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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Our health is our most important asset in our lives – not money or knowledge. Without good health, one can only go so far being wealthy and smart. Sadly, we live in a society where medical costs and insurance premiums leave a large dent on our bank accounts.

Everyone has heard stories how an unexpected medical problem translates into a major financial burden. While many health problems cannot be controlled by us, there are also many that are a result of our ignorance. That is why taking we should take care of the seemingly-little problems early on before it becomes a heart-wrenching disaster.

These prevention methods are simple and quick, yet there are so many people who neglect them because they seem tedious and unnecessary – until it comes back to bite them in the rear. Spending 30-seconds on these daily activities could prevent you from needing to pay for expensive medical care.

1. Brush your teeth.
   You know who you are. Even the wealthiest and smartest of people have dirty mouths. Cavities and periodontal disease are at the top of the list when it comes to dental problems. Depending on your dentist, multiple fillings can add up to hundreds of dollar even after insurance coverage. Root canal treatment will cost THOUSANDS. Most people don’t care until it happens to them.

   Get an electric toothbrush (the ones that spin in a circular motion such as the Oral-B Vitality Electric Toothbrush) and use any fluoride toothpaste. Yes, with an electric toothbrush, you can clean your teeth in 30 seconds. You will be $1,000’s richer than the person who doesn’t care to take 1 minute to brush twice a day.

2. Put on a bandage.
   We all get hurt from time to time. Maybe you cut yourself with a piece of paper, your cat scratched you, or you scraped your knee when you while checking out that hot girl/guy walking down the street – put a bandage on it.

   Keep a few Band-Aids in your wallet and have them ready for that small emergency. Even with the powerful defensive mechanisms in our human bodies, infection is a nasty bugger to deal with. A visit to your physician will carry a copay, along with what you may have to pay for prescriptions. Don’t have to regret not shelling out a few bucks for bandages.

3. Drink a glass of water.
   Dehydration is a common reason for headaches, fatigue, nausea, and cramps. The beverage of choice for most people who feel they need some Starbucks to survive the rest of the day. Besides saving you money, water is great for cleansing and replenishing liquids in your body.

   Feeling sluggish or feel a headache coming? Don’t waste money on coffee or pop that Tylenol pill just yet. Head to the water cooler or grab a bottle of Poland Spring. Get some water into your system and then see how you feel.

(Photo credit: Truthout.org)

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What is worse than buying something that is unnecessary? Buying something that will damage your health and cost you even more money in the future. All the things on the following list are obvious to everyone buy I find that we must continuously advocate for the non-use of these things to get the point across.

To compound the situation, they’ve been increasingly accessible to the younger generations. Quit buying (or buy less) of these items and it will mean major savings in medical costs in the long run.

Cigarettes. Without a doubt, cigarettes is the #1 most useless thing you can buy. You’ve seen the TV campaigns and they really have had an impact on the tobacco industry. Shelling out upwards $5 per pack for something that does nothing but harms your body makes no sense. At a pack a day, it’ll cost $1,825 for a year of smoking. Don’t forget the higher insurance premiums, teeth bleaching, and the medical costs when all those chemicals have finally screwed up your health.

Coffee. Sorry to the Starbucks fanatics but it had to be said. Did you know regular coffee drinkers can suffer from withdrawal when they stop? That is a clear sign that coffee can take control of your body and mind. Whether you brew it yourself or you visit the local coffee house, many people with find that they spend hundreds of dollars on coffee. And, those coffee stained teeth are truly going to make your dentist happy when you go in to get them whitened. Cheaper and healthier alternatives are tea, ice or sparkling water, and juices.

Alcohol. Wow, this coming from a recent college graduate! I see firsthand what happens because of this magical liquid that makes everybody “more fun”. Hey, let’s spend $50 tonight on alcohol and barf my guts out 2 hours later ($50 down the toilet?). The long-term effects include liver and kidney damage and weakening of the heart. But the most costly effect of alcohol is the dangerous activities that one would engage in such as drunk driving which results in even more costs and harm to health.

This small list contains the typical must-have’s for the busy, corporate personnel in the high stress business world. They wake up and drink a cup of coffee, take a smoke during breaks, and end the day at happy hour.

The amazing thing is that everything listed above can be replaced by dihydrogen monoxide – WATER. Yes, $3.99 for 24 bottles of Poland Spring is healthier for you and your wallet than any beverage or drug you can buy.

Photo credit: devlon duthie

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Ever since I began working out, my diet has changed for the better. My preset grocery budget was about $25 and I never go over $30. Looking back at what I typically purchased about a year ago, what I buy now costs about the same while the foods are better for my diet. For the sake of turning this into a health and fitness blog, here are some changes I’ve made.

