I want to eat well, but I'm on a pretty tight budget. I'm a student in college full time and any money I get comes from my parents. Are there any ways that I could still eat relatively well on little money? I mean, I don't want filet mignon or anything, but I'd like to know how to avoid eating ramen every night, you know? Any advice helps!
Budget?
- Thread starter asaaaron
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I'm on a similar situation. I'm not a college student and don't get my money from my parents... I work full time and sustain myself on my own... however I have been on a very tight budget since the beginning of the year. I'm on a carb free diet, so I have not been eating too much. What I usually eat is eggs and chicken (which are cheaper than fish and beef), and also milk and whatever veggies I find for a good price.... I am lucky to have a restaurant where I work, so at lunch I will eat there (I'll usually only have some milk and maybe cheese for breakfast), and for dinner I'll have boiled eggs usually, maybe some salad when I buy it. I'm aware it's not a good diet and I will soon need to start eating better, but January and February were pretty hard on my bank account. But yes, I would advise you to try to go for stuff that are cheaper and will last you longer. You could try an egg sandwich (bread and eggs are cheap), tomatoes tend to have decent prices, pasta is also on the cheaper side. Regular milk has many of the nutrients you have in a day and it's affordable, and there are some more affordable fruits. I would stay away from frozen foods and canned foods, as those aren't so cheap, don't contain so many nutrients and last for only one meal or two.
Tara
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I am also on a tight budget. I eat a lot of soups and beans. There's a farmers market near when I can buy beans in bulk. Bean soups can be tasty if you season them right. The soup is also filing. Add tomato sauce and chili seasonings to turn the soup into a chili. I also eat a lentils. They go a long way too.
I eat a lot of vegetables too. I can get vegetables at a really good price at the farmers market.
I eat a lot of vegetables too. I can get vegetables at a really good price at the farmers market.
smlewis00
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Like you, I'm on a tight budget. Grocery shopping always makes me cringe because I end up spending more than I budget for. No matter how many coupons I use, or discounts I find, I feel like I still spend way more than I would like.
A few things I do to save money is use my crock pot. Using it is easy because I can throw a few ingredients in, be gone all day, and come home to a warm meal. All while not having to use the oven. Plus a crock pot is very portable, so for the college students, you could have one in your dorm or apartment.
One cheap crock pot meal I like to make is only two ingredients. Take a whole chicken, and sprinkle a pack of dry onion soup mix on the chicken. Put it in the crock pot and let it cook for 7 hours. You do not have to add water or anything. It will cook in its own juices. You can be gone all day, no need to stir or do anything else to it. The chicken is so tender and has an amazing flavor! You can pick all the chicken off the bone, and use the leftovers to make make chicken alfredo, or chicken salad, or even make chicken soup with it.
Another cheap option is pasta. My family eats a lot of pasta because it is very cheap and easy to make! You can make macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, alfredo, and more!
The key for my family is to utilize leftovers. If we have leftover chicken, veggies, burgers, ect, we try to turn it into something for another meal. We try to stretch our food to last as long as we can.
A few things I do to save money is use my crock pot. Using it is easy because I can throw a few ingredients in, be gone all day, and come home to a warm meal. All while not having to use the oven. Plus a crock pot is very portable, so for the college students, you could have one in your dorm or apartment.
One cheap crock pot meal I like to make is only two ingredients. Take a whole chicken, and sprinkle a pack of dry onion soup mix on the chicken. Put it in the crock pot and let it cook for 7 hours. You do not have to add water or anything. It will cook in its own juices. You can be gone all day, no need to stir or do anything else to it. The chicken is so tender and has an amazing flavor! You can pick all the chicken off the bone, and use the leftovers to make make chicken alfredo, or chicken salad, or even make chicken soup with it.
Another cheap option is pasta. My family eats a lot of pasta because it is very cheap and easy to make! You can make macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, alfredo, and more!
The key for my family is to utilize leftovers. If we have leftover chicken, veggies, burgers, ect, we try to turn it into something for another meal. We try to stretch our food to last as long as we can.
OhioTom76
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It would help to know what types of appliances, and storage options you have. Are you in a small dorm room with just a hot pot and a little cooler fridge? Or do you have access to a full size fridge, stove, pots and pans? I will assume you have access to a full size kitchen, because there is only so much you can do with a hot pot in a dorm room.
- Keep an eye out for when roasts are on sale, especially if they are buy one get one free - that's a no brainer. One of those can be cut up and portioned into stir fry meat, or meat for philly cheese steaks, stews and more. Granted, it's not going to be as melt in your mouth as a ribeye steak, but when cut and cooked properly, they can taste great too. I love making simple stir frys with just beef, oyster sauce, and frozen broccoli, then serve over steamed rice. Or shave some of it while it is still semi frozen into thin pieces, and make a steak sandwich with it by cooking it with some peppers and onions and melting a little cheese over the top. Often times pork shoulders will go on sale dirt cheap - simply slow roast them in your oven at 250 degrees covered for 6 hours or so (or cook it in a crock pot). You can make a ton of carnitas for filling in burritos or tacos for the next several days. I've seen pork shoulders go on sale for less than $3 sometimes.
