As they scroll down their timelines looking at memes about going broke from buying pizza, college students are saying, “This is literally me”. Some just hate cooking while others never have anything in the fridge at 2am after a party. But there’s always a reason for the average college kid to order food “just this one time”. Unfortunately, it’s not until they reluctantly check their bank accounts that they realize they’ll be broke way before Thanksgiving break. Here are 10 tips for every college student who spends too much money on food and doesn’t want to go broke.
1. Swipes for Cash?
A lot of times (especially at the end of the semester) students realize they spent way too much for their meal plan and don’t even go to dining. When they realize this a lot are willing to swipe you into the campus dining hall for around $1 or even free! So if you don’t mind the campus food see if anyone has a lot of extra swipes/points for the dining hall!
2. Food Shopping > Ordering delivery
Stop ordering food! It may be hard but for the price of wings and fries at the nearby shop you can get several days’ worth at the grocery store. Most of the time what you’re ordering can be made cheap at home.
3. Go to campus events with Free Food!
Everyone loves getting free food, especially college students. The good part about this is that campus organizations know this and often when they plan events they’ll have free food for people who attend! So go out meet some new people and get free food while you’re at it.
4. Buy Snacks in Bulk or at the Dollar Store.
If you’re a huge “snacker” stop buying from overpriced vending machines or the deli. You can find snacks in Bulk at stores like BJ’s or Costcos. If you don’t have a membership check out the dollar stores near you for tasty cheap snacks you can store up on.
5. If you rely on Pizza, buy it from the grocery store.
You can find all types and sizes of pizzas at the grocery store for cheap! Inexpensive ones can cost around $3-$5. what’s even better is you don’t have to tip or worry about getting your order wrong.
6. Coupon, download discount apps & sign up for rewards cards(which is different from store credit cards)
There are tons of websites and apps that show you coupons and deals for stores near you like RetailMeNot and Groupon. Even many local grocery stores have rewards programs for frequent shoppers to save money and flyers that show the deals they have.
7. Search for all the cheapest stores around you before going food shopping.
It might be costing you a lot of money in the long run if you only go to one store because it’s closest to you. Search online for dollar stores, discount grocery stores and inexpensive local markets. If you have a free college bus pass or other freeways of transportation this might be the perfect way for you to get out and save!
8. Make a list and stick to it!
Perhaps the biggest time and money “waster” out there is not sticking to s shopping list! Before you leave your house- or dorm, check to see what you don’t have and think of how much you’re willing to spend for what you want! When you get to the store only go in the isles that have what you need to prevent over-shopping.
9. Bring Cash, Leave the Card at home
You can’t spend money you don’t have. If you find it hard sticking to a budget when you’re out shopping, take out the exact amount of money you want to spend beforehand from your bank account. Then leave your bank card locked away safely in your house or room so that no matter what, you can’t spend more than your budget when you’re out.
