Many students suffer from a kitchen quandary: they want to eat cheaply, but they don't want their waistlines to suffer the consequences. Follow these tips to eating healthy and cheaply in college.
1) According to WebMD.com, planning a grocery list ahead of time will save money and prevent impulse shopping. Most stores put sales up online or in the newspaper, so base the list around what is on sale.
2) Avoid gimmicks. "Buy one get one free" is a technique to get shoppers to buy twice as much as they need at half the price. At some grocery stores, like Kroger's, buying one item under this sale still rings up at half the price, without buying double the product.
3) Generic brands often have the same ingredients as national brands. Mich Baker, membership manager at Sam's Club, thinks every single product sold under Sam's Club brand is cheaper than a national brand.
4) Buying and cooking in bulk saves a lot of money, just be careful not to get more than is needed. "Non- perishable items such as peanut butter, canned vegetables, pasta and trail mix are easy to cook up and won't go bad," Baker said. Joey Bacon, a senior in entrepreneurship, uses Sam's Club to stock up on essentials. "I occasionally go to Sam's Club to buy mass quantities of Ramen Noodles and Hot Pockets for cheap," Bacon said.
5) Only buy prepackaged food when it is absolutely necessary. Stores such as the Tiger Town Kroger and Dayspring have dried foods such as beans, cereals and dried fruit in storage bins where shoppers can scoop out what they need.
6) When eating out, try to time it during happy hour to save money on food and drinks. "I try to catch the weekly specials at Quixotes -- 35 cent wings on Mondays and Thursdays and of course drink specials on Wednesday night," Bacon said. "Burger night at Niffer's Place, pints at Mellow Mushroom and happy hour margaritas at Laredos are an absolute must to get through the week."
7) Usually grocery stores offer membership cards such as Kroger or Sam's Club. "When my mom bought her Sam's Club membership, she was offered a second card free so she gave it to me," said Katie Naman, a junior in nutrition and science. "It helps when I need to stock up."
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