5 of the cheapest student meals

Being a student is great for so many reasons. You get to do whatever you want whenever you want, eat whatever and drink whatever. The dream lifestyle, right? Well, it might not be all it’s cracked up to be. Yes, you have full control over your life and what you do with your time and money, but what do you do if drinking every night of freshers’ week drains your funds to only half of what you had budgeted for the month? Here are 5 of the cheapest student meals that you can go to if you have “accidentally” splurged on too many nights out.

Instant noodles, with a twist

Most students don’t tend to turn down freshly boiled ramen, but they are such a big part of a student’s diet. So big, that you will probably find yourself having at least one packet every week. The same old flavours will eventually get boring, but this recipe idea will allow you to eat noodles more than once a week without getting bored of them.

Get yourself an avocado, 2 tbsp olive oil, pinch of salt, garlic salt, lime juice and a fork. Mash all of your ingredients together in a bowl and cook up your noodles. Mix your avocado taste sensation into your noodles, add a few tomatoes and ta da! You have yourself a cheap meal for you!

Mac and cheese in a mug

This well-loved classic dish is not only cheap but super tasty and easy to make. It only involves ingredients that most student will have in their possession anyway so there is no real spends when it comes to making this dish. The problem with this dish is that it is really hard to judge how much pasta you need and will probably overdo it the first few times. However, there is a mac and chees mug edition that is recommended to save you both time and waste. There really is no downside! Here you can find the recipe for a scrummy meal that doesn’t break the bank or eat into your time, so you can spend more of it… studying.

Pasta

Pasta is a good thing to keep in your cupboards. Period. However, it is good to make a list of all variations that you can cook with said pasta. For example, a simple carbonara, Bolognese sauce, mac and cheese, pasta bake, a pesto dish: the options go on and on and are super cheap and affordable.

Soup and other tinned goods

Keeping in tins in your cupboards, especially after purchasing them whilst they are on an offer price, is a really good tip to save money and live for convenience. All you need for soup is a bowl and a microwave. What’s not to like? You can keep them stored away and always keep a varied selection in so that you don’t get bored of the same flavours and stray to the supermarket once more.

Ready Meals

It isn’t always a good idea to eat only frozen or pre-made ready meals. But it is convenient and occasionally cheaper than making it from scratch, especially if you are only cooking for one. Shopping around for deals on these sorts of things is crucial to making sure you don’t overspend. They are equally a good idea to keep in in case you forgot to get something out for dinner or are in a rush in the evening. Meals such as a cheeky chow mien noodle dish or a cottage pie are great to have in the freezer.

Student life is all about fresh starts, learning to adjust to a new lifestyle and finding the balance between work, rest and play. Usually, most adults don’t ever find this balance let alone students. But, if you ever need meal inspiration for students that don’t break the bank, check out the BBC website for easy recipes. Even if you don’t get the balance thing right, at least you will be well fed!

Laura Clarke writes for Inspiring Interns, which specialises in finding candidates their perfect graduate jobs. To browse our internships London listings, visit our website.