STRETCH YOUR GROCERY DOLLARS

DROP HIGH-COST HABITS n If you’re in the habit of eating fast food or other restaurant food, you can save money by eating at home more often. n When you’re shopping for food, consider the store brand rather than buying name brands. n Avoid buying food that is already cut up or prepared in some way. n Stop wasting leftovers or letting food spoil before it can be eaten.

TRY COST-CUTTING STRATEGIES n Plan meals and snacks one week at a time. First, plan to use what you have to ensure no food goes to waste. Cook larger size meals so you can work leftovers into meals later in the week. This saves time and reduces waste. n Use your meal plan to make a grocery list and stick to the list. n Be a careful shopper. Only shop in the aisles that have the groceries you need, based on your list. Remember that stocking up on foods that are on sale only saves money if the food doesn’t go to waste. n Move foods that go bad quickly to the front of the fridge where you can see them and plan to eat them first. Cut up veggies and fruits so they are ready to eat.

CHECK HELPFUL RESOURCES n Visit www.SpendSmart.Extension. iastate.edu a resource from ISU Extension and Outreach for recipes, planning tools, and how-to videos to get the most nutritional value for your food dollars.

Front-runner

When it comes to research funding, Iowa State is near the front of the HERD (the National Science Foundation’s annual HERD survey, that is — Higher Education Research and Development). The latest HERD data show Iowa State in the top 3% in the nation for research funding among U.S. universities without a human medical school. ISU places 17 out of 489 such universities. ISU ranks in the top:

1% for U.S. Department of Agriculture funding, for U.S. Department of Energy funding, for National Science Foundation funding, and for business and industry funding in the nonfederal category.

By discipline, HERD data show ISU in the top 1% in math and statistics; top 4% for engineering; top 8% for physical sciences; and top 11% for fields outside science and engineering.

CALLING ALL ENTREPRENEURS!

Iowa State has maintained #11 ranking in The Princeton Review’s annual survey of undergraduate entrepreneurship education. Please scan to take a brief survey on your entrepreneurial ventures to strengthen the outcomes we report — you can help us break into the top 10!

After reviewing more than 100 years of research on learning, Iowa State Psychology Professor Shana Carpenter and her colleagues have found combining two strategies—spacing and retrieval practice—is key to success. Spacing as a strategy is learning in small doses over time. It’s the opposite of cramming the night before an exam. Retrieval practice involves recalling what was learned previously like flash cards, practice tests, or open-ended writing prompts—it helps learners recognize what they do and don’t know.