Great Tips for Eating on a College Budget

"Dude, I'm so broke." This phrase is one of the most frequently uttered on college and university campuses, and shares the top ten with, "Dude, I'm starving!"

College students, in general, are broke. College is expensive. There are books, fees, tuition, housing costs, car maintenance, and numerous other expenses, and there is not much opportunity to balance out those costs with a quality steady income. It can be hard to make the dollar stretch and still eat. These tips will allow the college student to still nosh and not sacrifice.

1. Eat in the dinning hall. If you have a dining hall meal plan, for heaven's sake use it. You are already paying for it, and to not use it is to throw money down the drain. There are ways that you can make the best use of your meal plan with out eating mystery meat on soggy bread. There is always something in the dining hall that is eatable, be it peanut butter, fruit, a salad bar or even lunch meat. As a last ditch effort, check out the dry cereal. It may not be a typical supper, but sometimes a bowl of Lucky Charms might just be what the doctor ordered.

2. Make the most of your meal plan. I call this the Boy Scout plan of attack. You should always be prepared. You may find something wonderful, or at least palatable, in the dining hall one day, but that does not mean that it is going to repeat. Take advantage of the "to go" selections if you have access and stash some edible food away. At the very least, store some peanut butter packets and an apple or two from the cafeteria in your dorm. These small little stores could hold you over in a creamed spinach and warmed over meatloaf week.

3. Go grocery shopping. I know that it can be daunting and tiresome to prepare your own meal after a day of searching for enlightenment, and that pizza place down the street keeps sending you coupons. But keeping a selection of healthy grab and go snacks and meals can save you big bucks. Think of it this way. That pizza with delivery and tip will run you around $20. For that same amount of money you could purchase ten microwavable healthy dinners that have actual vegetables and lean meats. The microwavable meals also have another added benefit; they take less time to make then it does to wait for the pizza guy.

4. Shop wisely. You do not have to be a soccer mom to use coupons, and chances are there is a Sunday paper that is delivered somewhere on campus. Those little fifty cents off here and seventy-five cents off there really do add up. Some stores even double coupons up to a certain amount, so you could get many items for free. Free is a price that is in all college student budgets.

5. Eat and drink what you need. You are obviously some what intelligent if you are in college in the first place, so you should have a basic grasp on what your body needs and does not need to function properly. Contrary to popular opinion, your body does not need a cappuccino or Red Bull to move in the morning. Yes, your body needs water, but it does not need the water to come from a plastic bottle. Your body does need proteins and vitamins, but it does not need it in the form of a burrito from a fast food place at 2 a.m.

Self control is the best asset when it comes to tying on the food bag on a pauper's salary. College and university students can still eat well with just a little ingenuity and thought. Go ahead; give it that old college try.