#TIOHD Living Off-Campus

[thingsioncehelddear]

What meals/food do you usually prep for breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks?

I have the following few philosophies that I like to stick to for my day-to-day meals:

Avoid processed foods (I choose whole foods & try to make everything from scratch)

Minimize saturated fats & eliminate trans fats (but try to get a good amount of healthy fats!)

Minimize added sugar (I buy everything unsweetened and add cane sugar/maple syrup/honey myself if I want it sweetened)

Reduce sodium (I try to flavour with spices & black pepper instead)

Eat lean proteins & plenty of greens :)

Here are some of my go-to meals…

BREAKFAST

Oatmeal (I buy plain oatmeal and add cane sugar myself)

Peanut butter sandwich (light peanut butter & multigrain bread)

I love to bake healthy banana breads & muffins! (there are tons of recipes on Pinterest that use no butter, no oil, and have greek yogurt for extra protein! i always cut down on the amount of sugar in recipes)

If I’m not very hungry, I just eat sliced bananas with plain greek yogurt :)

LUNCH & DINNER

Avocado toast is my FAVE!!! (I just toast multigrain bread, mash up an avocado, and add lemon juice, salt, & pepper)

I used to make sandwiches a lot and I always recommend that to people as a cheap and easy meal (just buy multigrain bread, sliced roast beef/turkey breast/ham, lettuce/spinach, and whatever other veggies you want to add)

Lean Protein/Fish + Brown Rice + Green Veggies (this is what I eat most often) … my favourite Lean Proteins are turkey sausage & turkey meatballs (made from ground turkey), and I love salmon too because it has lots of healthy fats and is just freaking delicious … for Veggies I go for broccoli, spinach, gan lan, bok choy, yu choy, or cabbage. :)

I love making soup!! The ones I make most often are Miso Soup (I buy my own miso to make the soup, and add soba noodles, enoki mushroom, green onion, silken tofu, fried egg, & bok choy), Chicken Noodle Soup (made from scratch, except for the broth), & Potato Corn Soup (diced potatoes, canned corn, onions, & veggie broth).

I also love sweet potatoes. I use it to make sweet potato shepherd’s pie, slice it up to make sweet potato fries, dice it up & roast it to use in a salad, or bake/slow cook it to eat whole. :D

Whenever the boyfriend comes over, we like to healthify burgers & chicken nuggets. We make burgers from scratch (using lean ground beef or ground turkey, and I like mixing in grated zucchini for some hidden veggies), and our own chicken nuggets (by slicing up chicken breasts, breading them ourselves, and baking them). We eat these with our own roasted potato wedges or sweet potato fries.

SNACKS

My go-to is fresh fruit. You can never go wrong with fresh fruit. :)

Apple Slices + Peanut Butter

Frozen Banana (just freeze a banana whole once you’ve peeled it and eat it like a popsicle; you won’t regret)

Banana Ice Cream (or you can take your frozen banana and toss it in your Magic Bullet)

Almonds & Cashews

Greek Yogurt

Unsweetened Applesauce

Dried Mango

Hummus/Tuna + Crackers/Baby Carrots

Hope these give you some ideas!!!

[thingsioncehelddear]

about how much does your residence currently cost per month? do you have recommendations on which residences or location?

By residence, you mean off-campus, right?

I’m currently living at Blair House, a Rez-One property. The location is super convenient, because it’s on Phillip Street, right next to the University Plaza. I’ve lived here for 2 years, since it was built. I’m paying $800 per month for the largest bedroom in a 3-bedroom suite, which is the price I spent months negotiating before I signed my initial lease when them. :’D I actually think it’s really worth it, given the size of my bedroom, the ensuite bathroom, the amenities in the building, and the amazing location. I also actually think Rez-One’s management is pretty respectable - they’re responsive, organized, and fix their mistakes. I don’t have experience with all the student housing companies in Waterloo, but I think Rez-One is definitely one of the better ones. Based on my own experiences and those of my friends, I do not recommend Domus Housing or KW4Rent.

You have a lot of options off-campus nowadays; there are so many buildings popping up here and there, so you really have the ability to find one that suits your needs. I don’t really have any recommendations for you, because it really depends on your budget, whether you want to be closer to grocery stores or plazas or the University, how many roommates you want, whether you want an ensuite, etc. Just take the time to shop around and always speak to management in person before signing a lease. How organized their office is and how they treat you is a big indicator of what your future interactions with them will be like. Make sure you read the lease very, very carefully, and ask to clarify any terms you don’t understand. I would also NEVER, EVER sign a lease for a building that has not completed construction.

[thingsioncehelddear]

im rooming with 3 other people outside campus. most of the time my roommates can be quite noisy during the night and I find it difficult to establish a routine to sleep early and wake up early. I was wondering what was your residence environment like? How many people did you room with? What are your tips?

I would straight up ask your roommates to keep it down. Try to come to an agreement as to when it’s ok for them to be loud or have people over, and when you really need some peace and quiet so you can sleep. If you’ve already tried that or you don’t think they would honour your request, maybe earplugs? :S If they’re being really outrageous, I would take it to the staff in your building to see if they can do anything about it.

