Money Tips #2

This one is a restaurant special!

I don't know about you, but I love going out to eat. I do enjoy cooking a lot, but there are people so much better than I am! I want to get what they make. However, I don't like the cost nor do I always get the healthiest things around.

So, today I'll go over how to be careful with money and stay healthy at the same time while going out.

Tip 1: What better place to start off with then with what you first order? Avoid drinks. Don't get tea, beer, or soda. Restaurants can charge a couple of dollars or more for a drink. Instead, get water. Water is free at most restaurants and is the healthiest choice on the menu. If you go for water you can knock three, five dollars, or maybe even more off of your bill. Not to mention avoid some extra calories.

Now, of course I am not saying to never have these things again. I'm a Texas girl. I have a huge weakness for sweet tea. And there are some times I just gotta have it with my meal. But I am aware that I am having an indulgence and is not something I should have often (though man, do I want to).

But, since it is hard to resist, I need to make it last.

Tip 2: Make your meal and/or drink last. Take time and enjoy what you are eating. Talk with the company you are with, chew your food slowly, and drink at a pace. You might find that you are walking out the door with half a drink in your hand and some leftovers. I've heard that if you eat slowly, you can get full faster. Instead of eating three slices of pizza, you might find you have one left-over because you didn't put all your concentration on the meal in front of you.

This might seem more of a health tip than a money one. However, by doing this you are getting an experience with your money. You get someone else to cook for you, you get the time to enjoy it, and you can leave with another meal in your hand for the price of one.

Tip 3: Don't eat all that is on your plate! If you are still a bit hungry (even after Tip 2) try to have half or a little less put into a to-go-box if you are heading anywhere with a fridge. You will have enough for lunch and now you got yourself some dinner. Leftovers are great, especially for college students.

However, this is not an excuse to get more. You still need to avoid spending money and loading up on extra calories. Don't go into a restaurant always thinking you are going to order more so you can have leftovers.

Tip 4: If possible, avoid combos. With this, I am typically thinking more of those drive-thrus than a sit-down restaurant. With most of the drive-thrus, what you are getting isn't enough for a leftover or will taste as good later (i.e. a burger). And sometimes the extra money just isn't worth the curly fries and the drink. Instead, get the main item, take it back to your dorm, and eat it with sides you already have; chips, carrots, fruits, etc.

By doing this, you will avoid spending money on something you don't need and can eat up things you already spent money on. And the same can be done with the sides. Not much of a burger fan but love those fries? Get them and have them as a side for a healthier meal you put together. Don't feel that if you walk into a restaurant, drive-thru or otherwise, you are obligated to get the whole combo package. 

Tip 5: Try to go to more self-serving dine-ins where you don't have to pay tip. There are plenty of places that are like this and offer some great healthy choices. And this doesn't mean it needs to be a fast-food joint. Do a bit of research around your campus. Poke your head in and look at the restaurants. Ask around and see if anyone knows if where there are places you don't have to tip.

I understand that those who are working at these places work hard and deserve tip. I am not saying not give a little extra to any place. This is simply about those going to find places that offer low-cost options.

If you are just aware of the menu and take the time to (that word again) study before your purchase, you will be better off. Take a few minutes, take out your phone, and do some math. How much will the meal be with tax? With a tip? With a drink? As a combo? Just think about how much you would want to spend and if the food is worth it.

What I've Learned So Far

I've been doing this experiment and blog for about three weeks now and already have so much I've learned from it. Of course, I have been learning from my mistakes.

So, I thought I would take the time to share some of the things I've learned so maybe you can avoid them should you decide to take this challenge on as well. Because as you have probably already noticed, I have yet to upload any recipes. This is not out of shyness (not totally) nor of laziness. But because I was not 100% prepared for the task I took on. So, that starts off with the first bit.

1) Be prepared! This might be the most obvious thing in the world, but sometimes the most obvious can be the easiest thing to overlook. But you can't just randomly stock up your fridge and pantry and expect to be ready to cook. You must have a plan for the week. How often you want to cook, what you want to cook, or at the very least the style.

I did not set up a plan or think about even the style I would want to cook. It was because of this little moment that prevented me from cooking the first week I was at the dorm. I was simply not prepared for what I would be facing for the semester and with this blog. So, if you're going to attempt to cook on a busy schedule, put it in.

2) Make a schedule! Even if you're not one who likes schedules, just writing what you want to eat during the week down will help so much. Take about 20 minutes every Sunday and plan out your week. Of course this is not going to be mandatory, you can change your mind depending of your mood that day. But have an idea.

I would recommend picking out the days you think you want to cook. If you like the idea of cooking more than once, pick days that you don't have too much going on (unless cooking is a stress-reliever). And make sure that you are planning for the leftovers you might make. And the days you plan on cooking have a recipe or a main ingredient written in for that day.

Make room for changes or opportunities to go out. Friends could pop in with random meal invitations or you could get a big craving for the sushi-joint down the street. Don't feel constricted to the schedule.

By doing a few of these things you will be able to handle yourself throughout the week, get a healthy plan, and have an estimate on what you will be spending.

3) Have the basics! It might sound silly to have spices, butter, and eggs in a dorm room, but if you're planning on cooking you need to have the basic cooking ingredients. Is there a spice or two that you just have to taste in any food you have? Make sure you get them! This is to make sure you eat!

