Money College: How to eat on less than $35 a week

Money College isn't just for college students, but those who care about them -- and pay those tuition bills, too. Self-described "shopping dad" James Buffington takes on the challenge of feeding a college student on $35 a week, without a single slice of stale bread in sight.

Can a college student eat on $35 a week? If need be, yes, but it does require discipline and a simple rule: Buy cheap. The surest way to do this is to shop at a discount supermarket and buy only generic or store brands.

Cheapskate that I am, I shop one of two discount chains for staples every couple of weeks. On my latest trip, using off-label brands, I put together the following shopping list and menus. It's no-frills cuisine, and I use that term loosely, to be sure, but that's besides the point. It's a survival diet for someone on a constrained budget.