30 Bananas a Day!

How to stay 811 in college with little to no money for groceries?

I'm starting college next fall in the lovely state of Vermont, and I just hopped on the banana wagon. I reaallly want to keep following 811, but I'm a little concerned of how I'll get my hands on bundles of fruit because I'm going to be completely dependent on the dining halls for food. I was just thinking of stocking up on fruits and veggies by taking them from the dining hall haha. But I was wondering if anyone else had suggestions as to how I can keep going. =) Also, since my school supplies mostly locally grown produce, I'm quite worried that there won't be enough raw fruits and veggies during the winter!

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Any grocer will do. Ask for the produce manager. Then ask him/her what they do with the fruit that doesn't/won't sell. Grocery stores tend to throw out a lot of fruit because they have a blemish or whatnot. Sometimes they'll be willing and able to help out starving students :)

I didn't think there were any either, because I never saw any, then I googled for a while and found some that appear around town for only a few hours 1 day out of the week during certain seasons, then they pack up and vanish.

I heard getting an unlimited food card has helped a lot of people here.

1. ALWAYS have dates stocked in your room for emergencies or just quick, tasty snacks.

2. Talk to whoever is in charge of your dining hall or meal plan, explain how you eat, and see if they can work with you. You may not be able to get much, but anything is better than nothing, and you deserve whatever you can get since you pay for it.

3. Take unripe bananas from the dining hall and let them ripen in your room. Seriously, this is how I get most of my calories during school. If you are 100% confident and act like you know what you are doing, chances are no one will give you a hard time about it, but if someone that works there asks why you are taking so many bananas, just explain that you need to let them get ripe.

4. Take advantage of the salad bars. This is hard for me to do since I hate salad, but it will help you get your money's worth out of your meal plan since greens can be expensive :P

5. If you have a vehicle on campus (or a friend with one) make trips into town over the weekend to give you a little more variety in your diet. For example, the dining hall probably won't have exciting fruit (mine only has bananas, apples, and oranges), so get a treat like kiwis, mangoes, berries, etc. to keep yourself from getting burnt out on your staples. I also buy frozen fruit (since it's cheaper and lasts longer) to put in smoothies.

6. Make smoothies. They are so much faster than eating each piece of fruit, and when you have a busy college schedule time is priceless. Plus you can take them to class, and sip on your meal while you learn. Gotta love multitasking :) 

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone! Luckily, I have an unlimited meal plan and the school has no problem with taking extra food from the dining hall out. =) There is a local food co-op in town which is really close to campus so if I happen to have money left over I'll try to buy in bulk. Yeah I figured eating cooked carbs is better than starving haha.

u cant get a ride to the grocery store? are u going to be working while in college at all? i work while im in college, but still a tight budget, i buy bananas cuz theyre cheap, i eat about 4 medjool dates a day, and then a green to put in my smoothies.  buy bananas if you want it to be cheap!

I used to walk everywhere without a car, 5-10 miles and I'd be a little sore, bought a bike and wham, 30+ miles a day, and larger cargo carrying capacity with bike mounted bags and a backpack, or do what Durianrider and a lot of others do and get a trailer for the bike. Some have said on here that they will tow up to 200 pounds of fruit with it, that's the way to do it, screw contributing to the fossil fuel problem, get the exercise, engines steal the best part about traveling.

What are the winters like in Vermont?  In Winnipeg it would be impossible to bike during the winter.  Too much snow on the ground and too cold.

Bike + cart + several feet of snow is not possible. 

O yea, Vermont, snow, wasn't thinking. Well it wont be snowing all the time so part of the time get a ride. This is why I want to go south.

Or find a tricycle, with 29 inch mountain bike tires a rear locking differential and elongated wheelbase so it has room for a bed over the rear axle, no need for a trailer then, only problem I see is it might be too wide on the sidewalks and they might be covered in deep snow cause they don't get plowed, so you might have to spend a lot of time in the street getting honked at. But at least it won't slip out from under you in slippery conditions.

Letting my mind get creative again

Yes I do plan to work since it's part of my financial aid package. But as mentioned, during the winters, a walk to grocery store will be no small task! haha. I think I'll bring boxes of dates as they keep for a reasonable amount of time.

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