I had 3 roommates in first year (when I lived in residence), and since second year (when I moved off campus), I’ve only ever had 2 roommates. I’ve been lucky in that my roommates have never been loud at night (or even during the day). So I’m sorry you’re experiencing this! I hope things work out for you!

[thingsioncehelddear]

HOW TO BUDGET

Whether you pay all your bills yourself or receive ample support from your parents, it’s important to keep track of your dough. When you’re already spending the majority of your time studying, budgeting isn’t fun. But you know what’s even less fun? Giving up your budgeting for a term to find yourself broke af at the end of it. :P Been there, done that. Let’s not do that again. Plus, budgeting is an important life skill in the adult world, so you might as well get started now. :)

STEP ONE - DOWNLOAD A BUDGETING APP ON YOUR PHONE

I used to do my budgeting manually, on Excel. Cue giving up on budgeting for a term because it was the biggest pain in the butt.  Since then, I’ve gone through a couple of budgeting apps, and the one I’ve settled on is Pocket Expense:

It’s free, I believe it’s available for both iPhone and Android, and it’s really easy to use. You can create a weekly or monthly budget, enter daily transactions, and manage various accounts. I highly recommend it.

STEP TWO - FIND OUT WHAT YOU SPEND MONEY ON If this is your first time budgeting, you’ll want to figure out what you should budget for.  First, you need to decide if a weekly or monthly budget makes more sense for you. I receive a monthly amount from my parents, so that’s why I choose to budget by month.  If you decide to budget by month, use your budgeting app to keep track of your spending for one month. If you’re using Pocket Expense, you can create categories such as “groceries” or “entertainment” - use these categories, and create ones specific to you as necessary. How detailed you want to make your categories is up to you. Make them detailed enough to help you monitor and change your spending habits, but not so detailed that you spend 5 minutes trying to decide which category a transaction should fall under.  If you decide to budget by week, do the same, but for one week.

STEP THREE - CREATE YOUR BUDGET Now that you know how much you spend, and on what, you can create your budget. Your budget should be reasonable. If you’re currently spending $60 on groceries per week, don’t kid yourself into thinking that you can reduce it to $30. If you think you should and can cut your spending, perhaps budget for $55 or $50. TIP: Leave room in your budget, just in case. For example, if you have income of $500 per month, try to include only $450 in your budget. Ignore the other $50 - pretend it’s not even there for you to spend! That way, even if you go over budget, you’re okay. :) You might even find yourself with a good amount of extra cash at the end of the term.

STEP FOUR - RECORD YOUR TRANSACTIONS Debit/Credit Transactions: You can record these transactions in your budgeting app by referring to receipts that you keep, or your account statement online. Cash Transactions: Cash transactions are a little trickier, because a receipt might not be provided, you might forget to ask for a receipt, and there’s no account statement you can refer to. There are 2 ways you can do this: (1) Ask for a receipt EVERY TIME, and keep ALL your receipts. This takes some getting used to, but once you make it a habit, “can I have a receipt?” will be something you can utter in your sleep. (2) Keep track of the cash you withdraw, and at the end of the month, count the cash you have left. CON: You have absolutely no idea what you spent that cash on. It should go without saying that Method 1 is the preferred method, unless your cash transactions are very minimal and therefore immaterial. Otherwise, Method 2 should only be your backup method in the case that you forget to ask for a receipt. TIP: Record your transactions OFTEN - once a week or more. That way, you can actually keep track of your spending THROUGHOUT the month, which is the whole point of this budgeting thing. :) You can often find me on the bus home from the grocery store, sifting through my receipts and entering transactions into Pocket Expense. The bus home is a wonderful place/time to record your transactions.

STEP FIVE - MAKE CHANGES TO YOUR BUDGET AS NECESSARY Review your spending at the end of every month. Did you go over your budget? Did you come in way under? Your spending may be higher in some months and lower in others, so as time passes, you will have a better idea of your average monthly expenses, and will be able to create a more accurate budget. Keep adjusting until you come to something that works well for you. :)

[thingsioncehelddear]

Could you explain your process of meal prepping? Do you stick to the same basic meals every week or do you tend to change it up?

