For most students, college comes as a bit of a culture shock, especially in terms of money. It’s hard to all of a sudden be limited to a budget which decides how much money you can spend per week. Plus, this budget has to include things like school supplies and, more importantly, food.
Now for people who have a meal plan, whether it be the 14 meals a week or the unlimited, you don’t really have to worry about where your next meal is coming from and how much it is going to cost. It’s easy to go to Pollo Tropical for lunch or slip over to the dining hall for some ice cream in between classes. It was already paid for, so why not take advantage of it?
However, for people who do not have a meal plan, how much and how efficiently money is spent per day is a daily worry. I understand this worry, as I didn’t have a meal plan during my summer B semester. Living at Lakeside and having a full kitchen, I didn’t think opting out of an extra cost would be so stressful. I had to learn quickly how to manage my money across the semester while making sure I didn’t starve. So, I picked up a few tricks on how to eat well in college on a low budget.
- Go to Publix and head straight for the “Buy 1, Get 1 Free” section. This is a good way to get some extra snacks and treats. Also, be aware of the other deals too, like “2 for $5” or “3 for $8”
- Try to stay away from full priced items (unless it’s an essential like milk or eggs) to get the most out of your money
- Trader Joe’s is a good place to shop for groceries too. Most of their stuff is reasonably priced, and sometimes cheaper than competitors. Plus, everything is organic
- Search the coupon books that are handed out in Turlington or on desks in your common areas for good deals to your favorite restaurants around Gainesville (there’s even a couple for Midnight Cookies!)
- If you decide to go to the dining hall with your friends who have meal plans, make sure you get a to-go container and fill it with as much food as you can. It could provide you more meals later on in the week (try to be creative and see how much food you can cram into one box. Bring out your inner architect)
Hopefully, this will help you eat well, but still have enough money to go downtown or get that new pair of shoes or video game you’ve been dying to buy. However, it is okay to splurge a little bit sometimes: buy a venti-size coffee with as many shots of expresso it needs for you to stay awake enough to study; overload your frozen yogurt with numerous toppings to satisfy that sweet-tooth craving; indulge in your guilty pleasure every once and a while. Getting something a little extra every now and then doesn’t hurt; just like most things in life, take it in moderation. That way you’ll create a balance between eating cheap and eating well.