My recommendations are:

• Salt
• Pepper
• Any spice you love (mine is Garlic Salt)
• Eggs
• Butter/Margarine
• Pam/Olive Oil
• Bread (any kind)
• Pasta (any kind)
• Cheese (any kind)
• Vegetables/Fruits (many kinds)

I think if you always have these things at your disposal at all times, you will always be able to make something. And luckily, things like the spices, pam, and pasta can be shelved away for a while without worry about it going bad any time soon. But if you have these in your dorm room you will be able to cook, even if you have no idea what you want at the beginning of the week.

4) Have the basics (prt.2)! You can't cook with just food. You will need to have some equipment at your disposal. Always make sure you have

My recommendations are:

• 1 or 2 pots
• 1 pan
• 1 cutting board
• 1 cutting knife or chopper
• 1 strainer
• 1 large/stirring spoon
• 1 spatula
• 1 peeler

Once you have these basics, you should be covered for most all recipes you might want to try in a dorm. If you start to get more adventurous and have the money, start getting other lovely items to expand on your cooking.

HOWEVER before purchasing any of these, talk with your RA. It is a possibility that they have a lot of these items for you to use in the dorm-kitchen. Go and see what they have to offer before you go out and purchase anything.

5) Have recipes! Remember those 20 minutes I mentioned before? Well, not all of it will be writing down days you want to cook. Take the time to go on the Internet or sit with any books you might have and find recipes you will want to try.

Again, nothing is set in stone. But if you know what you want to make you will know what you will need to buy and how much time will be needed to be set aside to prep and cook.

Keep a lot of links of recipes you find online so when Sunday comes around you don't have to do a lot of searching later.

6) Check dorm schedule! Your dorm hall can be a very lively place. They can have parties and functions and all sorts of things that are scheduled in advanced. You really don't want to get all your stuff prepared and gathered, only to get down and find that the kitchen area is closed because of a Football Party.

If you planned to cook on a Wednesday, go down that morning and talk with someone who would know what is going on. Just make sure that there is nothing big happening that would distract you or prevent you from cooking.

These are some very simple pieces of advice that can really help anyone along who wants to start cooking meals at their dorm. And all of these have been reasons for my lack of recipe-updates. Just do your research and be prepared. You have a much better chance at getting something tasty made if you do!

Money Tips #1

Back at the dorm now! All settled in and now just slowly building up my courage to make my way down and heat up the stove. But until then, here are some tips I promised to share.

A good place to start for any college student is money. One of the biggest issues in maintaining a healthy diet is the cost. Let's face it, healthy fresh food can be pretty darn expensive. Not to mention if you're not lucky enough to be close to a farmer's market, you typically have to buy in bulk. And bulk offers the chance of spoiling. Then there is the fact that not every campus has a grocery store or market in walking or biking distance, so for those who have a car you're paying gas bills.

So the big question: With all of this cost, is the healthy route still worth it?

Yes. 110% YES.

This is about being healthy. What you do now can, and typically will, greatly affect your body in the future.

I have high cholesterol. It is from the poor choices and, sadly, genetics (curse you genetics). If I don't do something about this now, I could get very sick in the near future. There will be extra doctor's visits, medicine, and probably would have to visit a specialist. I think a little extra work and a little extra cost now can help greatly reduce cost in the future.

And the same can be said for anyone. So this comes to my first tip:

Tip 1: Don't be put off by the cost. Don't go for the fast-food burger just because it is cheap. That thing can start to cost you greatly later on. So work on saving a little so you can put a little extra in your healthy meals.

But not everyone has time or the talent to instantly drop the fast-food. And not everyone can stand a salad or the thought of getting fresh produce every day. But you don't have to. You just need to be conscious of what you are buying.

Tip 2: You don't have to buy expensive, fresh produce that spoils easily! Don't assume healthy instantly means you're limited to the fruits and veggies section in the store. There are many brands that make healthier alternatives to things you like. Progresso, my personal favorite, has delicious soups that are Light. You can stock up on those and they won't go bad if you don't crave one for a few weeks.

As I write Tip 2, I think back to those diet-frozen meals and it reminds me of the trouble I got into. They don't take up much space, they don't spoil easy, they're easy to cook, and some can taste pretty decent. But be careful. I thought it was going to help me lose weight, but my body reacted the opposite and gained instead. A bit of money was wasted on something I had thought would help my weight loss.

Tip 3: Don't instantly assume that you will lose weight or be healthy simply because "Healthy" is in the name of the product. To save on money, and pounds, start off slow with any healthy product, especially frozen meals. Everyone is different. Everyone has a different body type, metabolism, and reaction to certain things. Don't go and stock up on a certain brand or microwave meal without first checking their nutrition label and experimenting with how you react to it.

This does mean a little extra work when you shop. You will need to slowly learn about what you are buying and what is worth the cost, which takes time. And that will come to my final tip of the day.

Tip 4: I recommend don't go get your weekly or monthly groceries if you are in any sort of a rush. To be healthy will take some time at first. Until you know products really well, you will have do some homework. You will need to check and compare labels. Yes, I am saying you need to be one of the people who stand in an aisle holding two different cans of tomato paste reading them. Taking a few extra seconds per item might be annoying, but you can make sure you are getting your money's worth of something. "What? These cans are the exact same price, but this one has 2% less saturated fat!" It might sound silly, but I think it is worth it.

These are just a few little things, but after you start combining things together I think your money will be saved and, more importantly, your health will be protected. Start off slowly. I am still in the learning stages myself, I will be doing all of this with you. But these little steps can help over time and soon we will all be pro-money-saving-healthy-shoppers!