College Survival Tip: Ration Your Food

Most freshmen entering college and automatically enrolled in some sort university meal plan. And, many end up spending all of it before the semester is over due to overprice food at campus food courts.

After ditching my campus meal plan during junior year, I was only able to shop for groceries by taking the bus during weekends. Because I only visited the supermarket once a week, I had to plan out my meals beforehand so that I wouldn’t end up wasting anything I didn’t finish – and so that I didn’t starve to death if I didn’t buy enough food.

Isn’t it just annoying when hot dog buns come in packs of 8 and franks come in packs of 10? I’d have to buy 5 packs of buns and 4 packs of franks just to make sure I don’t have any extra pieces lying around.

If I hadn’t set up a grocery budget and rationed my food, I think my college debt would have been much larger.

To Those With Meal Points
I know that schools put meal points on your student ID cards. They are essentially debit cards where the money can be spent only at the establishments in or around campus.

When I was on these meal plans, I realized that I paid very little attention to the account balance. Because the money on the card was already paid for when I paid for tuition, I spent my points quite willingly – and used them up before the semester was over.

A meal plan is part of a school’s tuition and could be paid for with student loans. It contributes to the debt that we find out we have once graduation comes around.

Many other college students with the meal plans can relate to this and would probably advise to:

• Set a spending limit per meal. Estimate how many days are in a semester and calculate how much you spend per meal. A stop sign will light up in your head every time you step into the dining halls.
• Downgrade or opt out of the meal plan. Don’t play according to the school’s rules regarding meal plans. You need to see your own money flowing out so that it actually hurts every time you buy food.
• Check your points regularly. Ever have your heart skip a beat when you log onto your bank account with a balance that was dwindling to $0? If you see that you are losing something, you may do more to prevent it from happening.

To Those Who Without Meal Plans
After being on a meal plan for the first 2 years, I spent the last 2 years living on campus but without a meal plan. That’s right – I began to cook (or at least what I considered to be cooking).

The frequency that I was able to visit the supermarket was limited, which helped control overspending. If I could go every other day, I’d probably pick up a lot of junk food.

Rationing my food on a per-meal basis resulted in me knowing I had enough bread for X number of sandwiches and that I had enough chicken for X dinners during the week.

If a student totaled what they spent with a meal plan during any single week, that money would be able to feed them twice as long if it was spent at a supermarket. Taking that into account, a lot of money can saved over the course of 4 years.

• Plan your meals. College life outside of classes will be spontaneous and unpredictable but try to make up a food schedule for yourself. Note what, when, and how much you’ll be eating and try to stick to it. The key is to not waste any food – which is the same as not wasting money.
• Cook a little. Just a little. Because cooking involves some math, it creates a mindset that will be beneficial when you divide up your food so that you can make complete meals. Cooking also involves some creativity and improvisation. If you had bread left over that was intended for sandwiches, then maybe eat the rest with a can of Chef Boyardee or use it for toast at breakfast.
• Have supplemental foods ready. Peanut butter and jelly, American cheese singles, and ramen noodles are all great for a back up meal if you find that your refrigerator is empty. As always, don’t expect to live on this stuff – not the healthiest way to eat.

In the end, the whole point is to budget your food just like you would with money. Both of which would serve to help college students survive without going broke (or should I say without going into debt).

(Photo credit: Thirteen Of Clubs)

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