By Rebecca White

2^nd year BU Student, BSc (Hons) Archaeology

Cooking for one can be surprisingly expensive, so you need to work out how to use up all those leftovers. Try to find simple meals that use ingredients you can use for something else. There’s plenty of student cookbooks around, so try to find one that provides ideas for leftovers. Some come with set menus for weeks that use up the ingredients.

You should also stock up on some long-life food: pasta, rice, stock cubes, salt and pepper, and crackers are all handy. Even corn flour is useful to keep, to thicken up sauces that have gone too watery. Keeping things frozen like chicken, some vegetables, chips and bread is a good idea. Don’t feel like you have to use up the whole packet in one go, but freeze it for a time when money is tight or when you have another recipe to use. Pasta is one of my favourite things to make because it’s so easy, and you can put almost anything in the sauce.

Joining up with a housemate once every so often is a good way to save money and avoid eating alone. One of my favourite recipes is fajitas. It’s a good way to try new things and it’s a reason to team up with a housemate, get to know each other, and split expenses. Tortilla wraps are quite cheap, and then you just need to add some seasoning, chicken, peppers, sour cream, and any lettuce, tomatoes, or cucumbers that you might already have, all of which can be bought inexpensively in any supermarket. There are plenty of different flavourings you can try, so grab a housemate or a friend and give it a go.

Practice makes perfect as they say and you will get the hang of cooking and who knows, you may even enjoy it!