and grapes make great, cheap, healthy snacks! If you’re looking for something on the salty side, popcorn usually breaks down to about 16 cents per serving.
Tip #3: OATMEAL!
Oatmeal is a miracle food. It lowers cholesterol, contains tons of antioxidants, stabilizes blood sugar, and even prevents weight gain all for about 25 cents per serving! It’s also an awesome source of protein and comes in flavors like apple cinnamon and strawberry! Oatmeal is easy to make, healthy, and CHEAP! What’s not to love?
Tip #4: Buy Local Produce
Eating healthy is hard when you can get a full meal at McDonald’s for about the same price as a single piece of produce at some grocery stores. Farmers Markets however, sell produce on the cheap. Buying local produce is a great way to support local businesses and stimulate the local economy while saving some money and avoiding the pesticide-pumped, mass-produced fruits and veggies from supermarkets.
Tip #5: Coupons, Coupons, Coupons
Forget diamonds, coupons are a girl’s best friend! Clip some from your local paper and be a coupon queen! If you get really good at it, you may even be able to get your groceries for free like some of the savvy shoppers on TLC’s Extreme Couponers . Stores oftentimes keep circulars near the entrance so be sure to pick those up and check out the hottest deals. Just be mindful because sometimes you’re saving less than you think. Publix has been known to jack up prices before they put items on BOGO so you’re saving a lot less than it may seem.
Tip #6: Generic Brands
Generic brands from your local grocery store are almost always cheaper than brand-name products even though a lot of the time they contain the exact same ingredients and even come from the same factories! Time magazine confirms that a lot of store-brand products are actually made by the same companies that make their brand-name counterparts. The only difference is the label and the price, some generic brands being as much as 50% cheaper than the same items with a brand name.
Tip #7: If you can get it for free, DO!
Ketchup, mustard, salt, pepper, mayo, napkins…these are just a few things you never have to actually pay for. Now, I’m not advising stealing, just taking a little more than you actually need from restaurants and fast food joints. Most condiments never go bad, so grab a handful every time you can and build up a stockpile.
Tip #8: Reusable Products (and food)
To stretch your dollar as far as you possibly can, invest in reusable products like a metal water bottle that can be re-filled over and over so you never have to buy bottled water again. You should also consider buying live herbs in soil; they’ll keep replenishing themselves so you only need to buy your favorite spices once and you’ll have them for life…or at least as long as you can keep the plant alive. Like fruit? Buy TYPES OF FRUIT once and you can plant the seeds and grow your own from them for free!