what i wish i had known in college

i recently wrote this handout for a mutual night with my laurels and i selfishly want to share it for when my own kids go off to college. of course by then it'll be irrelevant because they'll be traveling through tubes, jetson style, and will live at home forever.

What I Wish I Had Known Before College

Grocery Shopping

·      Never go hungry or without a list. Keep a running list of things you need and try not to go more then once a week. Organize your list by grocery sections.

·      Walmart is your best friend. Grocery stores have better quality but higher prices. The Dollar Store isn’t always a better deal on items. Take your time to do the math and price it out.

·      Know how much room you have to store the items. You’ll be sharing that space with other people.

·      See what your roommates wants to do about food. Share certain food items? Keep everything separate? Take turns making meals? That’ll help on cost and time.

·      Plan at least an hour for your trip. Look for marked down meat and breads. You can freeze these items.

·      Meat and cheese is EXPENSIVE. Cut things in half or make meatless options. Shredded chicken goes a long way.

·      Almost always buy generic unless you have coupons. Use Ibotta or Walmarts saving catcher app to save money. *Or steal things from your parents when you come home!

·      Prepared or prepackaged food always cost more so buy those sparingly. Peel and cut your own carrots. Make your own pizza.

·      Only eat out once a week.

·      Loss leaders: items that go on deep sale once a week to draw customers in and spend more. Typically chicken, cereal, chips, soda, canned goods. Watch the circular ads and buy those things at Walmart. Their price will be cheaper and if not, they’ll ad match it.

·      Know the shelf life of some items, how to extend them and how to store them. Ex: celery lasts longer wrapped in tin foil. Bananas do better spaced out.

·      Eat a lot of filling and cheap items. Ex: rice, pasta, potatoes, beans.

Meal Planning

·      Breakfast: Cereal can get expensive unless you buy it as a loss leader. It’s also not very filling or healthy. Oatmeal, cream of wheat, eggs and toast, protein smoothies, yogurt with granola.

·      Lunch: Leftovers, sandwiches, quesadillas, salads topped with grilled chicken.

·      Dinner: Most meals typically have a carb, protein, and vegetable component. IE: pasta, chicken, and broccoli. Rice, beans, and tomatoes. Pair these three things together to make healthy and hearty meals.

·      Snacks: package your own items and bring them along. Buying things on campus will add up. Bring your own lunch. ALWAYS have a snack on hand. Bring your own water. Institute has cheap snacks.

·      Don’t gain that freshman 15! Keep yourself active. The gym on campus will be affordable or join a campus club. Try to eat 2 fruits a day and 3 vegetables.

·      Freeze as much as you can. Make your own pancakes and waffles to freeze. Bean and cheese burritos. Make a full recipe and freeze half or just the sauce.

·      Plan what you’re going to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and dessert a week at a time.

·      Splurge on things you love, skimp on things you don’t like. Juice and soda is not a necessity.

·      Eat at the free or discounted events offered through school. There’s ALWAYS events where you can eat for free or pick up some snacks.

Finances

·      Get your own checking account and credit card. Don’t use the CC unless you can pay it off every month. Use it to build credit.

·      TRACK where your money is going. Put yourself on a budget. I use EveryDollar.com

·      Make a budget and keep to it. Items to typically budget for: Groceries, Eating Out, Gas, Entertainment.

·      Learn how to manage your money NOW while you have your parents as a safety net.

Roommate Tips

·      Get an idea of each other’s schedules so you know about when to expect her coming and going.

·      Lay down ground rules of the apartment. What time should “quiet” time start? Share food? When is rent/utilities due? Who will clean what? What’s the rule on boys in the apt?

·      Make sure you have each other’s numbers and know how to get a hold of their parents in case of an emergency.

·      Get to know each other and each other’s friends early on. They’’ll become your friends too.

·      Be honest. If it’s not working, don’t be afraid to mix it up next semester.

Grown-Up Things to Do

·      Dentist 2x a year

·      Doctor/gynecologist checkup once a year

·      Eye doctor once a year

·      Continually apply for scholarships. It’s not just a thing for freshmen!

·      Get your oil changes every 3 months or 3,000 miles. This will save on costly repairs down the road!

·      If you’re going to a cold climate, learn how to drive in the snow and how to take care of your car. Ice scrapper, snow tires, anti-freeze, etc.

·      Sit down once a week to plan that week. Your meals, homework due, visiting teaching, study time, when you’ll grocery shop, go to the gym, get your car worked on, etc.

Get a Job

·      Apply for jobs before classes begin. Get there a week or two early to get used to the campus and people. There will also be more jobs available.

·      Write a resume. Ask for help when needed and get three great recommendations.

·      Think of these small jobs as building blocks towards your future. No one becomes CEO overnight. If possible, choose jobs that help you learn valuable skills (coding, account receivable/payable, cash, etc). They’ll also be able to give you better references in the future.

Other Tips

·      Buy your textbooks used online then sell them back. 9/10 you won’t use them again. You can wait until the class starts to actually buy the book.

·      Choose a career, not a degree. Now is the time to figure out what to do with your life. Take chances and make mistakes!

·      Plan your summers out a year before. Internships, travelling abroad, whatever you want to do. That’s an important time to get ahead of the game.

·      Don’t bring everything you own. Simplify. And put your bed on cinder blocks to create more space.

·      Always make at least one friend in a class; to help with notes, homework, study groups.

·      Sign up for Institute. It’s SO much better then Seminary. Great FREE parking, free food. There’s a reason why the church spends so much money with YA.

·      Get a planner and write EVERYTHING down. Do your work sooner then later.

·      Group your classes together back to back to cut down on how many times you have to go to campus. Try to limit it to 2/3x a week.

·      USE and ABUSE your parents! Don’t be afraid to mooch. Take leftovers, use their Netflix login, make them take you to Costco.

·      Get yourself some pepper spray on your key chain.

·      See what services are available on campus: health offices, counseling, tutors, computer lab.

·      You don’t need a notebook per class. You WILL need a printer.