Say you are a broke college student....

OseaHello

Check to see if you have an Aldi store near. They're prices are AWESOME!! Pretty much half of regular grocery store!

antoniosmooth

And had very little money for food for the next 2 months *-* what would be the top items on your list?

I was thinking:
cans of tuna 52 cents
bag of rice around $1.20 or so
maybe a bag of frozen chicken breasts - $6 or so

what would you add :flowerforyou:

Be very careful with the Tuna. You should consume no more than 12oz. of Tuna per week otherwise you put yourself in danger of Mercury poisoning. Canned light Tuna how low mercury levels whereas the Albacore can have high Mercury levels and can (and has in some individuals) lead to mercury poisoning in your blood stream.

textlikekisses

i am a poor college student. make those dollars count!

frozen fruits and veggies
ground turkey
chicken breasts
boxed mashed potatoes
rice
rice milk or almond milk - lasts longer than dairy milk if you don't drink it a lot
off brand oatmeal and cereal

gmeekatty

Canned beans (kidney, pinto, etc); frozen bags of veggies, ie. broccoli, green beans (store brand or "no" brands are just as good); nonfat powdered milk has great shelf life; also evaporated fat free milk for cooking and such. Oatmeal, bag of apples, buy bread on sale or the "day old" table and freeze it. You can also freeze cheese for a few months at a time. Canned soups. Bless your heart, it will get better. If it gets really tough, don't be hesitant to visit the local food assistance services for good nutritional foods. God bless.

karisma81

I vote for the rice too. It's more nutritious than ramen. I get long grain because it has a lower glycemic index than short grain. One of my favourite dishes is sautéing some onion with one or two eggs and then adding in cooked rice.

shyandemily

Great info.

sweetsierra

Beans- You can make hummus or bean dip, burritos, soups, black bean burgers.....just google recipes.

Elizabeth_C34

1. Bags of dry beans are amazing. You can do tons of stuff with them, and they are cheap.
2. Sign up for a local co-op or food share program for fresh local veggies.
3. If you have room for an herb garden, you should definitely have one. Great way to get fresh seasoning.
4. Bagged rice is a great thing.
5. Look for buy one/get one deals and freeze things like bread and meats.
6. Keep your bread in the fridge to make it last longer. Toast it in the toaster to warm it up when you want to use it.

InStabilityKills

Pasta Sides are awesomely cheap and last you a while. They are usually 10 for $10 and have a ton of varieties. I don't think I have ever seen them for more than the sale price at any store. They are really tasty and one bag can last you 3 days when you eat it with a piece of chicken or something.

munchkinhugs

Spend some time sussing out the sale items! Canned beans/fruit/vegetables .. tomatoes!


And, you can freeze bananas??

jworb

I second most of the suggestions on here - beans, lentils, rice, tuna, peanut butter, oatmeal, etc.

one of the things I've seen a lot of people suggest is homemade soup or chili... this is an awesome idea, and you can make a really big batch to freeze. The best way to freeze portions for one is to use a muffin tin, lined with plastic wrap. Once it's frozen, you can take the individual portions out of the muffin tin and put them into freezer bags for storage. I've done that with soups and veggie stews.

Also, 3 or 4 chicken breasts + 1 large jar salsa + 1 can black beans + frozen corn makes a ton of crock pot shredded chicken that is easy to freeze and good over rice or with tortillas.

Elizabeth_C34

I would also like to say that you should own a crock pot if you don't already. They are not expensive, an are fantastic for making wholesome meals that you can save for weeks (freezing).

jworb

I think I saw someone that mentioned food stamps, and i'm not sure what the eligibility requirements are but you could check here http://www.thebenefitbank.org/QuickCheck to see if you're eligible for any assistance programs.

Also, local food pantries can be a great help for staple items when things are tight temporarily. This site might be of help http://feedingamerica.org/Home/foodbank-results.aspx to find one in your area.

Sandydee60

Just remember if things get to bad then go to a food bank. They will help you.

mes1119

eggs
yogurt
chicken
fruit
frozen veggies

and I AM a broke college student

l3long

Eating Beans

BBQ Beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can brown beans
1 can mixed beans
liberal addition of bar-b-que sauce

Warm this and eat in wraps with whatever veggies are on sale
Eat this mix over rice or cooked red lentils

Beans Soup
1 can kidney beans
1 cup cooked red lentils (cook these like rice)
1 can mixed beans
1 container chicken broth
leftover meat of somesort (optional)

Also, Throw a can of beans into any canned soup for extra proten

zoominzozo

Cereal
Milk,
Frozen chicken
pasta
rice
sauces that are on offer
.....and the cheapest chocolate I could find!

Gemp2307

Do you have an Aldi grocery store in your area? They have good food all kinds fruits, vegetables, bread, milk, yogurt, everything a regular grocery store has but lots cheaper! Good luck to you!

Aldi is my happy place. I buy in euro, so I'm not sure what the conversion to dollar is, but I can usually eat for a week for less that 30 euro. invest in a good food saver jar, or a wide flask, i bought mine on ebay. You can make batches of soup and chilli, stews, casseroles etc and freeze them, defrost and reheat and take with you. Also, i buy quick-soup, or cup-a-soup sachets, usually 4 packets for less than a euro, and take a flask of boiling water with me. i can make myself some soup whenever, wherever, for 30 cents a go.With a little extra planning, it is achievable to eat healthy and cheap, just stay focused! good luck!

lawmama_

And had very little money for food for the next 2 months *-* what would be the top items on your list?

I was thinking:
cans of tuna 52 cents
bag of rice around $1.20 or so
maybe a bag of frozen chicken breasts - $6 or so

what would you add :flowerforyou:

start looking through supermarket circulars to get the best deal. i used to get them in the mail and just throw them out immediately. now, i start searching for which store has the lowest price on chicken breast, canned goods, etc.

go to the websites for each supermarket and look for their weekly ad. also there are coupons you can download and print directly from the supermarket website. also, the sunday newspapers usually have manufacturer coupons. clip all the ones you're likely to use, and then wait til the item goes on sale at the local store. then, you'll have a sale price PLUS a coupon. that's how the couponers on Extreme Couponing do it.

also, don't be afraid to venture into the unsavory part of town and go to the supermarkets there. food is almost always cheaper in seedy neighborhoods.

buy the store brand, and not the popular brand. much of the time, it's the same product packed at the same plant, but with different label.

don't think that 50 cents is no big deal. if you can save 50 cents on each item you buy, just imagine how that starts adding up. i cut my monthly grocery expenses by more than half by just doing all of these things.

farmgirl88

My favorite cheap recipe is Taco Soup:
1 can black beans
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can light red kidney beans
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 can sweet corn
1 packet taco seasoning

Put everything in a big pot or crockpot and cook until heated through. Simmer for a while longer to really enhance the flavors.

For less than 5 dollars, you have a few days' worth of healthy, filling meals.

Also, a lot of people survive on black beans and rice and/or beans and corn tortillas. Beans plus rice/corn equals a complete protein and has the same healthful benefits as meat protein.

Fresh fruit and veggies are a must. Buy whatever is on sale so that you have a few servings of either fruit or vegetables each day. (I've seen bags of fresh spinach go on sale for 99c before and in-season fruit is often very afforable--i.e. only a couple dollars for a huge bag of apples).

I hope this helps!