Items Removed From Shopping Cart

• Soda
• Chips
• Bacon
• Frozen Foods

Items Added To Shopping Cart

• More Eggs
• More Milk
• Tuna
• Fruit Cups
• Cheese

This change has certainly led to me to realize how expensive junk food really is. Hopefully, my readers can see this too and also make a change. One less 12-pack of soda per week is a major difference in how much I spend (and my health).

P.S. Water, water, and more water!

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For the past few weeks, I’ve started taking advantage of another university facility that I didn’t use for the first three years of college (but still paid for). Since this semester was somewhat of a breeze, despite short periods of torture, and I needed something to do, I started working out. To the gym it is!

What I found from researching the basics of bodybuilding is quite discouraging (for the wallet). To properly build muscle I’ve learned that one must:

• Increase weights.
• Eat more protein.
• Eat more frequently.

This means I need to:

• Get adjustable weights.
• Buy chicken, steak, eggs, fish and protein mixes.
• Buy more food.

It is said that I should be eating more calories and protein to support the muscle growth. I notice that my $25-per-week budget for food is just enough for me to get through the week but it isn’t enough if I’m serious about working out. And I am.

Chicken, beef, and eggs are a regular part of my diet but fish and steak are quite expensive. But, school is almost over and I’ll be returning home where my mom always cooks more than enough. Sadly, I don’t have access to a gym back at home. This brings me to the weights.

I have nothing at home for working out since I’m more into sports than weight training. I’ve looked around for dumbbells and I find that I’ll need adjustable weights. These damn things cost upwards from $499!

One step I’ve taken is buying a 2.5 lb tub of Muscle Milk Protein Mix for $18.10 (I had a discount). I’ll also be eating more egg whites (no yolk because of the cholesterol). I don’t want to have a little progress and then stop during the winter break. Getting more food isn’t a problem because I’m fine with spending an addition $10.

The problem is how I should get the workout I need. Any ideas to do so without going broke? I’ll also appreciate any tips on foods that are effective and easy on the wallet.

Photo credit: bgarciagil

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As you can tell from the title, the budget that I set up earlier this week seemed to work pretty well.

I followed all the tips and it worked great:

1. My Post-It note had a small list but it was suffice and exactly what I needed. It served its purpose: buy those items and ONLY those items.
2. I checked the online ads at Waldbaums.com and the only savings I found were for the chips.
3. A few of my items were by generic brands. The milk and spaghetti were from America’s Choice, a generic brand common in Waldbaums.
4. I was set to complete my shopping trip in 15 minutes. It turns out I totally overestimated the required time to pick up all the items on the list. I was actually done in 5 minutes. It helped to know the aisles of the store (and the list was short).

I actually bought something that wasn’t on the list. A box of frozen taquitos was the extra item but I still didn’t go over my budget.

In fact, if you take a look at the receipt, the shopping trip cost me $24.99. I guess I missed my budget by just one penny. I don’t know why I didn’t have to pay tax but I guess it is best not to argue about that.

Plus, with cash back from my credit card, I guess I’m becoming a smarter shopper.

Budgeting rocks?!

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Two weeks into the school semester and I haven’t gone grocery shopping yet. Last year, I spent about $30 per week on groceries. Compared to a campus meal plan, that is CHEAP!

But, I feel that I can do better with a little less. Before my return to school this year, my (loving) parents bought boxes of cereal, two large bags of rice, ramen noodles, and packs of water and soda. My mom also prepared food that I can quickly reheat. So, I’ve been able to survive for the last two weeks.

As I told you in an earlier post, I’m having some financial obstacles. That’s why I’d like to cut the expenses somewhat.

Goal
I feel that $25 can cover what I need. Plus, I think that is quite a reasonable goal that can still be achieved with the proper methods.

From reading many other personal finance blogs, I’ve picked up some tips I’ll try out:

• Make a list. Although this is a fundamental part of grocery shopping, many people don’t stick to it nor do they take the time to make one. I always make one but I tend to forget to bring it. This weekend, it’s going to be a Post-It note on my laptop.
• Check weekly ads online. Many supermarkets release their weekly paper ads online. So, why not check out the prices before I shop? I actually found some good savings on the items I was going to buy.
• Try generic or store brands. I forgot where I read it but there was a contest on who could save the most on purchasing generic brand goods instead of the name brands. Just compare the ingredients and see if it matches those of the popular brands.
• Set a time limit. This is a fun one. I remember those competition shows to see who could find the right items the fastest. If I had a list, I should be able to go from the picking up the shopping cart to the cashier in 15 minutes. The point is to reduce the time spent on buying things I don’t need.

I’m confident that I can stick to my budget and it seems this weekend would be a fun grocery shopping trip.

Any readers got some other really fun and useful grocery shopping tips?

Photo credit: CJ Sorg

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