5 Groceries Tips for Students On Low Budgets:
Lets face it, in college most people keep to a small budget for groceries and to the same foods or dishes for practicality. Here are some ways to help get through a year or more of budget meals, and to help stick to your budget:
1. Collect spices when able- Sometimes spices will go on sale, grab them! Even if you are not familiar with how to blend and use spices and herbs, try to get the basics like garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil leaves, oregano leaves, and curry powder, to test them out on things like plain tater tots that come in a large bag, ramen noodles, or Hungry Jack’s mashed potatoes, so that the flavor can be changed up once you start getting sick of [insert whatever it is that you’ve been buying because its cheap and easy to make].
2. Buy packs of tea bags- There are a variety of teas to choose from, and dried teas hold a shelf life longer then all of your years in school combined! This will over time give you a variety of drinks to choose from, without having to give up fridge space. Also, some teas such as peppermint and chamomile offer some health benefits such as clearing the sinus, and relaxing the muscles to help with sleep.
3. Try dried sauce and soup packs- These also help on conserving space, and are fairly cheap. A good dried soup mix can cost around $3, and have anywhere between 4 to 8 servings. Dried foods are ideal to have, because you can choose how much you want without spoiling the rest of the bag, since they have a longer shelf life when opened then an opened can of soup.
4. PASTA- Boxes of pasta in the U.S. are typically less then $2 and in some cases less then $1 at Walmart, and usually comes in servings of eight. They also have a long shelf life and can be used to create multiple dishes, and pairs well with other can goods such as diced tomatoes, stock, and some sauce packets.
5. Condensed/evaporated Milk- This is not exactly the most favorable, however, its a great substitute in recipes and for when you’re in dire constraints on your budget, but still want some milk. For those of you who’ve had the fortune of growing up with the convenience of regular milk, condensed milk comes in a can and you add water (duh) but shouldn’t be kept for longer than five years (in canned form). The main appeal for this product is that its cheaper than regular milk, and can be hoarded during sales. When it goes on sale, grab enough for three years if you can, but not over that amount so that you don’t accidentally end up with slightly tangy milk.