“Wait, how much is this gonna cost?” is the thought that runs through my head whenever I go into a grocery store, gas station, Campus Dining location and even my own house. The fear of buying groceries and all the financial problems that come with going to college have hypnotized me into being a penny-pincher. 

I used to go out to Applebee’s almost every month… more like twice a week. I used to be able to go and eat wherever and whenever I wanted and not have to worry about what food I was going to eat the next day, but then college happened. I can’t go out to eat whenever I want anymore and neither can most college kids. Don’t let that be an excuse not to eat. College kids need all the help they can get and food is their number one ally. However, it can also be their number one enemy. 

According to Healthline, not eating enough can cause irritability, anxiety, sleeping issues, muscle weakness, overall low energy and even hair loss! I plan on keeping my hair for as long as possible so I need to get my diet under control. I know that it is hard to find time to cook and the grocery store is too far away and all the ramen noodles are gone and the budget is tight, but don’t focus on the excuses. Focus on these helpful tips instead.

Start to create a budget. This will not only help you manage your eating habits better but also your life overall. Set aside an amount for food and the essentials. When that goes out, just be more monetarily conscious and resourceful. One of the things that I took away from personal finance in high school was to always have an emergency fund. Radio show host and businessman Dave Ramsey suggests $500 but it can be any amount that you believe is enough. The bottom line is to just be smart with you money. 

Secondly, start to make meals at home. You can make a lot of food that lasts and the key is leftovers. For example, my roommates and I made some tacos a couple of days ago and we still have some left! I am definitely going to grab one right after writing this. The trick is making the most out of what you have. A bag of potatoes can be made into a bowl of mashed potatoes and with just a little salt, pepper, a pot of boiling water, a masher and maybe some garlic, you have yourself a nice meal for later. 

Lastly, use the resources that are available to you on campus. GVSU has its very own food pantry for any student. It’s called Replenish and there are two locations: in the basement of Kirkhof on the Allendale campus and on the Health Campus in the Cook-Devos building in room CHS 353. All you need is your student ID! 

Use your meals as well. I know this sounds redundant but I have probably missed out on at least 20 meals so far at GVSU and I could have easily used them. Most of the time they are just forgotten, so whenever you get a meal ask the cashier if you can check how many you have left. You can use up to four meals a day so plan ahead. If you don’t like what Campus Dining is serving then use a meal at one of the P.O.D. stores. You can get a milk, Pop Tart, yogurt and many other delicious options for just one meal. Don’t let them go to waste! 

College can seem uncontrollable at times, but one thing that we can control is what, and how, we eat. Eating is one of the most important things in our lives. It should always come before school, work, sports and literally anything else because without it we couldn’t do any of those things! 

Speaking of that, I have a taco to go devour.