Oh, the first week of school. The buzz of new students on campus, all of the excitement of Welcome Week... the assault on your wallet. Books. Tuition. Rent. Fare thee well, summer job earnings. To make things even better, you've got nothing in your fridge, no money to eat out, and are taking 17 credit hours.
There is hope. Cooking your own food will save you money. You just have to strategize a bit. One of my favorite online cooking magazines, Epicurious.com, published a money-saving guide to help stretch food dollars and save some time. Some of my favorite tips from the article are:
- Never go to the grocery store hungry. Duh! Why didn't I think of that?! If you're hungry, everything will look good, and you'll be more likely to buy expensive convenience foods and junky stuff that sounds good then.
- Go prepared, with a shopping list. Don't stray from the shopping list. Don't even go in the aisles of the store where the things on your shopping list don't live.
- Plan your meals for the week. Think of things that can do double-duty and make meals the next day. For example, if you're roasting potatoes, make extra so that you can have them around for fritattas or salads later in the week.
- Plan your shopping around sales and be aware of discounts. Marsh, if you sign up for their rewards card, has 5% discounts on Saturdays for students, and Sahara Mart offers 10% discounts on Tuesday. Vendors at the Farmers' Market will often steeply discount produce towards the end of the market (between noon and 1 pm) to try and get rid of it. And bringing your own shopping bag helps, too. In addition to reducing waste and plastic bags, bringing your own vessel to carry home groceries will save you 10 cents for every shopping bag saved at Marsh.
- Shop with cash. I love this one. So often we buy more than we actually need at the grocery store. If you bring cash and make a firm commitment to not use your credit card, you can only buy what you really need. If it comes down between a gallon of milk and that 20 oz soda because you're really thirsty right now, you'll be more inclined to think about eating dry cereal all week and skip on the pop.
- If you're cooking ethnic food, go to an ethnic market. While two measly stalks of dried up lemongrass will run you almost $3 at Marsh, or any other megamart, you can buy a thick healthy bunch at Saraga Market for less than a dollar because they cater to Asian cooks who use it all the time. Ditto with things like bean sprouts, tofu, and Asian specialty foods such as fish sauce, canned pickles, and noodles. High turnover on these products means less waste for the store, and in turn they don't have to charge so much to compensate for the food they throw away.
- Bulk bins are your friend. If you only need a little bit of something, buying from bulk bins is a good idea. You don't have to pay for packaging, and you can purchase exactly the quantity you need. Bloomingfoods has fruits, nuts, grains, and spices in bulk, as well as prepared foods like granola and trail mix. Sahara Mart also has a bulk aisle, and they offer their 10% Tuesday discount on all of their bulk items.
- DON'T GO OUT TO THE BARS. This one is so obvious, yet I know so many people who moan and groan about not having money and still warm the Kilroys patio seats like it is their job. Partying, while fun, is expensive, and uses real money for something that you don't really need. If money is tight, think of other things to do to cut loose and have some fun. Rent a movie, play some cards, or if you really want a beer, go in on some with a couple of your friends and hang out at home. Have a dance party in your living room. Have a potluck dinner party. There are so many ways to have much more fun without spending so much cash. If you must go out, take only as much cash as you are willing to spend, and leave your credit card at home. Alcohol loosens inhibitions, and before you know it, your open tab comes back to you with $40 worth of shooters and pints.
