I enjoy making my own food for many reasons but mostly because it saves me time and $MONEY$. I am not a crazy health freak, but I do care to an extent about what I consume. Food has to taste good and it has to save me money. I save money by planning my meals, and by limiting how often I eat out at restaurants. As college students, I am sure several of us spend countless hours in school studying while hungry, however, our body’s and brain’s demand fuel(food). Due to this hunger, we either take a long break to a nearby restaurant or the USG cafeteria to buy a sandwich. Both options take time off our productive study schedules which lead to ineffectiveness in time. I use to be the student that bought food from restaurants every day but now I bring a small black lunch bag to school with three already made to eat meals. This method is more efficient because all I have to do is stop by a microwave and wait two minutes for my food to heat up, then enjoy a great home cooked meal that I made. A couple of years ago, I sat down and made a spreadsheet to calculate where my money was being spent. After make my calculation, I notice that I was spending $400-500 dollars a month on eating out and grocery (without planning meals). That’s were planning my meals became useful. Money wasn’t the only thing that was going to waste. My time was also wasted because a quick bite to eat, turned into a 30min-1hour break and after that break, I lost my motivation to study. My lifestyle change helped me reduce the amount of money spent on food a month to $250 which helped improve my mental and physical health (#lookgoodfeelgood). I also began to notice that I had more time to focus on studying, which ultimately improved my grades. At first eating my own food was difficult but as time passed, my cooking improved and I now have many individuals asking me to cook for them. In the end, I acquired a new skill, saved time, and saved a lot of money. So next time you plan on having a study party at USG, make time to pack your food because, in the long run, you will have more time and money.
Authors
Ashlynn Battle
Aisha Sowe
Chelsea L
Kaitlyn Davis
kodonne4
melanyclaros
mnur2
rachelfadaka
shriyakoneru
ssarahowusu
USG
The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) 
Amen to that #mealpreplife
That’s interesting, I had never really considered the advantages of food planning as a method of cost savings bUT I can see through my own wasteful purchases how much potential it can have. Do you keep a log of what you’ll be cooking for the week or how do you keep track of the planning?
Do you also recommend a spreadsheet to demonstrate the total cost of each meal so you can prioritize cheaper meals when on a budget constraint.
As far as the spreadsheet whatever works best for you I’m a visual person so I need to steal my money’s been spent. Are used to have a long but I’ve been doing it now for six years so it’s pretty much all in my head and I keep it consistent now. Thank you for your. Comment
What’s your “go-to” meal when in a rush?
My go to meal hands down orange sticky lemon chicken tight with steamed veggies half cup white rice.
I agree with you. It’s true that making your own meals requires time and effort, but it’s just a question of habit. Once you have it, it’s more convenient, you save a lot of money, and you eat healthier. I also think that you appreciate more the food when you’re making it. 🙂
I need to start bringing food to campus. The food at falls grove is very tempting when I’m hungry!!!
Good for you! I wish I had self control like you do. In my two years of undergrad, I practically ate chipotle every day for lunch and cafeteria for dinner. Now, I am gradually trying to change. It’s hard, but it’s definitely worth it. 🙂
It’s hard but good things never come easy and yes it’s worth it, when you get on this path. Also, thank you for comment.
No problem! Looking forward to your future posts.