by Jim Thomason

Created on: January 19, 2009

As you work the cramp out of your writing hand and toss the checkbook on the table, you notice a steady rumbling in the pit of your stomach. Tuition is paid. A semester's worth of books lay on the bed. You have a place to sleep and shower but how are you going to feed the beast growling in your belly on the meager balance recorded in your checkbook?

Don't worry. Skip the Big Mac for lunch and the Domino's deluxe pizza for dinner and I will show you how you can eat for a week. And mad kitchen skills are not required. If you can handle a Bunsen burner and read a syllabus, you can work a stove and read a cookbook.

The trick is preparing inexpensive entrees that you can enjoy for several nights. Meatloaves, spaghetti sauces, chili, and roasts are prime examples. The ingredients for each cost less than what you would pay for a pizza. The food that is not immediately consumed (leftover has just a nasty connotation I hesitate to use it-let us call it a bonus); the bonus can be served the next couple of nights, or frozen.

Another good cost saving measure is to purchase ingredients that can be used for several different meals. For instance, plan to cook a meatloaf, or fry chicken or fish, during a week when you have eggs for breakfast. The eggs will serve as filler, coating, and entre. Onions and bell peppers can be used in an omelet as well as a meatloaf. Whole tomatoes and ground beef are used for both chili and spaghetti sauce. Buy spices, herbs, and condiments in bulk. Store in a cool, dry place away from the stove to lengthen shelf life.
Buy store brands. You can reduce your food cost 10%-40% by replacing national brand items with private label goods. The quality of many store brands rivals national competitors and even their packaging has undergone a facelift in recent years.

Staples such as rice, pasta, and dried beans, are both cheap and versatile. They can be used in salads, stews, casseroles, fried, boiled, baked, or served hot or cold. Believe me Forrest, there is a lot of good eating in these fine staples.

Search the top and bottom shelves at the grocery store. The more expensive items are generally placed at eye level. Resist impulse buying. Merchandise placed near the register is there for a reason. If the item is not on your list, leave it on the shelf. Don't forget the value of store coupons and discount cards. At the end of the month you can kick back with a large deep-dish deluxe. And get yourself some fries with that.

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