[xxForgedxx]

Ok so I just showed up to PSU and I've realized that eating at Panera and whatever is costing way too much and that I need to bite the bullet and grocery shop. I was wondering what suggestions you guys have for the following:

Not disgusting but I understand it ain't gonna be spectacular

CHEAP: More food, less money

Easy to make

Not going to make me die at a young age

You get the idea...

What are some doos and don't for cheap shopping and making the food last?

[Scorpion]

Ramen noodles or cup noodles seem like a good choice. If you buy in bulk it should be cheaper lol.

[DougLikesBMW]

Originally Posted by Issac

Ramen noodles or cup noodles seem like a good choice. If you buy in bulk it should be cheaper lol.

That shit is sooo fucking bad for you if you eat it on a regular basis. Eating out = losing money, easily the dumbest thing someone can do. Our roomate eats at Whataburger like everyday and makes frozen pizzas, he's 22, fucking pathetic.

Spaghetti is freaking cheap...Meat + Mushrooms + Onion + Sauce + Noodles = Cheap as hell and EASY to make. If you buy meat in bulk at Sam's it's pretty cheap. What me and my buddy do since we are rooming together for the semester is switch off our meals, we make the same two things pretty much since it's cheap, lol.

Spaghetti as stated above, for variation we switch it up, either alfredo or tomato sauce. Put a bit of olive oil in pan drop in meat with garlic and black pepper, add mushrooms after like two minutes, cook meat and mushrooms until meat is no longer pink/red, pour sauce in heat on medium/low until its bubbling all the way through. For pasta get fettucine noodles as they are widest, any brand works and for a pound of pasta its like $1.30 cooks in a pot for 13 minutes or so.

Meat, Rice, Potato Salad, Corn/Blackbeans, On the Border chips = Great dinner. Get the stew meat from Sam's which look kinda like little hunks of beef, marinate it in some italian dressing and cook it in the pan with freshly ground salt/pepper. Just regular rice, simple to cook, Uncle Ben's is the easist. Microwave corn/blackbeans. And get the 5lb. bucket of red potato salad at Sam's for like $4, and have chips too from Sam's with Valentina hot sauce. In fact I'm having that for dinner tonight.

[Inspired]

cup-o-noodles every night. Just went to grab some @ costco last week. I think it was $6 for 50? or 100? forgot?

[DougLikesBMW]

Originally Posted by twinturbo335

cup-o-noodles every night. Just went to grab some @ costco last week. I think it was $6 for 50? or 100? forgot?

You are going to die very soon, I can has you 335i when you die?

[Tondtar]

You are a college student now and can live off "Rice Krispy" for a long time and not spend much like all of us did at one time or another

[xxForgedxx]

Ok so what about lunch or breakfast? I eat cereal like it's going out of style but I think it can get cheaper considering cereal takes MILK and MILK isn't cheap.

[c0nstant]

buy those little fruit cup things, they come in packs of 6 or so. they should be relatively cheap. theyre healthy for the most part, except that the syrup theyre kept in can contain a lot of sugar, so you may want to drain it. those are good for energy and its a decent snack.

buy some good cereal, just make sure it isnt that fucking sugary kind. there was a pb&j thread, cant really go wrong with that unless youre allergic. buy some luncheon meats like turkey or ham and whole wheat bread. as far as full-blown meals go, spaghetti is a very good suggestion.

bags of frozen vegetables can be cheap and all it takes is a bowl + water + cover with a moist paper towel + microwave and you have steamed veggies

[Blake]

my cheap easy meal of choice during college was chicken breast marinated in italian dressing, cooked in a pan, with some frozen vegis. you can buy big bulk bags of chicken breasts for not much and bags of frozen vegis aren't more than a dollar. cost per meal is like $2-3 and you get meat. but i'll admit, i did have my share of ramen.

[Inspired]

Originally Posted by DougLikesBMW

You are going to die very soon, I can has you 335i when you die?

I don't eat it daily. I eat it like 2 times a week. And I don't drink the soup although it is..

I think costco posted it was $10 cents each. So 10 cent per dinner is a good deal!

[DougLikesBMW]

Yes, PB&J is great for when you get hungry after dinner.

Breakfast for me is Instant Oatmeal from Sam's...comes in a box of like 50 packets (different flavors), I couldn't stand the original kind any more and a banana. It takes milk, but very little, and microwaves in 1.5 minutes, and you get like 8 bananas for like $1.40 at Sam's.

