Student life has many advantages, but disadvantage is having to live on a budget, which is why many people assume that student food is nutritionally deficient and comes from a packet. However, you can live on a budget and still eat home-cooked meals. You can avoid the stereotypical student diet without breaking the bank by doing some smart shopping and planning.

When you first start university, the idea of suddenly having to prepare all of your meals can be intimidating, but once you get the hang of it and gain confidence in the kitchen, cooking will become much more enjoyable and cost effective.

Here are some tips you can follow on how to cook on a student budget!

Learn how to cook 

Cooking with your friends and roommates is a great way to improve your kitchen skills. You may not agree with all of their cooking methods, but simply observing how others cook and prepare food is beneficial practice and will broaden your culinary awareness. It's also a lot of fun to take turns cooking for each other in your student house, and you can ask for recipes of the dishes you like to help you expand your culinary horizons.

When grocery shopping: Look for items that are on sale

Supermarkets will lower prices when products are nearing the end of their shelf lives to encourage people to buy them. Thankfully, the majority of these foods will still be fresh and ready to eat, which is where you come in.

Stock up on essentials

The more you cook, the more you'll notice that many recipes have similar base ingredients. It's a good idea to stock up on these because it's a lot easier to put together meals when you know you already have the majority of the ingredients on hand. At first, they may appear to be an unnecessary expense, but they will last for years and save you money overall.

Begin to plan your meals

Because we panic-buy or simply want something we can heat up when we get home, most of us end up spending a lot of money on food. By planning your meals ahead of time, you can budget for your weekly grocery shopping and ensure that you only buy what you need. It will take some time to plan all of your meals for the week, and the best way to do so is to use one of the many free meal-prep apps available. You will also have the peace of mind of knowing that you've planned a delicious meal for each day, making you less likely to eat out.

Cooking with Your Friends/Roommates

Living in student housing has the advantage of allowing you to share  residence with other people so, it is an advantage to cook together.  Everybody could chip in with different ingredients and cook a meal for the house, which will be less expensive per person than cooking for yourself. Everyone will enjoy a home-cooked meal at a lower cost, as well as the opportunity to spend time together as a group.

Cook less meat

If you're a smart student, you can find ways to cook meat more cheaply, such as reducing the amount you eat. Toss in some beans or soya mince to replace meat in your dishes, or set aside a couple of days a week to prepare vegetarian meals.

Cook in Batches

Batch cooking, in addition to being a good way to implement meal planning, will also help you save money. You can buy all of the necessary ingredients in bulk  usually at a lower cost and then freeze your meals once you've portioned them out, prepared to heat and eat. The disadvantage of batch cooking is that you'll end up with a large quantity of the same meal. Stick to cooking staples like rice and vegetables to add variety to your meals; you can then finish them off with different toppings when plating.

Freeze Food 

The battle over freezer space is likely to be one of the most contentious kitchen issues you'll face as a student. This is because freezers are a godsend for students on a budget, as they can extend the life of your food by months. To avoid conflicts, use freezer bags rather than boxes, as they take up far less space. You can even scoop individual portions of soups, sauces, or whatever else into individual freezer bags, which you can then defrost as needed. This is ideal.

All in all, cooking at home does not have to be monotonous. In fact, you could use your cooking skills to make half-priced restaurant meals at home. 

Hope these tips helped out and good luck!

Tips on how to Cook on a Student Budget

Tips on how to Cook on a Student Budget

You can live on a student budget and still eat home-cooked meals the right way. If you’re looking for tips on how to do that the right way click here. Student life has many advantages, but disadvantage is having to live on a budget, which is why many people assume that student food is nutritionally deficient and comes from a packet. However, you can live on a budget and still eat home-cooked meals. You can avoid the stereotypical student diet without breaking the bank by doing some smart shopping and planning.When you first start university, the idea of suddenly having to prepare all of your meals can be intimidating, but once you get the hang of it and gain confidence in the kitchen, cooking will become much more enjoyable and cost effective.Here are some tips you can follow on how to cook on a student budget!Learn how to cook Cooking with your friends and roommates is a great way to improve your kitchen skills. You may not agree with all of their cooking methods, but simply observing how others cook and prepare food is beneficial practice and will broaden your culinary awareness. It's also a lot of fun to take turns cooking for each other in your student house, and you can ask for recipes of the dishes you like to help you expand your culinary horizons.When grocery shopping: Look for items that are on saleSupermarkets will lower prices when products are nearing the end of their shelf lives to encourage people to buy them. Thankfully, the majority of these foods will still be fresh and ready to eat, which is where you come in.Stock up on essentialsThe more you cook, the more you'll notice that many recipes have similar base ingredients. It's a good idea to stock up on these because it's a lot easier to put together meals when you know you already have the majority of the ingredients on hand. At first, they may appear to be an unnecessary expense, but they will last for years and save you money overall.Begin to plan your mealsBecause we panic-buy or simply want something we can heat up when we get home, most of us end up spending a lot of money on food. By planning your meals ahead of time, you can budget for your weekly grocery shopping and ensure that you only buy what you need. It will take some time to plan all of your meals for the week, and the best way to do so is to use one of the many free meal-prep apps available. You will also have the peace of mind of knowing that you've planned a delicious meal for each day, making you less likely to eat out.Cooking with Your Friends/RoommatesLiving in student housing has the advantage of allowing you to share  residence with other people so, it is an advantage to cook together.  Everybody could chip in with different ingredients and cook a meal for the house, which will be less expensive per person than cooking for yourself. Everyone will enjoy a home-cooked meal at a lower cost, as well as the opportunity to spend time together as a group.Cook less meatIf you're a smart student, you can find ways to cook meat more cheaply, such as reducing the amount you eat. Toss in some beans or soya mince to replace meat in your dishes, or set aside a couple of days a week to prepare vegetarian meals.Cook in BatchesBatch cooking, in addition to being a good way to implement meal planning, will also help you save money. You can buy all of the necessary ingredients in bulk  usually at a lower cost and then freeze your meals once you've portioned them out, prepared to heat and eat. The disadvantage of batch cooking is that you'll end up with a large quantity of the same meal. Stick to cooking staples like rice and vegetables to add variety to your meals; you can then finish them off with different toppings when plating.Freeze Food The battle over freezer space is likely to be one of the most contentious kitchen issues you'll face as a student. This is because freezers are a godsend for students on a budget, as they can extend the life of your food by months. To avoid conflicts, use freezer bags rather than boxes, as they take up far less space. You can even scoop individual portions of soups, sauces, or whatever else into individual freezer bags, which you can then defrost as needed. This is ideal.All in all, cooking at home does not have to be monotonous. In fact, you could use your cooking skills to make half-priced restaurant meals at home. Hope these tips helped out and good luck!