Fast Food
What a cheap way to eat! Fast food chains are the best and most have apps now that can help you save money. For example, with the McDonald’s app you get McCafé rewards, buy five and get one free. You also may have deals like 40% off meals or $1.50 off different items. You can get half-priced drinks anytime, not just happy hour, when you pre-order on the Sonic app. I probably don’t need to mention that you can definitely get a meal from any fast food place for less than ten dollars.
Taste plays a big factor for ordering fast food. I could drive down the road all day eating those hot French fries and sinking my teeth into a cheeseburger. Not much into a cheeseburger; you’d rather have chicken! Chicken Express has a great deal on Tuesdays on their chicken strips; it’s called Tender Tuesday. You should check it out!
What a fast way to get food when time is of the essence. You’ve had early classes and worked all day. You’re starving and still need to study. Fast food is certainly a great go-to when you’ve had a long day. And it becomes a way of life.
During my research, I found that 84% of college students live off fast food. Also, 54% eat it at least once a week. No shame in surviving on fast food.
Delivery
Delivery can get expensive. I highly recommend that you do delivery when you have several friends to chip-in with the cost. Usually when you go with delivery, you pay a delivery fee. Then, when it’s delivered you should tip the delivery person. So, you’re not only paying for food, but for the delivery and a tip. Each of those fees add at least an additional 10% to the cost of your food.
When you call to place an order for delivery, ask if they deliver to your address. It is so irritating to go through your entire order just to be told that they don’t deliver to your address.
The most sought-after delivery is for pizza from Pizza Hut, Papa John’s and Dominos. There’s something about pizza being delivered still hot out of the oven to your doorstep. You should experience it at least once.
Of course, if you like to cook there are home deliveries for groceries also. Several supermarkets will deliver food to your door, such as Safeway, Whole Foods, and Walmart, just to name a few. You can google grocery stores that deliver near me. And Walmart does this new wonderful thing called pickup. You can download their app, select your wanted items and pay, then choose a pickup date and time. Once you’re at Walmart at your specified date and time, pull into a pickup slot, check-in on the app and they will bring it out and load it into your car; completely free. Yes, it’s that easy.
Meal Plans
College meal plans can be purchased at enrollment. This is an excellent way to cut cost. Each college will have suitable bundles for your budget. There are some pros and cons that go along with these meal plans.
First, let’s chat about the cons because the pros outweigh the cons. They’re pre-paid, so you can go have a meal and swipe your card. This means you don’t have to have money or cash on you to go eat. It’s also very convenient during lunch because you don’t have to leave the campus. You don’t have to give up your close parking spot. And you don’t have to starve if you forget your lunch.
With the college meal card, you can also go have a pick-me-up, a snack or get a coffee. You will need to watch your balance if you start having a snack every day. You can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner in the college cafeteria. So, if you need to be there early or if you’re running late, grab something between classes. If you’re staying late, no worries, go have dinner.
Second, let’s chat about the only con that I can think of, boredom. You may get bored eating at the same place. However, just choose a different food every day. Don’t get stuck on one food item, try them all.
Restaurant
I do love a good restaurant. Let me tell you, eating at a restaurant doesn’t have to be expensive. When you go to a restaurant order water and save your drink money for a cheaper drink like Sonic. Yes, I know, refills are free, but they cost more. Here are a few tips to help you make your money go further.
Mexican restaurants are probably one of the cheapest places you can eat. Chips and salsa are free. Fajitas are plentiful. Most places will even give you extra tortillas if you ask for them. Load up the leftovers and take them home for a second meal.
Chinese restaurants, not buffet style but where you order off a menu, always give you way more food than what you can eat in one setting. Bring your leftovers home for a mid-night snack if you’re going to be up late studying or for a quickly heated lunch the next day. Do you have a friend that likes the same flavors that you do? Sharing a meal is a great way to save money.
Hamburger joints, Barbeque joints and home-cooking style restaurants serve large portions as well. Divide your meals in half; eat one half then and save the other for later.
I wouldn’t recommend going to a buffet style restaurant because they don’t allow you to carry take out.
Home Cooking
Home cooking is a great way to eat cheap and fast. I recommend this over all the other choices that you have. Cooking at home is the best way to know what is going into your food. Here are a few great options: pre-made salads, stir fry, sandwiches and frozen pizza. These options are as quick and easy as it gets.
Breakfast is probably the quickest meal of the day. Oatmeal is a hearty meal. You can get instant oatmeal that comes in different flavors. Follow the directions, pop it in the microwave while you go do finish getting ready. When the microwave beeps, let it set for another five minutes then pull it out and you’re ready to roll. Scrambled eggs are easy and quick. You can also get the eggbeaters in different flavors and they taste really good. Heat a skillet to medium heat, add a tablespoon of butter (or oil, your choice) then crack a couple of eggs and pour in the yummy goodness from the inside. Do not eat the shell. You’d do the same for the eggbeaters.
Lunch and Dinner, frozen foods are a perfectly good choice. Stouffers makes a yummy lasagna. Heat your oven per the instructions, stick the lasagna into the oven and set a timer (also follow the instructions). Lasagna will last for a couple of meals and a couple of days in the fridge. Another easy frozen dinner is fajitas. The meat and vegetables are already prepped for you. Heat a skillet on the stove on medium, add some oil and pour in the fajitas. You will have to buy any condiments that you’d like to go with them. Easy Peasy!
I would also recommend a crockpot. There are tons of delicious one pot meals that you can start in the morning and will be ready when you get home. Here’s an idea; cook a pork roast with gravy, potatoes and carrots. Portion out three meals. Then take your leftovers and put them back into the crockpot add an extra packet of brown gravy, some beef broth, tomato sauce, green beans and corn. Let that sit in the fridge overnight. Pull it out and cook that the next day. When you get home make some cornbread. Two meals with the same ingredients and there’s no waste because both meals can be frozen and reheated.
Invite some friends over, ask each one to bring an already prepared dish and have a home cooked buffet. Food and friends are always a great combination. Give cooking a try; you might just fall in love with it.