Budget Student Meals

1.

Tuna & Pesto Pasta - 1/2 tin of tuna, however much pasta you want and about a table spoon of pesto. Add black pepper and job's a good'un!

2.

Roasted vegetable couscous - couscous is cheap and even lazier than pasta! Roast a baking tray of onions, carrots, tomatoes, peppers (or anything else left over in the fridge), stir it into some couscous, add some seeds and hummus and you're done.

3.

Mexican wraps - our flat's favourite. Mix kidney beans (about 33p a can) with some chopped onion, tomato puree, sweetcorn and whichever spice blend you like (we always used cumin, ground coriander, oregano, paprika and chilli), fry it up until its soft and serve it with sour cream or natural yogurt in a wholemeal wrap. Filling and warming.

4.

Chicken and avocado toasties - easy and simple. I bought frozen chicken breasts (Tesco do a bag of a kg for around £5-6) and baked a portion with some sweetcorn, stuck it between some wholemeal bread with some sliced avocado and toasted it. Its a great quick dinner.

5.

Jacket potato and cheese - my twist was to make it with sweet potatoes and cottage cheese. Stick it in the microwave for 5 minutes, slice it open and fill it with essentially anything you want - I loved cottage cheese with black pepper and sliced spring onion. This saved me a lot of effort after my 18.00 lecture finished!

1.

Once you've confirmed your accommodation, research the closest supermarkets online and do a price check between them. This will give you an idea of how much you’ll be spending and which store offers the cheaper alternative.

2.

If possible, freeze all your meats when you buy them so they last longer. Frozen meat takes longer to expire because the low temperature prevents the growth of bacteria, mould, etc. However, remember to store it properly in the freezer and avoid leaving it for too long.

3.

If you prefer to shop fresh, create a weekly budget for the fresh ingredients you'd like to buy. For example, allocate £8 for the protein or vegetables you plan to purchase. This might be slightly more expensive than buying frozen options, but it can still be managed within a budget.

4.

Create a monthly budget with some flexibility for your food shopping. For example, budget £40 per month, but allow for a range of £45-£50 if needed. Remember to shop responsibly, experiment with off-brand or store-brand products—they are generally cheaper and often of very good quality.

5.

Buy in bulk. Items such as rice, pasta, etc., are best bought in bulk as they can be used for various recipes and last much longer compared to buying in smaller amounts.

1.

Bulk buying items such as rice or pasta. This often works out cheaper in the long run and these foods are staples.

2.

Use your freezer! Although the space may be limited do utilise the freezer, if something has a short date and you won’t manage to use it - freeze it! I often do this with bread as I don’t get through a whole loaf before the use by date so I will freeze half of it.

3.

Look out for the discount section in supermarkets. Usually towards the end of the day supermarkets will mark down some products that have a short date. Things like bread are usually found here and can be frozen to make them last longer, meaning you can get a loaf of bread for around 20p!