I basically cook only twice a week, and cook enough food for the whole week.Cooking every day is pretty gruelling, so I find that meal prepping helps me avoid those “I don’t feel like cooking right now and I’m hungry already so I’m just going to buy something to eat” situations. I like to change it up, because I know very few people who enjoy eating the same thing every week. :P I eat clean (lean & green) for the most part throughout the week, and treat myself to something not so healthy on the weekend. I find recipes on clean eating/healthy recipe blogs, and choose 3 dishes to make each week. I adjust the recipes as necessary so that each dish yields about 4 servings, meaning that I have enough food for the whole week.Sometimes though, I get lazy, and I don’t want to make anything that requires following a recipe. My go-to basic meal has 3 components - Brown Rice + Protein + Veggies - and can be thrown together with whatever I feel like that week.Here are some Protein & Veggie ideas you can try pairing with your Brown Rice (I eat brown rice because unlike white rice, it’s high in nutrients, but if you don’t care you can really use whatever carb you want):PROTEIN- Turkey Sausage (low in fat & high in protein; unlike other sausages, it’s actually healthy; can be found at Wal-Mart)- Salmon (healthy fats & Omega 3)- Chicken Breast (pretty much the definition of lean)- Extra Lean Ground Beef (good source of iron)- Ground Turkey/Chicken (low in fat & high in protein)- White Fish (e.g. Tilapia, Cod)- Tofu- ChickpeasVEGGIES- Broccoli- Green Peppers- Red/Yellow/Orange Peppers- Corn- Spinach- Kale- Sweet Potato- Chinese Broccoli- Bok ChoyMy Favourite Combinations- Turkey Sausage + Corn- Ground Turkey Meatballs (which I make myself) + Corn- Ground Beef (marinated) + Green Peppers- Salmon + Chinese Broccoli/Spinach- Chicken Breast + Broccoli- Tofu + Chickpeas + Sweet Potato + KaleI also make sandwiches when I’m lazy. Multigrain Bread + Egg/Turkey/Roast Beef/Ham + Tomato + Spinach/Lettuce + Fat-Free Cheese and bam, you’ve got yourself a yummy sandwich. :) Even better if you get a small grill (I got mine for $15 at Wal-Mart), and grill it. Cheaper than Subway! Seriously, I don’t get why more people don’t just make sandwiches. D:Anyways, let me know if you have any more questions. :)

[thingsioncehelddear]

Did you live with the same roommates for 2nd and 3rd year? Do you prefer having male or female roommates?

Nope. In 3rd year I lived with 2 AFM girls in my year. I prefer whichever individuals are cleaner and quieter LOL - whether they’re male or female is irrelevant to me.

[thingsioncehelddear]

When looking for housing second year, who did you live with? Did you live with your same roommates in UWP?

Nope, I lived with a high school friend and his elementary school friend.

[thingsioncehelddear]

Hey. I am just wondering how you found a place to rent for this term? It's just I am trying to find a place for next year but they all require 12 months leasing? Is there any other website better than kijiji or off house campus website that can help me find a place to stay that does not require that long of a lease?

Hey! :)When you’re looking for off-campus housing, you really have 2 options. You either sign a lease (from what I’ve seen, all the leases around here are for 1 year), or you can sublet from somebody (you rent a room from somebody who has signed a 1-year lease).There are pros and cons to each.If you sign a 1-year lease, you don’t have to look for a new place to live each term, which can save you quite a bit of time and effort, especially when you’re busy with school and exams. However, the lease is for 1 year, meaning that if you have an upcoming co-op term during that leasing year, you will have to sublet for that term.Subletting from somebody each term can save you a lot of money. It depends on the term, but when people sublet their room, they usually have to lower their rent to be able to sublet it (for example, if I’m paying $650 per month for rent, I may have to lower it to $600 to get you to sublet from me). However, you’re gonna have to find someone to sublet from each term, and if you’re just trying to find an individual room, you may end up with completely random roommates.It’s completely up to you whichever you choose - just go with your personal preference. Alternatively, you could live on campus again.I never really used Kijiji or the Off-Campus Housing website when I was searching for housing. Right now I’m leasing through Domus Housing, which is a company that specializes in student housing in Waterloo. There are many similar companies that a lot of my friends use (KW4Rent is really popular). I was looking for some place really nice (which can be pretty rare in Waterloo), so once I found 3 ideal places, I sort of stopped looking haha. So sorry I can’t really offer many suggestions for other good websites. D:It’s good that you’re thinking about housing for next year right now. You’re supposed to start looking in December/January, because that’s when all the lease-signing takes place (if you’re still planning on signing a lease).If you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to let me know! ^_^

[thingsioncehelddear]

Hi! :) Im aware that this Sept will be your second year of uni. Im just wondering where you will be living and the process of selecting and renting a place! Thanks :)

Hi! :DThere are a bunch of brand new condos being built (or already built) near UW and Laurier (at the intersection of King and University). I’ll be living in one of those (for privacy reasons I’m not going to say which specific one lol xD). They’re quite a bit more expensive than the other places around the university, but they’re a LOT nicer, and I personally think it’s worth it. :)When you’re looking for a place to live in second year (if you don’t plan on living on campus again), you should start early. December is good. Aim to start in January at latest. You want to have plenty of time to do your research and figure out who you want to live with, etc. The process is basically: finding people who you potentially want to room with/potentially want to room with you —> once you’ve decided on future roommates, getting together with those people to figure out what you want/don’t want in a place & setting a price range —> doing research on what’s out there —> selecting places you would potentially be interested in & booking tours for those places —> narrowing down your options —> choosing a place that best fits your needs —> signing the lease (after making sure that’s everything’s good & proper, ofc).Once winter’s almost here, I’ll write a full post on the rental process! ^^