Meals on a Budget
Do you just want to make your own meals at times? Sometimes going to the dining hall or out to fast food every day can be draining, especially if it’s not the food that you’re wanting to eat. Not to mention how expensive eating at restaurants can be. So, how do you make meals that are simple, delicious, and fit within your budget? The answer is budgeting, planning, and using your resources.
When it comes to making a budget, it takes time. You can do it a bunch of different ways, Google and Microsoft even have templates you can customize! When creating a budget, I like to start with my expenses. These are things that you have to pay every month like your phone, rent, car insurance, and more. Once those are input I look at my average paycheck. Whatever the difference is is what I have to spend on everything else, including groceries.
It can be hard, especially with how busy life gets, but sitting down to plan out your meals is critical. It’s so easy to give into temptation and before you know it, you’ve blown your budget. When planning meals, I try to find two or three that use the same ingredients so I have to buy less. This is especially helpful for things like veggies and meat. That also means that when I go grocery shopping, I’m working off my list and doing my best to not give into temptation!
For cheap meals, my best friend that I like to use is Pinterest. Pinterest is my go to website that has hundreds of different recipes that you can use to cook up some delicious and simple meals that will work within your budget and/or dietary needs. Some different examples that I found include 25 Extremely Cheap Meals That Actually Taste Good (and are easy on your budget!), 15 Easy Recipes For College Students On A Budget. You could also create your own recipes based on meals you already know how to make or even use recipes from your family. Don’t forget that pretty much every social media platform that some type of cooking side, ideas can be endless!
If you don’t have constant access to a kitchen, I’ve got you! Two of my favorite meals to make while living in a dorm with no community kitchen and just my microwave, were pizza quesadillas (tortillas, taco sauce, blend cheese, and pepperonis) and peanut butter ramen (beef ramen noodles, a small spoonful of peanut butter and a hot sauce of your choice), and as weird as that one sounds, it reminded me of pad thai noodles. Those were just some of the meals that I made whenever I didn’t feel like eating leftovers from work. Some other foods that you can get from the store are instant rice and pasta. Those can be jazzed up in many ways!
Don’t forget that the library also has cookbooks you can check-out and try! Using a crockpot can also be incredibly helpful for a busy life. If you have a freezer you could even create “dump meals” that you can toss in the morning of and have dinner ready by the time you get home! If you’re struggling don’t forget about the Student Storehouse that you have access to at any time! The Storehouse is located in the Dean of Students Office in Room 2006 (on the second floor across from the elevators), and you can walk in. You can always fill out an anonymous form with the Student Storehouse Request Form. Once your order is ready to be picked up, you will receive an email from Student Life.
I hope this helps you create delicious meals! What are your favorite meals to make that you’ve made while at college?
