Where's the Food?
Before I graduated, I asked some the upperclassmen what they missed most about college. Nearly everyone either started or ended with the dining hall. I know. I was surprised too. But to be fair, my school had a legit dining hall. Food was pretty much always good and the staff took care of you (if you give kindness you get it back and that's important when someone else is controlling what you're consuming). I know this isn't the case for all universities but the accessibility to a hot cooked meal is a universal concept for colleges across America. And given that you never had to present actual money to get something to eat, it felt virtually free. But according to my student loan statement, that proved to be untrue. Regardless, being able to wake up, walk into the dining hall and grab a hot plate that you had no hand in helping to make is a luxury that could easily be taken for granted.
Not only is the accessibility, the close proximity to food, a thing of the past once graduated, but what it means to break bread with your homies is gone too. I'm sure there have been plenty of studies done on how eating connects people and overcomes barriers, etc. But there is something to be said about rounding up your group of friends to meet for dinner after a long day of classes, clubs, and meetings. I think finding someone to "sit with at lunch" per say is one of the most daunting things about coming to college. Being a young freshmen and not knowing anyone but knowing you can NOT eat alone (even though as a senior, I cherished those moments). But once you find those pockets of friends that eventually become your family, you know you'll never have to eat alone, you will always enjoy your meal regardless of the food. So many memories from college were made over late-night mozzarella sticks, or the line on Stir-Fry Wednesday. I can't even tell you how many times I've heard the story of my parents first date, which took place over left over Pizza Hut.
Where's the food? Where are your friends? What you can't do as a graduate is get too caught up in what is no longer there. Instead, we adapt and recreate those pillars in the adult world. Below are a few ways of how I navigate the eats post-grad. Not only the act of eating, but also recreating what it means to break bread with your friends in the adult world.
Cook your own food.
My post on budgeting is coming soon, but literally every article I've read on how to save shmoney always points to food as a money guzzler. And it's true! Let's say you go to Olive Garden or Applebee's for dinner one night. You can easily drop $15-20 on food and drinks, which honestly isn't a bad deal as far as eating out goes. But on a small grocery hall to Aldi, I can spent $20 and eat three meals a day for 3-4 days, a whole week if I really stretch it. It also helps that I really enjoy cooking most days. So I find joy in saving money and completely knowing what's in the food I'm consuming. PLUS cooking is a great way to bring people together! Host a potluck night and invite your friends. This is a great way to have a party and not be financially responsible for supplying all of the food. Your welcome.
Call corporate.
Has there ever been a hair in your Starbucks frappe? Have you ever had burning coffee spilled on you at Wawa? Have you ever been given cold fries at your local McDonald's. Then call corporate! Now of course, these are spur-of-the-moment situations which hopefully do not happen often in your life. But when they do, why not get something free for your troubles? Many companies have AMAZING customer service and guest policies and just want to be made aware of what's happening on a day-to-day basis in their stores. So, if you are going to spend your hard earned money on eating out and you have an unsatisfactory experience, write to corporate (keep your receipt!). You may get a gift card, or lunch on them. BUT just as quick as you are spill on bad service, you should write in praise as well. Give the girl that always hooks up your coffee a shout out too. You may not get a gift card for that, but your heart will feel good and that's better than free coffee. Here are a few companies with great customer service:
Treat yourself (and your friends).
I am a huge promoter of saving money in any way you can. But I am also a huge promoter of TREATING YOURSELF. Life is hard and sometimes it smacks you in the face and you need that large Frosty from Wendy's. Do not deny your body what it needs in times of crisis. You treat yourself, and enjoy that treat and do not feel guilty for enjoying that treat. Life is too short to live every second of every day on a budget or a diet. Treating yourself can also be an activity that brings your friends back together to break bread and have a good time. You can treat yourselves to a night out, treat yourselves, to a beach day together, or treat yourselves to a shopping trip and splurge. But the key to treating yourselves is making it a treat. Treats are not an everyday thing which is sad, I know. But set a goal! Let's say you want to go to the gym four days a week for a month. If you make this goal, gather your crew and have a night out! Let's say you finally land a job that's really going to make a difference in your financial goals. That is something worth celebrating: TREAT YOURSELF!
Food Festivals.
My university would always have events for what seemed like literally anything. I LOVED the Back to School BBQ. The weather was always nice, there was SO MUCH free food, and it was nice to commune together before the craziness of classes. Welp, good news: those don't end after college! There are so many different kinds of festivals, markets, and just fun things to do that are centered around food, drinks, and fun. And these things are happening all over the place! I love Philadelphia not only for its brotherly love-ness, but because there is always something going on! My first Fall season after I graduated was full of Fall Festivals. And they were all so different! Some were during the day, with a more family-friendly vibe, and some went until the wee hours of the morning and had DJs, giveaways, and more of a party atmosphere. Some even had free samples of food and drinks and if they weren't free, the food and drinks were reasonably priced. I tried Ketel One Botanical for the first time at a Fall Festival (free shots!). From small towns, to big cities, food festivals are the move! I usually find fun things at www.visitphilly.com under the Things to Do tab for the Philadelphia area. But check Facebook and Instagram as well! Follow foodies in your area, or search "things to do this weekend". You will be pleasantly surprised with what pops up.
These are just a few tips on how to tackle food and all that comes with it. Since graduating, I have made some delicious meals and some failed attempts at said delicious meals. But at the end of the day, from trial and error comes perfection. You'll never know if you make a slammin' grilled cheese if you only every get it from Panera. Step out of your box and chef it up. Or if you already cook, try some new recipes! Buzzfeed's Tasty has amazing recipes that are definitely doable at any cooking skill level. They also have cookbooks and are easily accessible through social media. Drop some of your favorite recipes that you've conquered in the comments! Or some of the ways you treat yourself for those small victories.
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