Eating on a budget

I personally do not live on campus, so I do not have that much experience on eating on a budget. But I do know that food can be very expensive at times because I do have a job so, I have to buy my own groceries and pay rent. Also, my parents sometimes help me out with expenses like rent, bills and food. 

1. 1) Do not eat out everyday 

As a college student it is very tempting to eat out with your friends either on campus or off campus. But it would better to limit the amount of times you go out to eat and to pick a restaurant that is not that expensive. If you do go out to eat and have leftovers then you can repurpose them for the following day. 

2. 2) Use coupons 

Coupons are a great way to save some money. Before you go to the grocery store try to find coupons online. There are many coupons that are buy 1 get 1 free or half off. So that can help people save a little bit of money and get more products. Some stores have weekly ads that show what food is on sale or has coupons. Since I live at home, I tend to get a lot of junk mail but if I look through the junk mail, I can find coupons for many different products and different stores.  

3. 3) Make a grocery list 

 Once you have made your grocery list, stick to it. In your grocery list you should only have items that you really need and that a healthier to processed food. Then never go grocery shopping when you are hungry. Since any food especially junk food will be very tempting to buy then that can lead you to buy expensive and might not be that healthy. Then try to avoid very processed foods because it tends to have no nutritional value. 

4. 4) Buy generic brands 

 I know that brand names sometimes taste better than generic brands but they tend to be a bit more expensive. As a college student we tend to be broke so we have to be really careful on how much we are spending. So, the generic brands tend to be more affordable and might taste the same as the well-known brand. Plus, if the generic product tastes similar to the well-known product then you are spending more money just for the name of the brand.  

5. 5) Cook large portions 

When you cook larger portions, it can save you both time and money. For example, if you make a bigger portion of pasta then separate the pasta in smaller portions for the week. With the pasta you can make stir fry or simply cook chicken and add it to the pasta. Making larger portions will help save time especially if you are rushing to get to class or work. 

These are some of my tips that I have learned over the past couple months when I have to eat on a budget.