by Lola Batling

Created on: May 16, 2008   Last Updated: May 04, 2012

Cooking and eating are very important no matter what your budget. In college it can be very hard due to lack of time, money, or know how. Many people in their late teens and early twenties don't know how to cook. It'd be more apt to say they don't know how to cook well. But cooking delicious meals on a budget.

The first key is spices, spices can even make plain old macaroni and cheese interesting and flavorful. Check sale ads for two-for-one deals, and don't go over board. Buy one bottle at a time and only the spices you'll use. Some suggestions are: garlic powder, pepper, sea salt, Italian seasoning and basil. Honey while technically not a spice is a wonderful addition to any budget cook's pantry. Honey can be used as a natural sweetener,it's slightly better than processed sugar and can be used just about anyway you would use sugar.

Invest in a rice cooker. Rice is inexpensive, as long as its not minute rice. Regular rice is just as easy to prepare, it just takes a few extra minutes. You can even make a super yummy breakfast rice dish using cinnamon and sugar with a dollop of honey. It'll fill you up just like oatmeal. Ramen noodles are super inexpensive, often eleven cents a package or less. Like rice, the best part is that Ramen noodles are incredibly versatile and simple as boiling water.

Some good ramen combinations are:

Tex Mex: just add a can of kidney beans and barbecue sauce and a little grated cheese (if you like).
"Fancy" Ramen: add an egg and vegetables (like carrots and mushrooms) to your noodles and.
Creamy Chicken Ramen: Ranch dressing to any chicken flavor.
Italian style: Tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic.

Just to name a few. As far as your spice cabinet and sauce preferences and your imagination go, is where ramen can take you. The key is to not get stuck in the rut of boil, add season packet, and eat. Also, if you want to cut down on the sodium and other questionable ingredients, use a partial package of seasoning and save the rest for another dish. Not only have you made your meal better for you, you've saved money by saving seasoning.

Another favorite food budget drain is prepackaged foods. Skip those, not only are they expensive, but they are also full of unhealthy preservatives. Cook fresh whenever possible and buy in bulk when possible. Yes, it's time consuming but every minute spent looking through sale ads and cooking your own meals will save a good amount of money over time.

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