College Finances - Get Food Savvy in an Instant!
If you are suffering from hunger pangs every end of the week before you receive your next allowance, then you are one of millions of college freshmen who have yet to master the skill of budgeting and stretching your cash. It is not unusual for you to experience running out of cash right before the allowance from your parents gets in, especially if you are still adjusting to the fact that food does not materialize magically on your table. College eating habits is totally different from your usual, run of the mill, mom’s home cooking.
If you are struggling to catch up on needed nutrients from the food groups while studying, it would be best if you start familiarizing yourself with all the healthy and nutritious meals you can afford. This would be no problem if you were enrolled in meal plans (gourmet would be nice now, would it not?) and you like the food. But sometimes, even if you do not like the food, even if you are enrolled in gourmet meals, you’ll probably have the itch to get pizza delivered. This is not a good idea. Pizza may sound cheap but if you have pizza nights every time, you’ll end up unhealthy, both in body and pocket. You are going to have to get used to somebody else’s cooking if you do not want to go hungry.
Another way to save up on food expenses is to cook your own meals. You should have seen this coming and maybe you could have gotten cooking tips from your mom. If your apartment allows for you to have a gas range or an electric range in your place, then you could use all the skills you learned in your home kitchen. Don’t have the skills? Try looking for easy, college-budget friendly recipes over the internet. A microwave could be a good friend too, if you can get good and nutritious frozen foods. Nevertheless, you should also get some cooking savvy, even if you just prepare salads and pasta dishes as they are healthier alternatives to all the preservatives you can get from pre-prepared food.
For quick fixes when you are too tired to cook a full meal or if the dining hall is closed, get some oatmeal into your system. If you are studying well into the night, you can choose to snack on cheeses, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and yogurt, instead of chips and dips. Relaxing and want a great way to enjoy your movie night? You can make your own potato chips. Potatoes come cheap and you can control the amount of salt you sprinkle on it.
Lastly, if you are going out to a restaurant or a café with your friends, you are allowed not to tip. You are a struggling college kid and people will understand that eating out is already your treat to yourself. The economy will not go bonkers just because you held on to a dollar for tips.