by Wally Theekatt

Created on: February 12, 2007   Last Updated: May 04, 2007

I spent most of my college years living on a $50 cooking budget per month. It's actually very easy to do. I'm not a vegetarian, hate mac and cheese, not a big fan of canned goods, and can turn top ramen into something very palatable. Impossible? No, actually it's very easy to do, with a little pre-planning and thinking outside the box.
My budget started with the grocery cart in the store. I hardly ever bought anything that was not on sale. Biggest mistake most people make is planning their grocery list around their menu. Doing that can triple or even quadruple your cooking budget. So that brings us to the must have basics for every kitchen. This list is a constant and inexpensive supply that is the basis for every kitchen. A starter set will usually cost you around $100-$150 if you don't have anything to start out with. Spices are the most expensive, but last a long time. Make sure you get them jars or pots to place your spices in if you buy them in bulk or bags. When you run out of one thing, it will cost anywhere from $1 - $10 to replace.

The basic list:

All-purpose Flour (put a bay leaf in your flour to keep bugs out)
Sugar
Salt
Pepper
one large onion
celery stalks
2lb bag of carrots
Olive oil (or some other kind of cooking oil)
Spices: (these can vary, if you see something you don't like, don't buy it, but I'll list a few necessary items), Garlic powder(not salt), Italian seasoning, Cinnamon, Rosemary, Chili powder, Bay leaves, Nutmeg, Curry powder, Allspice, Mustard seed, celery seed, tarragon, taco seasoning, etc.
Eggs
Powdered Milk
Crisco (or a knock-off brand)
Baking soda
Baking powder
Cornstarch
Cocoa powder
Rice (long grain is my favorite, but shorter grains make for a good sticky rice)
Egg noodles, shell noodles, vermicelli, angel hair or a combination of a couple of different types
Potatoes (5lb bag)
Tomato paste
Butter (freeze extra pounds or sticks)
Chicken stock (or bouillon)
Corn meal
pancake mix

At any given point, you can find those items in my cupboards. It's pretty much the basis for any dish. It makes my shopping much easier when I buy things on sale. I usually don't buy anything that's not on sale, it saves money in the long run. This is where my pre-planning comes in.
Identify what kinds of meats (if you're a meat eater) you like before you go shopping. If you are a vegetarian, your food bill will be twice as much and not very practical unless you have access to a lot of different foods or your grocery store caters to vegetarians. I personally like chicken, steak,

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