First years, welcome to UBC! These next four – or, let’s face it, five – years will be some of the most formative of your life. They’ll also be expensive. If you’re in an average student’s income bracket, you’re looking to save as much cash as you can so you can spend it on more important things, like textbooks you’ll never read and pitchers of Lucky Lager at Koerner’s.
To help you along on your academic crusade, here’s a short list of tips to cut costs in the kitchen while still enjoying a relatively healthy diet.
Everyone’s dietary needs are obviously different: you might not be able to enjoy certain foods on this list, and a Birds’ linebacker doesn’t eat the same amount of food as your average student. But these tips are a good place to at least get started on eating better while saving cash.
Forget everything you know about college cooking
Top ramen. Frozen pizza. Regular pizza. Your typical “college foods” seem like a perfect deal for a famished student. But learning to cook quick, healthy meals isn’t just better for you: it’ll save you lots of money. Start by trying to cook soups, stews, pasta dishes and other easy, healthy and filling meals. You’ll save money, eat better and develop a pretty funky new skill.
Buy in bulk
If you’re going to be eating a lot of it, buy in bulk. Go to your local Asian grocery store and invest in a massive sack of rice. $11 might seem like a lot now, but it’s a lot cheaper than continually buying the smaller $3 boxes from Safeway throughout the entire year. The same thing goes for non-expirable goods like oil, salt, spices, baking soda, canned goods and pasta.
Split the costs
Set up a cost-sharing system with your roommates to divvy up the bill on foods that you all continually buy. One big sack of potatoes is a lot cheaper than 3 smaller ones.
Search for deals
We’re not just talking about your Save on Foods card. Odds are your local grocer will have bargains on products that aren’t selling. For example, the Chinese bakery near my house sells packets of awesome spices for $1 that usually cost four times that at the supermarket across the street.
Diversify your gains
Meat is tasty. It’s also pricey. Legumes like lentils, beans and peas are absurdly cheap in comparison, especially if you buy them dried. And unlike meat, they won’t go bad in your fridge. We’re not asking you to go veg, but give peas a chance.
Cut the junk
If you’re on a budget crunch, your first impulse should be to stop drinking alcohol. When that inevitably fails, you might need to look at other parts of your lifestyle. Sodas, chips, and other indulgences are delicious, but they’re expensive harbingers of the freshman 15. If you can’t quit the sweets, maybe start baking— that way, at least, you’re developing a new skill while still saving money and treating yo’self.
Take it to go
If you’re new to campus, you’re about to learn very quickly that food here is not cheap. Lunch will usually run you about $10. To save cash, get in the habit of packing a lunch the night before, even if it’s just leftovers from dinner.
Invest in some hardware
Too lazy to cook? Split the cost of a slow cooker with your roommates and enjoy coming home to a ready-cooked meal. Can’t quit the caffeine? Get a French press and some cheap ground coffee and take your cup of joe to school in a travel mug. You’ll skip the Blue Chip line and save a solid two bucks on coffee every day.
Don’t let it expire
When you think about it, letting food go bad in your fridge is basically just trading money for rotting broccoli. Check your fridge regularly and plan to cook whatever is about to expire. Your roommates and your wallet will both thank you.