Can anyone recommend any cheap easy meals I can make?

Question

Hi,

I'm a student returning to University next month. To save cash this year, I plan to be a real cheapskate. I'm just looking for recommendations of cheap and easy meals and web links etc. I'm just looking for some snack ideas and for some main meal ideas for seven days of the week
thanks

Answer 1

Using fresh vegetables and fruit is cheap. Remember to only buy what you are realistically going to eat because otherwise it will just go off and then you really will be wasting money.

Spaghetti bolognase is cheap to make, as is shepherds pie. Any pasta meals are great. Chicken is relatively cheap meat to buy - you could buy large packs of chicken fillets/drumsticks etc and freeze them in tinfoil in individual portions. Just remember to get them out of the freezer the night before you want them!!

Tinned tomatoes, some chopped up ham and pasta is tasty too - chuck in a few mushrooms and some dried oregano or basil (this may seem an extravagance for a student but it last AGES!!! so worth spending 1 or 2 quid on).

Cheap snacks could be fruit and veg again (chopped up cucumber, celery, cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks etc). If you want something a bit less healthy try making your own pizzas or something. Just get some thick sliced bread, toast one side and lightly toast the other before spreading tomato puree on sprinkle of oregano and toppings of your choice.

Having things like pasta, tinned tomatoes, beans, soup etc stocked up in your cupboards will help in terms of enabling you to "chuck a few things together" rather than going out for a pub lunch or something.

You could always club together with your house mates and buy the ingrdients for sunday roast as well.

For desert you could get some merringue nests, put some chopped up fruit in and top with a cheap "own brand" yoghurt. This is a really tasty and filling desert (and again healthy too!)

Hope you manage to save the pennies (I was a student a few years ago and remember how difficult it was!)

Answer 2

Stew is good. Potatoes, onions, carrots and whatever meat you have handy. Tastes even better on day 2, easy and quick to re-heat. And if you make plenty, you could put some in the freezer to keep it fresh for another day, and could add changes by adding other different veg. or adding grated cheese before serving.

The basic staple student diet of beans on toast is nutritious too. Or boil spuds in their jackets, when cooked cut a cross on top and serve covered with anything you like - baked beans, mixed veg, tomatoes and onions, sauce or gravy, grated cheese, or even just butter and salt.

Have a look at http://www.betterbudgeting.com/frugalrecipelist.htm

Answer 3

I want to do the same so I can have money to go to Italy next year= scramble eggs and potatoes makes a good meal
a chicken will last you 3 days a can of soup and a sandwich you can have cereal and toast- peanut butter sandwiches are good for your snack- hot dogs with pasta= you can do it

Answer 4

The standard peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Ramen soup. Mix it with some fresh vegetables when you cook it at home.
Canned soup to pour over chicken in a casserole dish (cream of mushroom, asparagus, celery or chicken).
Open cans of veggies for a bean salad.

Answer 5

spagetti bolognaise. mince 99p cheap own brand sauce from scumerfield 80p.cheap spagetti scumerfield 27p.

that would do 3 or 4 meals

scumerfield own brand noodles 19p packet

omellettes. value eggs 60p for half dozen.

also look on moneysavingexpert site, has a bit specially for students

Answer 6

The standard cheap UK student fare is baked beans on toast. Toast 2 slices of bread, heat up a tin of baked beans, pour on toasts. Liven up with chilli sauce or ketchup.

Answer 7

Anything that spreads. mac and cheese, spaghetti, rice and beans, nachos are quick cheap and last long, if you know how to cook you can make a pot roast that last a week. soups and stews are good in the winter

Answer 8

Meat

Answer 9

Chili is good filling and cheap, u can also do pasta toss in some veg and a protein and your good. Good Luck

Answer 10

rice a roni is awesome to eat and easy!

you can also boil pasta and eat it with butter and grated cheese.

anyone can bake a potato and make a cheeseburger.