College Menu Planning 4 Low Income

One of the best ways anyone can stick to a low income budget, such as a tight college budget, is to plan ahead. How do you stretch your dollars when you have none to little income? Why does it matter? I'm in college…YOLO, right?

Let's say, you randomly spend $200 a week for hungry, impulse-prone, thoughtless grocery shopping, plus eating out, plus weekend tailgating, and/or buying beer--this will add $9600 to your student debt and college loans (or credit cards)--UGH!--for one year--UGH!UGH!UGH! Multiply by four years, provided you graduate on time, and you have now increased your financial burden by $38400--OUCH!!!

Hopefully the debt you are accumulating is paying for more than food and parties; and, remember, the interest you'll pay back on this loan is more than interest on a car loan or getting a mortgage! YIKES!!  Yes, it SUCKS! 

And, it doesn't stop there! Once you graduate and get a job, your loan repayments kick in and tug at your hard earned money,i.e. car payment, rent, insurance, utilities, cell phone, water / garbage--all on you--parents have nothing to do with it! 

Be smart right now! Buy what you need and eat what you buy! Leave no waste behind when it comes to your college budget!

Yes, this isn't fair, but this is reality!

I may not have all the solutions, but start practicing thoughtful spending and budgeting in all aspects of independent living--plan your menu, find a decent grocery store, use a few coupon apps, buy in bulk, buy only what you will truly eat, and scour the stores for sales. Most importantly, STICK TO YOUR MENU and Grocery List…even if college debt cannot be wiped out completely by frugal shopping, at least it won't be exacerbated.

Thoughts To Consider

1. Learn some basic cooking skills.

2. Set 30 minutes aside on Friday or Saturday to plan your week. 

3. Goal: use everything you buy at the grocery store--maximize each purchase!

4. Learn to estimate prices at different stores and know their SALE days.

5. Stick to your menu and grocery plan.

6. Take a look at the examples below.  Feel free to use the menu, modify it, throw it out--just make one.

7. Every so often I will lay-out different menu ideas to fit low-income living.

(The menus assume that you have at least some basic cooking skills, basic pantry items and staples, either accumulated or brought from home--things most people and kitchens always have on hand!) 

The Menu This Week
Approximate grocery total outside of Chicago: $65-$70
Total: 28 meals 
Cost: $2.35-2.50 / meal

Sunday: 

• Pancakes (Bisquick Mix) with jam, syrup, powdered sugar / 8 oz milk
• Make additional Pocket Pancakes to freeze for later.
• Pasta Bake with Penne / Arugula Salad with lemon, olive oil, vinegar, parmesan
• Freeze 2/3 in 2 separate containers for later.
• Turkey Tacos (for tacos or taco salad or tortillas) / Roasted Broccoli 1/3
• Freeze 2/3 in 2 separate containers for later.
• Cut up carrots and celery for the rest of the week.
• Celery with PB for snack / 8 oz milk

Monday:

• 1/2 cup oatmeal + 1/2 cup milk with cinnamon sugar / Fruit
• PB & J Sandwich / Carrot sticks / Apple
• 1/3 Burger with bun, cheese, condiments / Oven-Fries 
• Freeze one remaining burger patty / Sear one additional patty for lunch tomorrow.
• Popcorn with parmesan

Tuesday:

• 2 eggs over-easy / 2 pieces of toast with butter and/or jam / 8 oz milk
• 1/3 burger with bun, cheese, condiments (get at cafeteria) / Carrots / Yoghurt
• Leftover Pasta Bake / Salad with olive oil, lemon, parm
• Apple with PB / 8 oz milk

Wednesday:

• 1/2 cup oatmeal + 1/2 cup milk with cinnamon sugar / Fruit
• Baked potato with 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• Quesadillas with cheese and seared red peppers / onions / Celery Sticks
• Make extra quesadillas for lunch tomorrow / cut a few extra red pepper sticks
• Popcorn with parmesan

Thursday:

• Microwave Pancake Pockets / 8 oz milk
• Quesadillas Leftovers / Red pepper / carrots / celery
• Thaw one container of Turkey Taco Meat / Chips & Salsa
• Apple with P.B.

