I am a college student, and like most stereotypical college students, I am struggling financially. I do have a part time job, but I don't make a whole lot of money, and at the moment I'm not able to save anything.
As for a bit of my living situation, I live on campus and do have a mini fridge/freezer combo, however I have no car nor a license for one, and I get around using a crapped electric scooter which is the only thing I can afford. Because of this, I can't go very far to something like Walmart, but there is a grocery store close to my campus. I was never taught as a child how to cook or save, so I'm trying to self-teach myself but I need some help. I'm here to ask for tips about what kind of meals are easy to make with just a small saucepan and frying pan, with cheap and relatively small ingredients and preferably bigger servings. I'm also looking for advice on how to save better so that I can afford some of the bigger purchases I need.
Thanks in advance, and thanks for reading!
How can I save money and eat somewhat healthy?
byu/Intelligent_Ad7497 inFrugal
Posted by Intelligent_Ad7497
8 Comments
Bulk grains (rice, pasta, oats, etc.) and bulk lentils / beans are the foundations of eating healthy for cheap, IMO.
My university has a free food pantry for students, so check if yours does, too. Also make sure to take advantage of events with free food.
Rice and pasta are cheap starches. So are potatoes.
When it comes to veggies, buy when they’re in season. They’re cheaper than when they’re not in season.
Look through the weekly flyer and see what’s on sale. Try to focus on those items when you shop.
Always make a list before shopping and stick to it.
Watch YouTube Channels like Budget Bytes, Great Depression Meals with Clara, Struggle Meals and Cowboy Kent Rollins.
I would say this, get yourself an instapot or equivalent smart pressure cooker. Its a fry pan, slow cooker, pressure cooker etc in one. Chili is your friend, stews and soups are your friend. Oatmeal and rice are your friends. You can even make your own yogurt if you’re feeling adventurous, it’s not that hard.
Canned beans are your friend! And they don’t need refrigeration.
Refried beans + flour tortillas. Warm beans. Warm tortillas. Stuff. Add whatever else you like such as hot sauce, pico, salsa.
Kidney beans added to your favorite canned soup boosts its protein & fiber and makes you feel full longer
Black beans are good added to nachos or soups/stews. A more advanced use is to follow a black bean patty recipe and pan get them like burgers.
Rice & beans are a staple in some cultures. Jazz it up with whatever flavors you like. For right now, you can start with instant rice or precooked pouch rice. Once you get more comfortable, buy bulk regular rice. One version is to add a bit of salsa to it.
Garbanzo beans (chick pea) are good on salads or just out of the can. One recipe I do is a chick pea salad with a mayo like product base, some tiny chopped veg or relish to add crunch, partly smoosh the chickpeas, season. Use like chicken salad on sandwiches or just in a bowl.
I’d spend 5-10 dollars at a thrift store on a small crock pot. You can make beans and rice or lentils and rice in it, then sauté some onions and vegetables in your frying pan. You can also, in a crock pot do things like an unstructured lasagne and soups.
Big bag of long grain or basmati rice for the saucepan and whatever is in the reduced section of the store for your stir-fry. One jar of Chinese five spice and a jar of dried cilantro and you’re eating like royalty every day.
Leftover rice can be stir fried in your pan (more heat than oil and very fast) and it doesn’t need a lot of extra ingredients to taste amazing.
Rice an beans with spices and chilli is a Tex-Mex alternative, and there are many recipes to make sauces for cheap and cheap jars already made that can vary things significantly.
Swap that out with potatoes for rice if you want a change, and drop back to ramen if you need a fast meal as you can get a full box for very cheap (mama and indomie are both great) and add whatever veg, fish or meat you happen to have if you fry it up in your pan.
Lentils for dhal should not be overlooked, and a jar of garam massala is enough to make it taste incredible. Add raisins or sultanas as well as any veg you have for luxury dhal and just serve with rice.
Pasta, tomatoes, herbs, spices, any veg you like and ground meat if you like can make so many dishes you won’t get bored.
Oats are great for a breakfast dish, especially when boiled in milk or with some milk and sugar in the water.
Eggs…you can make an easy omelette by whisking 2 or 3 eggs together (I add a splash of milk). Melt small amount of butter in your frying pan and when it’s hot add the eggs and kinda keep tilting the pan so the egg covers the base. It doesn’t take long to make. You can also add, cheese and chopped onions/tomatoes if you want.
In the saucepan you could heat up some beans to go with the omelette or have salad at the side.
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