Many students will be busy over the next few weeks hunting for accommodation, getting organised and gearing up for the start of their studies. One of life’s essential “qualifications” is learning how to cook and survive in a student flat environment.

Any flatmate will tell you that having the skills to cook up a half-decent meal will always give you kudos when it comes to gaining a spot in a new flat. Here are a few deliciously easy and inexpensive recipes that will give anyone instant culinary cred and are definitely worth mentioning on the CV.

How to eat well on a budget

• Plan your meals for the week before you go shopping. That way, you don’t buy extra stuff that you don’t need. Write down everything that’s needed for the coming week’s meals, make your shopping list and stick to it when you’re at the supermarket.
• Veges are generally cheaper than meat, so bulk out that stir-fry with a bit more broccoli and a little less beef.
• Fresh is best but frozen and tinned are good too. Budget canned tomatoes and Pam’s mixed veges are a student’s best friend.
• Learn to love mince (unless you’re a vego). It’s cheap and versatile! It can be very fatty so you don’t need to use much oil (if any) when cooking it.
• Drink water. It’s free and juice is full of sugar anyway. So is alcohol and it kills off the brain cells you are trying to cultivate.
• Use those cheap 2-minute noodles as a base for a healthy stir-fry or pump up the nutritional level by adding an egg.
• Too many takeaways will transfer the fat from your wallet to your bottom.
• Coffee will also hurt your wallet. Buying coffee for home is much cheaper. If you need coffee throughout the day, bring it from home in a thermos.
• Educate yourself. Find some good cookbooks or recipes online. Think about your diet and whether you’re getting all the nutrients you need for those long study sessions. Your body is a temple and what-not.

Sausage pie

This no-pastry pie is a complete nutritious meal. Any type of sausage can be used and frying them first will give a better richer flavour. Serve with buttered bread and some salad greens. Get the recipe

Easy vegetable curry

You can add almost any seasonal vegetables to this curry sauce which makes it very versatile. You can also experiment by adding extra flavours such as kaffir lime or curry leaves, soy sauce or fish sauce, fresh herbs or your favourite spices. The rice and quinoa together provide a healthy and tasty textural combination too. Get the recipe

Microwave chocolate self-saucing pudding

One must not underestimate the influence of a student who can do sweet things with chocolate! I seriously wish I had this recipe when I first went flatting. It’s so easy to weigh up, mix in the bowl you’re going to cook and press “start”. Get the recipe

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