Friday:

• 2 egg omelet / 2 pieces toast with butter and/or jam / 8 oz milk
• Grilled PB Sandwich / Chips & Salsa
• Thaw remaining 1/3 hamburger patty for dinner
• 1/3 lb burger, bun, cheese, condiments / Cucumber Salad 
• Save 50% of cucumber salad
• Pocket Pancakes or out-for-the-night (take only cash $10-15)

Saturday:

• Plan next weeks menu and budget
• 1/2 cup oatmeal + 1/2 cup milk with cinnamon sugar / 8 oz milk
• Egg in a Nest / Leftover veggies or fruit
• Thaw remaining turkey taco meat mix
• Tortilla with turkey taco meat burrito / Cucumber Salad
• Popcorn and/or out-for-the-night (take only cash $10-15)

You Did It!!!

• Did you know that the federal assistance program called SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) allots for $4 / person / day in additional dollars, i.e. $28 / week or $112 / month for your food??  $65-$70 per week sounds pretty good after all!
• Even couples making $2000 / month with a rent of $750 / month will not qualify! Are you kidding me? 
• Did the person creating this program ever try living on $4 / day in the 21st century??
• We should all consider ourselves very fortunate if we can afford more--stuff to think about!

Turkey Tacos Stretched 4 College Cooking

It is tremendously sobering to realize what it means to be living below the poverty level and trying to make ends meet on a minimum wage income! Dollars that are supposed to supplement families' or couples' struggling in this area are allotted $28 dollars per week per person towards groceries--that is, if you qualify, i.e. $1500.00 combined Gross (not Net) income of 2 people AND you may not own any assets AND you must rent an apartment, house or room!!

Just think about this! What if you don't work? That's it! That is your grocery budget!

How would you survive on $28 per person each week? Very challenging! 

In an attempt to raise my own awareness on some of these poverty and hunger situations in the US, I attended a conference focused on 'Cooking On A Very Tight Budget', which basically addresses how to create nutritious, healthy, satisfying, and cheap meals to fit that very budget of $28 per person per week.

The recipe below highlights one such recipe that stretches your protein/meat (the most expensive ingredient in a grocery budget) without sacrificing value or nutrition. It is intended as a taco meat option, but can also be used as a turkey chili or filling for a burrito! I simplified the process by simply adding store-bought Taco Seasoning in case you don't have the spices! 

You should have enough food for several meals, or to share, or to save in the freezer! Easily!

(Adapted from Healthy Lives Healthy Kitchens Conference & Share Our Strength / Cooking Matters)

Turkey Tacos

Cost: $12.50 Total

8 Servings @ $1.59 / serving

Equipment:

Large non-stick skillet

Can opener

Sieve 

Grater

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey

1 carrot, grated

1 small sweet potato, grated

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (or kidney, pinto, white beans)

1 can diced tomatoes with juice

1 packet Taco Seasoning

Salt & Pepper to taste

Add-ons:

16 Taco Shells or Tortillas

8 oz Cheddar Cheese, grated

1/2 ice berg lettuce, chopped

Tomato, diced 

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Prep all of your ingredients: 

• Grate carrot and sweet potato
• Drain and rinse black beans
• Have canned tomatoes ready with juices
• Grate cheddar
• Shred lettuce and dice fresh tomato
• Small jalapeño, grated

3. In a large skillet, heat 1-2 tsp of olive oil and brown turkey meat.

4. Add grated carrot and sweet potato.

5. Add beans and canned tomatoes.

6. Add seasoning packet and 1/2 cup water.

7. Adjust salt & pepper.

8. Simmer until thickens x 10-15 minutes.

9. Heat your tacos or tortillas, or make a salad.

10. Set the table and assemble with cheddar, lettuce, and tomato in a taco or tortilla!