College student...No Money... Need soulutions for cheaper food on weekends and when cafe is closed?

Question

Ok everytime the cafe is closed me and my friends go out to eat.. or on the weekends when i dont have a meal plan i go out to eat. My money keeps going down the drain... what foods can i buy at like walmart that i can eat and will fill me up like when i go out to eat?? Also i have a mini fridge with one of those freezers in it but im not sure what can go in the freezer since it is not like a regular one... I dont really wanna go to the kitchen and cook food up either but i will if that is a last resort! Thanks so much!!!

Answer 1

Look for a thrift grocery store. They sell cans that get dented and really cheap non-perishables that groceries move for shelf space. Also, discount bakeries are good since they sell bread closer to the expiration date for a lot less.

Answer 2

Cup of noodles

Ravioli

Oodles and Noodles

Peanut butter and jelly

Lean Cuisine (especially if you can buy them on sale)

Stouffers meals

Answer 3

I've been in college myself for quite a few years and totally understand what you mean! It's usually so much easier (and often more fun) to eat out, but definitely more expensive and often not as healthy as eating at home.

Unfortunately, you're probably going to have to get into the kitchen and cook something if you want to save the most money and end up with food that's the most tastey and most filling. I find that a really good thing to do is make a large amount of food at one time so that you have enough leftovers to last for a few days afterwards (you can even separate the leftovers into individual sized containers for easy reheating). A few good things you can make in bulk are: chilli, spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, etc. If you want to make the pastas extra filling and healthy, use whole wheat pastas and lots of veggies.

Hope this helps!

Answer 4

some places have happy hours with free food

also those roman noodles are good

and refried beans and tortillas are cheap

had to live like that for many years

if you go to one of those big grocery stores and you can buy a cooked chicken you can make a lot of meals of that

and combine with the noodles or the refried beans and tortillas

should be good for atleast the weekend

shoud cost about 5.00 for the chicken or so,

a can of refried beans a dollar the tortillas 2.00

and the noodles are way cheap, should not be over 10..00

Answer 5

I like to eat this brand of noodles you get as Asian shops called mi goreng its so good and very cheap however you do need to boil the noodles in hot water which may involve using the kitchen you could also try things like fresh fruits and vegetables and make salads and stuff and dips with pita bread all very easy and don't involve cooking with the exception of the noodles

I think you will find this cheaper than eating out on weekends good luck with everything

Answer 6

-Ramen Noodles

-Pizza Rolls, small frozen dinners(freezer item)

-Popcorn

Answer 7

i feel your pain

Answer 8

hot pockets, take them out the box, stuff your freezer with them they'll fit, plus their cheap and you have a lot of different varieties to choose from..

Answer 9

Kraft Dinner

Frozen pizza

Instant mashed potatoes are yummy

Burritos

Just check out the frozen/refrigerated/deli section of the grocery store, there are tons of instant/fast meals available nowadays.

Answer 10

Some good ideas going on there with the other posters but some foods like Ramen type foods are full of sodium. It will raise your blood pressure sky high and leave you prone to diabetes later in life. If you don't mind or care then go for it. Also try not to OD on processed foods and lunch meats since so much c**p is in it that you will encounter weight issues if you aren't active enough. That being said. Think about what foods you really like to eat and work from that.

Cooking your own foods is the healthiest choice obviously. If you have time set aside one afternoon or morning a week and do your grocery shopping and setting yourself up for the week. If you like soup and sandwiches that is easy enough to take care of with minimal effort and time. Just make sure you cook your meats if you can. Fruits are also a great choice. Whole grains like oatmeals and good cereals will fill you up and keep you satisfied for a good 3-4 hours before you want a snack. Yogurts and or puddings are also a good choice just make sure you check the sugar content of the container. I usually buy a big tub of strawberry Dannon Light and Fit and have that along with cereal or oatmeal in the mornings. For 32 oz it costs less than $2 and lasts me 7 days and it has 9 g of sugar for the entire container. You can also make a smoothie with yogurt. Milk or soy milk you can buy as much as will stay fresh for 7 days and use it in your cereals, smoothies etc...

If you enjoy vegetables then you have a lot to work from with that. Soups, stews, salads, snacking, side dishes, sandwich fixings etc work. Brewed white, green, red or black teas are great also if you like tea and/or coffees. Pastas and rice are also a good choice for various meal combinations.

A lot of what I have suggested doesn't require a freezer. Sure if you want to stock up with frozen foods then you need a freezer but if you buy your foods week to week then its fresher and tastier and if you want to stock up on dried goods then thats fine. (Rice, pasta and the related)

Answer 11

yogurt with breakfast cereal mixed into it, buy a loaf of bread, some peanut butter and jelly, some lunch meats, a bag of salad, a hunk of cheese. You can make a chefs salad with the cheese and a few slices of the lunch meat cut up, as well as sandwiches, get some micro popcorn to snack on...