Grad School Diet.

Grad school is financially feasible if you are smart with your money. Pour your resources into important things like books and technology fees, and save in those areas that matter the least, like high-quality nutrition and cable.

I have found that the secret to keeping culinary costs low is carbs. Cheap, empty carbs. Ramen noodles are $0.19, while a box of spaghetti and jar of spaghetti sauce total $1.88 (if you watch the Kroger ads and go generic). Last week, I milked out a big pot of macaroni ($1.00) and tomato juice ($1.25). And by milked out, I mean it fed me eight times. I am currently making a school-cafeteria-sized batch of white flour-based spaghetti, which I will toss with a jar of tomato sauce chock full of high-fructose corn syrup to create a delicious bowl of calories and not a lot else. By day five, I can dress it up with some shredded cheese (a luxury not to be taken for granted), and by day seven, I can cover any foul taste with excessive amounts of salt.

Nifty and thrifty!