I spend way too much money

[Urban Ranger]

Cook for yourself. That's what students are supposed to do. If you can't cook then make sandwiches and ramen noodles. You will eventually learn. Buy food in bulk to save $$$. When you need to get drink hit frat parties (it helps to get invitations ).

$10 a drink is unbelievably expensive. It's more expensive than my eat out budget (when I was a student).

[VetLegion]

Jon, you are the USA. Just spend man, and if you go down, take the world with you

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by DaShi
Seriously Jon, you need to make a budget like Oerdin says. Cut back on the alcohol. Cut back on the video games (you've already said you were worried about your grades, spend that time studying). Most of all, cut back on the sexy parties.

grades don't matter now...

research work does

JM

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Verto
Does Canada not have Jack in the Box?

*prepares to begin bombing in five minutes.

Ahhh, another fine San Diego based company whose greasy fat food goodness will soon conquor the world.

And if our fast food companies don't then our defense contractors who have been suckled upon the pentigon's tits shall.

[:) Smiley]

Originally posted by Jon Miller
I was sort of a lost student for a while

a short time ago I joined a Nuclear Experimental group

and what they need is (a lot) of programs written

grad students are just suppose to be learning.. but I am still going fairly slow (not knowing Object Oreinted Programming/Linux)

I really should be spending every weekend and evening working.. trying to contribute

Jon Miller

Most science and engineering grad students I know practically live in the lab, not gaming and going to bars.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Compared to Europe or Japan it is ridiculously cheap to eat out in the US though still much more expensive then Latin America or the rest of east Asia. I guess it boils down to the lack of health insurence and the large quantities of illegals or the poorly educated native underclass. They work cheap so eatting out on a student's budget is much more affordable.

There is still the problem that most of the $20k Jon gets per year will be either student loans (which must be repaid) or work study (meaning a subsidized form of work for students). Work study is great and the project should be greatly expanded but the student loan business is a racket and there should be more out right grants and subsidies to schools in order to make them more affordable.

The 20k Jon is talking about is standard stipend for graduate research assistants or teaching assistants in physics (this is in addition to tuition remission, and, in some cases, free health insurance).

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Verto


Does Canada not have Jack in the Box?

*prepares to begin bombing in five minutes.

a) No, thank God

b) Jon isn't Canadian, despite his fervent desire to be. Nor does he live in Canada. Also, I don't think that there are any Jack in the Boxes in Maryland (where he actually is living)

[KrazyHorse]

I've been to ****ing Chipotle, Jon. If you're spending more than 8$ there you're buying a lot of food.

And who eats out every day as a grad student?

LEARN TO COOK. It tastes better and it's cheaper. I eat better than I did when I lived at home with my parents without frequenting restaurants regularly.

Cooking is fun.

[Frankychan]

I'm living off of ****e pay at my place so I know what JM is feeling.

For one dude, I'd really make the switch to cheaper beer. I used to drink Bass Ale, Boddington's, Guiness, SamAdams, and other good tasting beer. And unfortunately, I had to realize that buying all that expensive beer was putting in a major dent into my budget. So I made the switch to Milwakee's Best...and if I feel like splurging I'll buy Miller Lite.

If cutting beer/alcohol isn't an option, I would really recommend buying the cheap stuff. I did and I save about $20 more than before.

As for eating out, I'd also recommend switching from the regular meals to the value menu. For instance, I can't cook for crap either and would go out and buy Jack Inna Crack for dinner. Until I realized how much it costs. $6-8 for a meal? I made the switch to the value meal. Best thing is the 2 taco's for 99 cents. Buy 3 pairs and it's $3. You save 3 bucks.


Lastly, I really would recommend cutting back on going out to bars. Again, I love going out to bars but it's too frigging expensive. I go out to bars rarely now. If anything, my friends and I will buy some beer, go over to someone's house, and hang out.

Or if that, get drunk at home and play video games. It sounds lame as heck, but until you get more cash flow, you gotta amuse yourself in someway. Or else you'll go insane.

Just my thoughts. And this is the stuff I do while I wait for my full-time job to kick in...

[Dinner]

I'm going for a ciabatta! Nothing like late night jack in the crack.

None where Jon lives but several in the Carolinas.

http://www.jackinthebox.com/locations/

[Dinner]

**** me. It is 1am and I am stuffed. Rarely has $4.95 been so well spent. A double beef and cheese ciabatta with large fries and a chocolate shake. Classic American food with a California twist and cheap as hell to boot.

[Dinner]

I shouldn't have eatten those french fries or that chocolate shake. Damn, I'm full.

[Spiffor]

Oerdin, when a European student eats out, he goes fetch a 2-4€ kebab, or eats at the local chinese joint for 3-6€.

When JM eats out, it's:

Originally posted by Jon Miller
(figure eating out is 10-25 a meal, and I eat out most meals...)

Heck, 25€ a meal is what my father pays when he goes to good restaurants.

[Traianvs]

Now let's not exaggerate... €25 is not the price of a 'good' restaurant. Perhaps if you don't take the wine yeah but otherwise..

[DanS]

Originally posted by Oerdin
**** me. It is 1am and I am stuffed. Rarely has $4.95 been so well spent.

That's $4.95 before taxes!