Ramen: good for lunch, not for dates

Sure, Ramen Noodles have gotten us through some tough college times.  Whether it be in between your six hour work shift and your four hour night class or a 3am snack to keep your focus on that ten page essay due in a few hours. Ramen is a cheap (and I mean cheap) way to fight off hunger and keep your body going with calories, not to mention an abundance of sodium.  But in some cases, Ramen is not an appropriate choice for food consumption. For example, Date Night.

            

It’s nearing the weekend, you’d like to do something special for a significant other, and you don’t have the funds for a fancy night out.  With this dilemma in mind I would direct you to think of a few things before you decided to a) cook up a double pack of Ramen b) run out to your fav fast food spot (that’s not special) c) forget the special date night altogether.

Where and When

First, check to see if you have a Shop N Save or an Aldi store near you.  Both these stores have the best deals.  You can go to Shop N Save on certain Thursdays and if you spend $50 they automatically take $10 off your purchase (alcohol not included… sorry folks).  That means you can shop for at least your week of groceries and get a major discount.  Aldi is always cheap prices but make sure you have cash to pay with.  They don’t take credit cards (that is one way they keep their prices so low).  And before you turn your nose up to a discount store like Aldi, just remember the same company that owns Trader Joe’s owns it.

Things To Keep In Mind

So now you know where and when to shop for your date night fixins, you’ll have to decide what to make.  Remember these things when deciding what to make: 

*You can find millions of cooking recipes for free online.

*Store brand products are the cheapest.

*Spices are expensive: purchase salt, pepper, and fresh garlic and you’ll be golden.

Do you have your own shopping habit tricks to help save?  Help your fellow gorloks out and let us know your tricks with a comment below. 

           

Overall, making a special date night dinner takes a little time, but it is definitely worth it.  Like I said before, Ramen is great in some cases, but it’s probably good to stretch that cooking muscle before you’re officially a college grad and… a grown up. 

Katlin Jacobsmeyer