As a limited income college student, likely with limited cooking capabilities to boot, the simple task of feeding yourself can prove more challenging than most midterms. Of course, anyone looking to cut back on spending can look no further than the bottomless pit of burgers, burritos and ultimately dollar bills we feed at least 3 times a day (not to mention 4th meal for Taco Bell fans). While fast food is nice from time to time, even those prices aren’t what they used to be. Not to mention regular reliance on the drive-thru diet will turn you from slim student to Nutty Professor, trading in your Buddy Love body for the Sherman Klump full-size. At some point or another, it’s likely you will have to head to the grocery store, though not necessarily to stock up on fresh fruit, vegetables, and assorted cuts of meat. Cooking meals from scratch at home will only further bankrupt your budget. In case you didn’t notice, it’s still cheaper to order a pizza than hand toss your own homemade pie. Here are some simple, cheap solutions you can pick up at the store, more or less ready-made for a delicious dinner.

  1. Ramen Noodles Ramen noodles are the end-all, be-all for hungry people on a budget. Not only do they come in a bevy of different flavors (from the basic chicken, beef and shrimp to the more exotic picante, lime and cajun varieties), but you can pretty much add anything else to the noodles and get an entirely different meal. Anyone sick of eating Ramen noodles simply lacks culinary creativity.
  2. Totino’s Party Pizza The party is in your mouth and cover is only 99 cents. Plus, with all the money you save, you’ll have more left over for actual festivities.
  3. Banquet Frozen Dinners If you have to flake on pricey dinner plans, at least, “Sorry, I’m having a Banquet at my place tonight,” sounds like a fairly important, technically truthful alibi.