by Tom Cali

Created on: January 10, 2007   Last Updated: May 04, 2012

I remember at one time having to scrape the bottom of the barrel occasionally, having once been a student myself. When I first arrived at college, I had started my college career with a hot pot and a boatload of ramen noodles in hand. For someone like myself, who had been raised in an Italian family that at every holiday there was an overabundance of food, it was unheard of. I really became sick of the menacing stench of shrimp, or pork flavored noodles and decided to take control of the situation. In a dorm room where I had nothing but my trusty hot pot and a small refrigerator, I began my culinary adventure.

First of all, as a student with five dollars in his pocket, I knew that would not get me very far. I had to do something! So I did what any self respecting college student could think of doing, I started by collecting cans for the deposit money. The one thing that certainly wasn't lacking around my college grounds was beer! So, without debasing myself too much, I collected just enough cans to at least double my money! Payday! Money in hand, I walked to the local grocery store to begin my lessons on how to be thrifty and creative.

One of the things I found to be cheapest, thank God for comfort foods, was macaroni and cheese! At thirty three cents for each box, I was in heaven! I bought three. Of course I knew I would need milk and butter, so I bought one stick of butter at fifty cents and a pint of milk for seventy nine cents. So far so good. Then, I hit the produce department. Every college kid needs their brain food, so I grabbed a ninety nine cent bag of carrots (gotta have my beta carotene), a tomato for fifty cents, and a eighty nine cent head of lettuce. Rounding off my list was a loaf of bread for ninety nine cents, a package of hot dogs for $1.99, a jar of peanut butter for $1.00, and a bag of potato chips for ninety nine cents.

I left there feeling proud of myself! Granted, it wasn't a gourmet meal nor was it a lot of food, it was still better than simply ramen noodles. Other than obtaining the basics, I also frequently visited area fast food restaurants to obtain my condiments in packet form, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. I had also learned that those phone numbers on food products would serve to help me by allowing me to complain to the company about their products. Now I know why they had asked me for my address! Wasn't I surprised when I opened up my mail and saw the words, "free coupon" on several pieces of paper! Soon enough I had myself quite a pantry of dry grocery items.

Continuing on in my endeavors to collect cans and coupons, I would slowly work my way up to having a variety of meats. When buying meat on a student's budget, it will always be cheaper having the butcher separate out for you single pieces of meat, or chicken. It wasn't long after that my roommates would wonder what that wonderful smell was coming from my room. My hot pot was now my best friend! It made for me wonderful soups, stew, braised meats, and chili. It was my crock pot away from home.

As I look back on those wonderful times, I sometimes wonder "whatever happened to my wonderful hot pot"? If you are a student, and on a tight budget, always remember "where there is a will, there is a way". If ever there is one thing that a student cannot live without, it is a hot pot. For me, it turned out to be the most important part of my survival as a college student.

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