Cooking Well on a Student’s Budget
This is a collaborative post
Being a student is an expensive business. From the cost of supplies and learning materials to the average cost of a student night out, living on the edge of the overdraft is often the norm – and a habit that can be hard to break. One of the key ways you can bring down your day-to-day expenditure as a student lies in the realm of food; there are several smart ways you can eat healthily on the cheap, and save crucial money for either working hard or playing hard. Here are a few examples for you to try out:
Invest in Good Equipment
While this might seem like a counter-intuitive step for the cash-strapped student, rest assured it is the one that could save the most money in the long run. Cheaper kitchen equipment is more likely to break after relatively little use, while quality pans and knives will last a lifetime if looked after properly – and most likely improve your cooking as well. If you’re struggling to justify the up-front cost versus the long-term benefits, it could be worth looking for a little help with your investment – whether from your parents, friends or a short-term bad-credit student loan until your next student loan instalment comes in. Investing in one good frying pan, two good saucepans and a soup pot will see you right for nearly every meal, while just one quality chef’s knife will cover all of your food preparation needs.
Food Prep
Preparing your ingredients in advance of cooking has several benefits, not just for your cooking but also for your wallet. By cutting up and preparing your vegetables in one go, and storing them in Tupperware ready to cook, you’ll be more incentivised to cook when you return home owing to the reduced time investment. You’ll also be less likely to throw away ingredients as a result – and if you do not see yourself using any of your prepared food in time, you can freeze it for use in the future.
Plan Your Shop
It’s too easy to head to the shops without a list or plan in mind – and doing so often results in you spending a fortune, and still having little you can cook with after the fact. Shopping lists are crucial, not only in ensuring you buy the right things to cook a proper meal with, but also to bring your impulse buying down and your overall shop under budget. By learning when your supermarket of choice puts discounts on perishable items, you can also time your shop to maximise savings.
Plan Your Meals
Lastly, meal planning is an absolute godsend for the busy student. Knowing what you’re going to eat each day takes a lot of pressure off, allowing you to focus on other things until it’s time to eat. Batch-cooking at the end of the week is a great way to get frugal with your time and money, by cooking dishes in bulk, portioning them out and freezing them for reheating throughout the week. Batch-cooking ensures no food is wasted, and that you have no excuse to order a takeaway in the week – saving you money on two counts.
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