- This is more of a personal thing, but when I am on a budget, I prefer to keep my pantry stocked with regular pasta and cans of crushed tomatoes, rather than Ramen Noodle packets. As long as you've got some basic ingredients on hand, such as fresh garlic, some olive oil or vegetable oil, and a few herbs and spices such as parsley, basil, and red pepper flakes - you can turn an inexpensive can of crushed tomatoes into a very fresh tasting sauce. Plus canned tomatoes cost much less than the jarred sauces.
- Farmers markets are a great way to save a lot on fresh vegetables. You can even ditch the seasoning packets, and simply add fresh veggies to your ramen noodles. Just stir fry them with some garlic and oil, then add a few splashes of soy sauce. Find out which veggies you eat regularly and get those at the farmers markets, and the ones you eat less regularly, just buy them frozen to have on hand. If they have red bell peppers real cheap for example, I'll get a big bag and broil a bunch of them then toss in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and make roasted red pepper sandwiches. Sometimes they will have 1lb sacks of potatoes on sale for 99 cents. I could have baked potatoes for days, or make home fries for breakfast, etc...
- I also like to keep some flour tortillas, instant rice, chicken base, black beans and salsa on hand to make bean and rice burritos. You mix the chicken base with enough water to form stock. Then use equal parts stock and salsa as the liquid to cook your instant rice in, which makes a great spanish rice in minutes. Then toss the black beans in a little salsa as well and heat them through too. Warm the tortillas in the microwave with a little cheese on them, then combine everything together into burritos. Much healthier than Taco Bell runs, and full of flavor.
- Eggs are super cheap. Learn how to make your own omelettes, poached eggs, etc... for breakfast. You can always use up leftover veggies or other stuff as the fillings for omelettes. A carton of eggs and a loaf of bread will cost you around $3 and can make breakfast for a week easily.
- Keep an eye out for when roasts are on sale, especially if they are buy one get one free - that's a no brainer. One of those can be cut up and portioned into stir fry meat, or meat for philly cheese steaks, stews and more. Granted, it's not going to be as melt in your mouth as a ribeye steak, but when cut and cooked properly, they can taste great too. I love making simple stir frys with just beef, oyster sauce, and frozen broccoli, then serve over steamed rice. Or shave some of it while it is still semi frozen into thin pieces, and make a steak sandwich with it by cooking it with some peppers and onions and melting a little cheese over the top. Often times pork shoulders will go on sale dirt cheap - simply slow roast them in your oven at 250 degrees covered for 6 hours or so (or cook it in a crock pot). You can make a ton of carnitas for filling in burritos or tacos for the next several days. I've seen pork shoulders go on sale for less than $3 sometimes.
- This is more of a personal thing, but when I am on a budget, I prefer to keep my pantry stocked with regular pasta and cans of crushed tomatoes, rather than Ramen Noodle packets. As long as you've got some basic ingredients on hand, such as fresh garlic, some olive oil or vegetable oil, and a few herbs and spices such as parsley, basil, and red pepper flakes - you can turn an inexpensive can of crushed tomatoes into a very fresh tasting sauce. Plus canned tomatoes cost much less than the jarred sauces.
- Farmers markets are a great way to save a lot on fresh vegetables. You can even ditch the seasoning packets, and simply add fresh veggies to your ramen noodles. Just stir fry them with some garlic and oil, then add a few splashes of soy sauce. Find out which veggies you eat regularly and get those at the farmers markets, and the ones you eat less regularly, just buy them frozen to have on hand. If they have red bell peppers real cheap for example, I'll get a big bag and broil a bunch of them then toss in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and make roasted red pepper sandwiches. Sometimes they will have 1lb sacks of potatoes on sale for 99 cents. I could have baked potatoes for days, or make home fries for breakfast, etc...
- I also like to keep some flour tortillas, instant rice, chicken base, black beans and salsa on hand to make bean and rice burritos. You mix the chicken base with enough water to form stock. Then use equal parts stock and salsa as the liquid to cook your instant rice in, which makes a great spanish rice in minutes. Then toss the black beans in a little salsa as well and heat them through too. Warm the tortillas in the microwave with a little cheese on them, then combine everything together into burritos. Much healthier than Taco Bell runs, and full of flavor.
- Eggs are super cheap. Learn how to make your own omelettes, poached eggs, etc... for breakfast. You can always use up leftover veggies or other stuff as the fillings for omelettes. A carton of eggs and a loaf of bread will cost you around $3 and can make breakfast for a week easily.
Food4thought
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When I have been on a very restricted budget I managed to eat fresh cooked vegetables every day. They do not cost a lot when in season or on offer. I bought basic low cost packs of pasta and rice to serve with them and always had some canned tomatoes and a few spices to make sauces and seasoning.
If I wanted to add meat or fish, I added supermarket brand canned sardines or meatballs.
If I wanted to add meat or fish, I added supermarket brand canned sardines or meatballs.
crimsonghost747
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First of all, expensive doesn't always mean good quality. Just as cheap doesn't always mean bad quality.
Vegetables are very cheap, so is pasta and rice. So use those to make the main part of your dishes. Use coupons, buy in bulk etc for the more expensive items.
Also keep in mind that a quick snack will probably cost you as much as a full pasta meal, so try not to eat too much in between meals.
Vegetables are very cheap, so is pasta and rice. So use those to make the main part of your dishes. Use coupons, buy in bulk etc for the more expensive items.
Also keep in mind that a quick snack will probably cost you as much as a full pasta meal, so try not to eat too much in between meals.