As inflation soars worldwide, consumers strive to find ways to minimize their monthly expenses. Compared to two years ago, the average grocery bill is $50 higher. With millions of people enrolled in government-paid unemployment programs, a tight budget is crucial. For students in college, the current situation isn't great either.
To keep your head above the water, you have to find ways to cut costs. This applies not only to groceries but also to clothes, utilities, personal items, household products, and more. Fortunately, there are ways to keep your grocery bill to a minimum. In some cases, it may be possible to decrease the amount of money you spend on groceries monthly.
One example is instant pot recipes. Yes, you heard it right. Instant pot recipes are a great way to meal prep at college without going over budget. With an affordable instant pot meal plan, you will be well on your way to putting a little money aside for emergencies. Not to mention saving yourself time on cooking! The 4 instant pot recipes here can be easily turned into a healthy college breakfast or lunch for the next day.
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Spaghetti And Meatballs
If you are a penny-pincher, you are familiar with the affordability of a spaghetti and meatball dinner. Inflation has caused ground beef to skyrocket in some countries, including the United States. Still, it is possible to get a pound of ground beef for less than $6. Frozen beef tends to be more affordable as compared to fresh ground beef. Instead of heading to the fresh meat section of your local grocery store, go to the frozen ground meat department, instead.
A pound of frozen 85% lean/15% fat ground beef is $4.62 in Walmart. However, if you want to save money, you can opt for the 73% lean/27% fat ground beef, which is only $3.88 per pound. Either way, you will keep your spaghetti and meatball recipe for less than $10.
Sixteen ounces of generic spaghetti is less than $1 at Walmart. If you prefer name-brand spaghetti, you can expect to pay about $50 more. Both options are reasonably affordable, so you do not exceed your budget.
Last but not least, the pasta sauce will set you back at about $1.28 for 24 ounces of a generic brand. If you want to reduce your overall cost even more, you can opt for a can of pasta sauce.
Potatoes And Pork Chops
The pork chop and potato recipe is also affordable, even for a student at college. Pork chops and potatoes just happen to be some people’s favourite meal. So it is ideal for a student or a group of friends who are on a budget.
At Walmart, 2.01 pounds of boneless thin pork centre-cut loin chops is less than $5.50. If you go thicker, you can expect to pay between $2 and $4 more. In Walmart, two pounds of bone-in thick pork centre-cut loin chops cost about $6. If you opt to go this route, you must be cautious when shopping for potatoes.
A 5-pound bag of raw potatoes is less than $3 at Walmart. If you have a little extra cash to spend, you can treat yourself to baby yellow potatoes, which are ideal for this recipe. A 1-½-pound bag of baby yellow potatoes costs less than $4 at Walmart. A 5- or 10-pound bag of potatoes will work better if you have ample storage space.
Barbecue Pork Tenderloin
Barbecue pork tenderloin is another affordable recipe. You can expect to pay around $8 for 2-½ pounds of all-natural boneless pork tenderloin. All-natural fresh boneless pork half loin roast is about $0.50 cheaper for 2-½ pounds.
Depending on how you want to serve your barbecue pork tenderloin, you may want to throw in some buns. An 8-pack of generic hamburger buns costs less than $1 at Walmart. Name-brand alternatives will cost significantly more. You will be fine as long as you stay within your $10-budget.
However, you still need to buy barbecue sauce. Again, generic brands like Great Value cost less than $1 at Walmart. This is an 18-ounce container, which should be sufficient for most barbecue pork tenderloin instant pot meals.
Vegetable Soup
There is nothing more fulfilling than vegetable soup. This is an easy student meal for vegetarians and vegans. However, since your budget is $10, your vegetable options will be limited. The most affordable way to prepare vegetable soup in an instant pot is by buying cans.
Canned peas, corn, green beans, carrots, diced or whole potatoes, and cabbage are more affordable than the fresh alternatives. Canned peas, green beans, chopped or whole potatoes, and carrots are less than $0.60 at Walmart.
Fresh vegetables are also affordable if you shop wisely. Fresh carrots for a 1-pound bag are less than $1. Meanwhile, a pound of fresh broccoli costs less than $1.40. For a 2.16-pound bag of fresh celery, this costs around $2.20. One yellow onion costs less than $0.75, while a head of green cabbage costs less than $2.30.
For a 1.6-pound bag of fresh green beans this will costs about $1.50. Fresh corn on the cob costs about $0.50 each. Futhermore, a 5-pound bag of Russet potatoes will set you back for less than $3. So, it is possible to utilize fresh vegetables as long as you are selective.
Other Affordable Instant Pot Recipes
Barbecue chicken is another excellent instant pot recipe. If you utilize a mixture of dark and white chicken, you can stay within your $10 budget. A more affordable option for a college student doing meal prep is a whole chicken. You can cook the entire chicken in your instant pot for about four hours. When it is done, you will need to debone it. Depending on how much time you have to invest in this recipe, a whole chicken may not be an option. Drain the juices out of the instant pot before adding barbecue sauce will help you save some time.
Instant pot recipes have endless benefits. One of the most notable benefits is a hands-free cooking experience. In other words, you can cook the food while away at work or school!
In addition, it limits food waste and helps you to cook in larger batches so you can focus on studying!
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