Help! How to live on $75 per week in college

[MsExced]

Re: Help! How to live on $75 per week in college

my son buy the rotissorie chicken and that last him 3 days
him do ground beef too
pasta with alfredo sauce and meat sauce
frozen peas
him try stew the other day

[Peasie]

Re: Help! How to live on $75 per week in college

Great ideas, everyone I am so glad you responded as I am trying to get this person to stay in his budget although he has no choice really

ILP, do you buy those and send them as a care package to BabyGirl?

He is not too keen on the rotisserie chicken idea and he does not eat any frozen vegetables. When I say he eats only fresh lettuce and spinach, I mean that's all the veg. he eats.

One idea was to have a bi-weekly delivery from chain supermarket of the basics. Anyone tried this?

He loves scrambled eggs and cheese, pasta and tomato sauce, and turkey and provolone sandwiches with lettuce or spinach.

Can you help me come up with a daily menu for, say, three days? Variety is not important for breakfast and lunch. But dinner needs a little variety.

No. He is not a hot dog person. He likes burgers though.

Tanya, I love your list with prices!

[CeaBee]

Re: Help! How to live on $75 per week in college

everybody but me and kia get love.

see if we gwine come eena u tread dem again

[ILP]

Re: Help! How to live on $75 per week in college

Sometimes I buy them and send them to her, other times gets a store gift card (in her case it's Wegmans) and she does the shopping herself.

BabygirlA likes ground beef/turkey also. I do send her to school (when she comes down) with Lots of Bulk purchased ground meat (all within her budget), but I wrap it in individual, more manageable servings so that she can cook what she wants and the rest doesnt get freezer burned.

I stay away from things like Tuna/Hamburger Helper, Ramen Noodles. They are convienient. I dont buy them..I am sure that she does though. I feel that she can make the exact same dishes with regular ingredients and save money.

For dinner BabygirlA has told me she has made (one week as a pasta theme):

Spagetti (Angel Hair) with Meat Sauce
Angel Hair Pasta (made Pho style)
Angel Hair with Alfredo Sauce
Angel Hair (Stir Fried) with Veggies and some of the cook group beef/turkey from Monday <--(no sauce though)
Angel Hair with Scambled Egg mixed in <-- but she like it.

you get the drift.

[kia027]

Re: Help! How to live on $75 per week in college

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CeaBee</div><div class="ubbcode-body">everybody but me and kia get love.

see if we gwine come eena u tread dem again </div></div>

u know!

[Peasie]

Re: Help! How to live on $75 per week in college

[Peasie]

Re: Help! How to live on $75 per week in college

Update:

I am visiting son this weekend at college. This week he spent about $45 at the grocery store. He bought spaghetti, sauce, deli meats, bread, peanut butter, baby spinach, chicken breast cutlets, cooking spray, and parmesan cheese. He bought store brand products at every opportunity ... except peanut butter as he buys the all-natural brand.

He has a kitchen in his college suite as well as seasonings and condiments. He is not a cereal person and will just make a sandwich for breakfast.

He cooks his own dinner which is either spaghetti and sauce or stir fry chicken with no veg. He is afraid of buying fresh veggies as they go bad quickly. He loves baby spinach and uses that like lettuce with every sandwich he makes.

He buys some meals - typically sandwiches and burgers and I supplement his budget with 'cash' on his college card so he can buy some meals on campus.

Yesterday we went to his favorite middle eastern (Lebanon) sandwich shop downtown and he introduced me to the owner. They know him well and the owner, a woman, hugged me. My son hangs out there some evenings after his internship. Maybe he looks destitute and this woman has had pity on him?

[Tulip]

Re: Help! How to live on $75 per week in college

I think he needs to stock up on the basics (pasta, beans, rice, flour, any canned goods he will eat like canned tomatoes, and jar foods like his pasta sauce). If he is able to go somewhere like Costco or Sam's for these things that don't go bad, then buying in bulk is best. If not, then just watch the grocery store sales. Just about anything you want goes on sale about once a month.

Either way, the initial focus should be on getting some basics in the cupboard. After that, he will have more freedom for the meat, deli meat, cheese, dairy, and even his eating out from time to time.

Now when I was in school, I discovered ramen noodles. I have never been so shocked that you could get so much for so little. I bought some about two years ago and can't figure out how I ever ate and loved it. I recommend ramen noodles but only in a crisis situation like vienna sausage during a hurricane.

[Tulip]

Re: Help! How to live on $75 per week in college

Won't eat frozen veggies, huh? That's a hard row to hoe when you trying to save money.

I say let him try out a few when they are on sale to see if he changes his mind. I didn't like almost any beans until I was in school.

I'm sorry that I forgot the name of the person who recommended whole chicken but I do believe it is the least expensive meat in the store these days. If he does not know how to cut up a chicken, teach him this weekend. He can make all sorts of dishes with his pasta and stuff with the pieces he does not want to eat directly.

Does anybody else remember when the wing used to be the cheapest piece of chicken right after the backs and necks? The buffalo wing thing done that even up til now.

[ackeepod]

Re: Help! How to live on $75 per week in college

why buy &quot;grated cheddar&quot;?? opt for a grater instead ...cheaper to buy the cheese and grate it yuself..

PRE-WASHED veggies should ALWAYS be washed

ground beef makes wonderful meals ..easy to cook
rice or mashed potatoes with seasoned ground beef is a hit w/youth
ground beef makes sloppy joes
left over rice can make fried rice and mix in some cooked ground beef or a scrambled egg.

made -from- scratch soups are cheap

macaroni and cheese

he can make his own muffins ..

stir fry is easy -chicken breast

spaghetti is easy
lots of pasta dishes as suggested in other postings

[Peasie]

Re: Help! How to live on $75 per week in college

Boy does not eat rice on purpose.

College life is temporary and you want convenience. Packaged parmesan cheese won't go bad.

Are you kidding? I am *glad* he is buying pre-washed spinach

[ackeepod]

Re: Help! How to live on $75 per week in college

Okkkkkkkkkkkkayyyyyyyy ! To each his own.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Peasie</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Boy does not eat rice on purpose.

College life is temporary and you want convenience. Packaged parmesan cheese won't go bad.

Are you kidding? I am *glad* he is buying pre-washed spinach </div></div>

[WiseJamaican]

Re: Help! How to live on $75 per week in college

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Peasie</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I need your ideas. My son lives on college campus in an apartment with full kitchen, living room, dining room. He has his own bedroom in a four bedroom, two bath, apartment that he shares with three other guys. He is not on a meal plan this semester and is budgeting $75 per week for food alone, including an occasional Subway sandwich. What should his weekly grocery shopping list look like? He eats meat, does not like fruits, and eats only lettuce and spinach as vegetables.

</div></div>

My advice to him is start liking fruits and eating more vegetables. These are more likely to help him to eat healthy with $75.

[Peasie]

Re: Help! How to live on $75 per week in college

Thanks.