Lunch I usually eat at the campus buffet, but if I'm home then I have sandwhiches. I buy the 3 pack of turkey meat from Sam's which lasts a long time (in terms of preservation and the time to eat it) and have that with cheese, mayo, and hot sauce.

I am on a budget, and this is how I do it, heh. Only expensive things we buy are gallon milk/gallon orange juice. And also for the dinners buy the meats in BULK at Sam's saves loads of money. What you don't need right away can be frozen.

If you haven't noticed yet I love going to Sam's. Or if you don't have one in your area go to Costco.

[Blake]

yes, sandwiches are key to college survival.

[DougLikesBMW]

Originally Posted by twinturbo335

I don't eat it daily. I eat it like 2 times a week. And I don't drink the soup although it is..

I think costco posted it was $10 cents each. So 10 cent per dinner is a good deal!

Oh I see. Do you happen to know how much bad crap you cut out by not drinking the soup (sodium and what not)? I freaking love Ramen noodles and if this means I could eat it occasionally without killing myself I totally would.

Damn, guess it's a no go on the 335i then.

[mpimping]

the is grocery game and coupon mom where u get free coupons and lists of the cheapest items... It wasn't too user friendly but if you use it and save money let me know. also, you can save by buying the store brand items

[mpimping]

1. oatmeal

2. natural peanut butter

3.grilled chicken or turkey

4. salads once in a while 5 turkey burgers 6. eggs 7. whole wheat bread 8. whole wheat pasta


if you find yourself at mcdonalds or a fast food place where you use the fountain, ask for a cup or water and dump it and help yourself. also whenever you can grab napkins,equals, ect, do it

[Inspired]

Originally Posted by DougLikesBMW

Oh I see. Do you happen to know how much bad crap you cut out by not drinking the soup (sodium and what not)? I freaking love Ramen noodles and if this means I could eat it occasionally without killing myself I totally would.

Damn, guess it's a no go on the 335i then.

.. it still bad for you though even if you don't drink the soup.

Just go to lucky's. Buy those michelina ready to go pasta microwave food. It is like .50 cents to $1 a box (discounted). Good ass fuck.. Can't complain for the price.

[asdflkijd]

oatmeal is a cheap breakfast or even a banana/ other fruits. If you buy yogurt in bulk its really cheap and you can get granola and some fruits to make a parfait ..

[MMMazing07]

deli items. meat+sandwich
any pasta mix. not the ones you just pour hot water into
regular spaghetti
im in love with these spinach samosas. they are delish
i dont like those microwave pizzas but they are a good choice
chicken nuggets
etc

when i need to go grocery shopping i go usually go on an empty stomach. although you end up spending more money. you will be much happier later when your about to buy a $8 meal at panera when you got homemade goodies.

[DougLikesBMW]

Originally Posted by MMMazing07

deli items. meat+sandwich
any pasta mix. not the ones you just pour hot water into
regular spaghetti
im in love with these spinach samosas. they are delish
i dont like those microwave pizzas but they are a good choice
chicken nuggets
etc

when i need to go grocery shopping i go usually go on an empty stomach. although you end up spending more money. you will be much happier later when your about to buy a $8 meal at panera when you got homemade goodies.

If you're on a budget...Frozen pizzas and premade things like chicken nuggets, etc are huge money sinks.

Just pointing that out.

[MMMazing07]

if your on an extremely TIGHT budget i would agree with the guys above. fuck your health and buy a crap load of cup-o-shit

[Joonsup]

Costco is the place to go. You will spend a good amount when you go, but it will last you a lot longer than going to the grocery store. One of my favorites is the 12 pack turkey burger patties for $9.99. I eat maybe for 2 meals a day? Mainly b/c it's healthy and has lots of protein (good for those who work out). They have salmon burger patties as well for $11.99 and although they have a little more fat and sodium, It's still fairly good for you b/c of the nutrients from fish.

If there's no costco, then go to target and/or walmart for grocery shopping. They have milk and most other things that is found at the grocery store and they are cheaper as well. Depending on how tight your budget is, you can check the ads that you get with your junk mail to see what's on sale b/c sometimes you can get really good deals on pretty healthy items. For example yoplait yogurt 10 for $5.00, etc...

[O-cha]

Oatmeal, period.