Going into my sophomore year of college, I was very excited to live off campus. I felt independent. I had my own car and an apartment; I had it all and thought living on my own was going to be great. When reality hit me, I realized that what I actually had was a lot of responsibility.

 

I realized quickly that living off campus was turning out to be an expensive arrangement. I didn’t have all of the benefits that staying in a dorm had provided me. I had to pay utility bills, buy groceries, and cook my own food.

 

I’m not much of a cook, but when I started getting the hang of it, I found myself cooking all the time. I would cook three big meals a day to satisfy my hunger. I would go to the store every two weeks and spend over $100 on food. Once money started getting tight, I had to make drastic choices between paying for groceries and paying for gas. Thinking back, it was a difficult time. Now that I’ve learned my lesson, I’d like to pass on some methods that helped me save money and which I now use consistently. Hopefully they will help you too!