Grocery Shopping 101

Hello all! Ok, so the last post was full of tips on eating healthy while eating out.  This post will be a mini tutorial on how to save big on groceries. Once you can get past the challenge of grocery shopping you can focus on having lots of home cooked meals that YOU make yourself!

The hardest part (for me) about grocery shopping is getting out of the house. Not only do you have to get the motivation to get yourself to the grocery store, but you also have to set aside a hefty amount of time to complete thet task of grocery shopping itself. Firts rule in Mary’s Guide to grocery shopping: Make it fun! Bring a friend or your rommate that way you have someone to talk to and help you make those tough decisions between wheat or white. Another option is bring your ipod along. Make a “grocery playlist” with 10-15 of your favorite songs that you love to jam out to. Time will fly by and the next thing you know you’ll be at the register.

Next; Be prepared. Before you leave the house (dorm, apt., etc), scan your refigerator and your cabinets and make a list of what your missing, or for you technology saavy shoppers put your iphone or itouch to use with a shopping list app. Be sure to get all of the basics that you use everyday; bread, eggs, milk, water, juice, cereal etc. After you have all of the necessities make note of a FEW treats for yourself. Whether it be a carton of your favorite ice cream or a bottle of your favorite wine, I feel like everyone should get a little splurge here and there despite the cost or calories!

Now that you know what you need the next ‘must’ is coupons. This is where the ‘college kid on a budget’ NEEDS to pay attention! It never hurst to scan the newspaper adds and find out where all the deals are. An even better way to save money is to “price match“. This is where you find the cheapest sales/coupons from any store (Fry’s, Safeway, Basha’s etc.) and take them all to a grocery store that honors the “price matching method” and they’ll charge you the price in the add you have no matter what the actual price is of their item. Pinching pennies when you’re grocery shopping is vital because before you know it you’re looking at $150 bill and none of the items on your list?!?

Side Note: It would REALLY benefit you to get a member card to as many grocery stores as you can. Those are the little club cards that everyone has on their key chains or in their wallets. They cost nothing to get and take less than a minute to sign up for, and you get it right there on the spot. Without a club member card you will easily spend $50 more whenever you go shopping.

Last but not least; Don’t get side-tracked!! It’s very easy for the average shopper to get sucked into to all of the promotions the store is having that day. You see a bright yellow tag on an item that says “Sale” and you think you have to have it….. YOU DON’T! If it’s not on your list it stays on the shelf. Trust me, a few extra items here and there will break the bank at the check out counter.

There you have it. Just a few steps can make all the difference between wasteful shopping and efficient shopping. If you can follow these few simple rules on your next grocery trip it should be a success.

Subway the right way

Fast food or fat food? Either way, we’re all surrounded by hundreds of fast food establishments and come in contact with them everyday. For college students that’s pretty much the only option we have on campus. Our cafeterias consist mainly of fast food restaurants and leave us with few options for eating healthy AND cheap!

 Some of the most popular fast food establishments on a collegiate campus are: McDonalds, Starbucks, Papa Johns, Burger King, Taco Bell,  Subway, Dunkin’ Donuts, Panda Express, and Chick-fil-A just to name a few.

Of these common restaurants, I will tell you right now, that your healthy options are slim BUT there are some tasty treats that can satisfy your tastebuds. If all you want is a big, fat juicy burger or slice of pizza then i’d say your best bet is SUBWAY….. as a matter of fact, I would definitely recommend Subway to replace any bad craving you have. It’s delicious, fast, and cheap. Everything the average college student needs.

For instance, if you need something super filling but semi healthy for lunch or dinner you can bet that Subway has the remedy. However, Subway is only a healthy option if you prepare your sandwich properly!! This means: Wheat bread, little or no mayo, provolone or mozarella (if any) cheese, lots of veggies (try “the works”), and try and order a footlong (since most of them are ONLY $5) BUT save the second half for dinner. If planned out well you can get all the nutrition minus the overbearing amount of fat and calories for a very affordable price.

So tomorrow for lunch try your hand at something like a ‘Subway ham mini sub’ instead of a whopper burger from Burger King and I guarantee you’ll feel oodles better for the rest of the day!

Care packages

If you’ve never heard of a “Care Package” I’m here to tell you what is and what a lifesaver it can be!!

Care Packages are feel good items that are sent to loved ones who are far away and may not have access to these things regularly. It’s a package that is meant to warm the heart and will definitely bring about a sense of comfort. It will often make your college student miss home OR just miss the person who sent the package. Many times parents will send care packages to their children and not only fill them with food but items that will make their distant student feel like they are home, for instance a typical care package consists of:

• Delicious foods! Preferably ones that will stay good for a few days, i.e. baked goods, fresh fruit, beef jerky, puppy chow, trail mix, etc.
• a CD with all of their favorite songs
• Home movies
• A recipe book with cheap and easy recipes
• Money or gift cards (a personal favorite of mine)

There are numerous websites/blogs that can easily walk you through how to put all the right SPECIAL TREATS in your care package. The ideas at sheknows.com will take you through preparing a care package with ease.

As far as saving money, these packages are a huge help. Many food items that come in a care package are non-perishable and can be used as snacks between classes throughout your week.

Receiving a care package from you parents while you’re in college is one of the best things ever! It’s just like receiving a little bit of home and lots of love. Parents…. just in case you’re worried you’ll lose touch with your babies, this is a perfect way to stay in contact and keep a strong bond. It also doesn’t hurt that you’ll be known as the “Best mom/dad ever!!”

Home cooking tips for the starving college student

There are plenty of ways for starving college students to get affordable, tasty meals without burning a hole in your wallet.

Some tricks include:

• Eating at home
• Using student discounts
• taking advantage of Happy Hour
• Having your parents send Care Packages

My favorite way to get a cheap an easy meal is by cooking at home. CheapCooking.com provides some of the best ways to make a delicious homemade meal. Staying in for home cooking always beats a drive-thru burger.

Another helpful tool I use when cooking my own meals is using the art of left-overs. Properly storing left-overs is a great way to turn 1 meal into 2!  Plenty of tupperware is a necessity when it comes to storing food. Some use Ziploc bags, but I prefer the security of a container with a lid.

Personally, I am not the queen of home cooking, but I do try to eat in as often as possible. It is definitely the way to go for a student on a budget.