This is a guest post from Jana, who blogs at Daily Money Shot about the intersection of money, life, relationships, pop culture, and all things in between.

When I was in graduate school, I was living with my then-boyfriend in a small apartment near campus. I was working as a research assistant making a paltry $11K per year and he was a lab tech making about $20K. We usually had enough to pay our bills, buy some food, go to the movies and, of course, drink.  We had our priorities in place.

Broke and No Food

There was one week, though, where funds ran low. Really low. That same week, food ran low. Really, really low. Low to the point that we had literally nothing to eat in the house.  There were some pretzels, water, and condiments in the fridge. And payday was 3 days away. So we did what any young, starving couple would do. We scavenged for loose change.

We left no stone unturned. We were checking couch cushions, underneath floor mats in our cars, in the cup holders, our wallets, pockets, the bottom of my purse—everywhere. We put it all in a cup and drove to our local supermarket to use the CoinStar, not caring that the machine took out 8.5% of every dollar we put in. We just knew we needed to eat. And drink.

Our Priorities

You see, one part of the story that I left out was the fact that Thursday nights was the best night to go out in our town. It was mug night at The Stone Balloon (RIP, Stone Balloon) which meant that beer was $.50 per mug in our reusable Stone Balloon mugs and if we got there before 9PM, it was free to get in. Also, Thursday nights had the best bands so we were not missing it.

So there we are in the supermarket with approximately $20 in hand. We knew we needed food but it was mug night! So what did we do? Nope, we didn’t buy healthy, nutritious food and sit in our apartment. No, we stood in the middle of the supermarket and did some creative, on-the-spot budgeting.

Our $20 Budget

This is what our budget looked like (the prices are a rough estimate and they are from 11 years ago):

• $2 pasta and sauce– $18 remaining
• $1 frozen vegetables–  $17 remaining
• $1 English muffins — $16 remaining
• $2 peanut butter– $14 remaining
• $0 cover charge (see above re: arriving before 9PM)–$14 remaining
• Me: 5 beers  x $.50 + tips=$5– $9 remaining
• Him: 7 beers  x $.50 + tips=$7–$2 remaining

We could do it! We could get food and go drinking! It was a huge victory for us, and I’m pretty sure we spent that last $2 on some sort of edible item (probably apples or bananas). 

Pros of that Budget

While it may not have been the most responsible way to handle our money, it did highlight some strengths.  

• One, we showed that we could accomplish everything we wanted because we were on a budget. We recognized how much money we had and we made our choices fit into that money.  
• Two, we showed that in a desperate time, we were able to pool our resources and get through the situation because we worked together.  Had we not been a team, we would not have been able to accomplish the goals of eating and having a good time.
• Three, as irresponsible, fun loving 22 year olds, we recognized our priorities and spent the money on that instead of wasting money on stuff that wasn’t important. Going out was more important so we reserved the money for that rather than food.
• And four, by beating cover and buying food that would last more than one meal, we maximized the money that we had available to us. While these are small cost-cutting measures, they made all the difference.

While our logic might have been flawed, and our priorities slightly off, we made it through. And I’m happy to report that since that day, I’ve never again been in that situation. But having this story in my past makes me proud of how far I’ve come, not only in my ability to budget and plan during each pay period, but in that I’ve learned to reorganize my priorities so that I don’t have to choose between food and fun.

And the band we went to see that night?  Totally worth it!

Crystal’s Comments:  I know what you all may be thinking – sheesh, how about using that $20 for food for the next week or two?  BUT, as Jana said, she and her boyfriend had different priorities back then.  That said, in my opinion, it was great that they worked together to stretch their $20 budget to cover their normal Thursday out and some food to last them 3 days until they were paid.  I remember having slightly different priorities than them in college – like food, dating, and Dungeons and Dragons – but I was proud of myself for making that work in a budget too.  Thanks Jana for an entertaining post!

What were your spending priorities in college other than the basics?  What do you think of Jana’s story?