Google Map of Wanamaker Drive

View Larger Map

This is the best map I could get that was available to embed.  It's a map of Wanamaker Drive in Topeka, which is a street that all incoming students should be made aware of. It has EVERYTHING you will ever need (probably). Walmart, Westridge Mall, Target, tons of restaurants and much more.

Chloe's Kitchen Slideshow

So I realize that these photos are quite random but please forgive me.
I was seriously lacking creativity for this assignment haha.
I figured I would just give an example of what my 'college-kid kitchen' is like.
The order is a bit odd, but I couldn't figure out how to change it up.
I hope it is at least slightly amusing...and maybe even helpful? A little? :)

Ideas: Saving Money

Every college student will struggle financially at some point, if not for the entire four years straight. There are a couple things that I do to save money and I figured that it wouldn't hurt to share what has worked for me.  I live off campus, so I guess that some of this may not apply to those living in residence halls (not easy to fit decent groceries in a mini-fridge, huh?).

Get your cleaning supplies and laundry soap from a dollar store.  They will be far from fancy, but will get the job done and maybe you'll have enough money left over to...who are we kidding? We're always broke.

Here is a link to Family Dollar coupons:  http://www.familydollar.com/pages/allcoupons.aspx

I got the majority of my cooking supplies from Dollar General.  I bought:  a non-stick cookie sheet, some mixing bowls and a matching strainer, spatulas, big mixing spoons and silverware, along with kitchen rugs and towels.  All of this was incredibly affordable and has lasted me over a year now.  To do this though, you can't be extremely picky because I can assure you, they will not have a spatula in your favorite color or a nifty design on their kitchen towels.

Here is a link to Dollar General's kitchen products:  http://www.dollargeneral.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=11666274&cp=11640641.11655081

As for grocery shopping?  My biggest suggestion would be to sign up with every store possible for their reward programs or coupons.

Here in Topeka I have found:

     - Sam's club: $40 to join and you get two cards so...join with a roommate and split the cost.
     - Dillon's:  FREE to join and they have wonderful promotions such as buying a certain candy bar to get ten cents off each gallon of gas the next time you fill up.
     - Walgreens:  They will e-mail you coupons left and right.  I get all of my toilet paper and paper towels from Walgreens, it is the cheapest I've found.
     - Check out all of the organic food stores around Topeka and check out their specials often.  Fresh produce is typically cheaper than frozen foods.

When you head out to shop for groceries, have a list and actually stick with it.  This may seem quite obvious, but it is so ridiculously hard not to buy the toaster pastries and ice cream and bacon and chocolate milk!  Um, at least those are my weaknesses.  I like to go shopping every Wednesday and only grab the things I will need for that week.  If I have money left over towards Monday or Tuesday I can then grab things that I want on my next shopping trip, or treat myself to some McDonalds.

Awesome: Free Food Samples

I have signed up for free samples several times and when it actually works, it's pretty nifty. Sometimes the companies forget to take down their promotions when they are over, so you may not receive some of the samples you sign up for. However, the majority of samples come with one or more coupons so it is worth it to sign up. I'm not talking fifty cent coupons either, they're typically a decent amount.

Surviving College

My name is Chloe Majors.  I will be using this blog to meet a class requirement and in doing so hope to learn more about myself (as a college student).  I'm not entirely sure what direction my blog will be headed, I hope to play around with a few ideas and see what works the best. 

I hope this will wind up being interesting and educational at the same time!