The Top 40 Frugal Food Blogs For Cash-Strapped Students
Going to university is an exciting time, but it can also be a bit daunting for many students too. For a lot of people, heading off to uni is their first taste of independence away from the family home. That means managing a tight budget, paying bills and rent on time, and shopping and cooking for themselves for the first time.
Sorting out your student housing in Loughborough is easy thanks to the availability of great properties at Andrew Chell Premier Student Housing. However, sorting out your meal plans and budgeting for food is another matter.
We’ve scoured the web to bring you the 40 best food blogs for students on a tight budget. Whether you’re looking for tips on cooking and eating as cheaply as possible, general tips for living a frugal life, or blogs that will help you to really up your game in the kitchen, you’ll find it all here in this definitive list.
So, without further ado, and in no particular order, we present to you our rundown of the top 40 frugal food blogs for cash-strapped students…
1. Student Eats
This site is a hub of recipes, all designed with students in mind. The majority of the recipes you’ll find here are low cost and easy to prepare, and grouped together into categories including ‘stir fry recipes’, ‘microwave recipes’, and ‘toasties recipes’.
Best for:
Quick and easy food
2. Full-Thyme Student
This blog is specifically aimed at students who are on a tight budget and need some culinary inspiration. It’s easy to navigate, allowing you to browse different categories such as ‘pasta’, ‘microwave recipes in a mug’, and even ‘top ramen’!
Best for:
Variety
3. The Student Food Project
The mission of The Student Food Project is to provide students with recipes and resources to encourage them to cook their own food from fresh ingredients. The site features recipes grouped by mains, snacks, breakfasts, desserts, and drinks for easy navigation.
Best for:
Easy recipes
4. Student Recipes
This site was set up in 2004 by James Bailey during his first year at university, with the aim being to collate cheap and easy meals for students with few culinary skills. It’s so easy to navigate, with recipes being grouped according to a number of different things.
Best for:
Ease of navigation
5. Budget Bytes
If you’re looking for delicious meals that are easy to prepare and easy on the purse strings, this is the blog for you! Cooking on student budget doesn’t have to mean beans on toast and instant noodles; Budget Bytes will help you prepare quick, healthy, and cheap meals.
Best for:
Low budgets
6. Living Off Caffeine And Glitter
This blog was started by Jordan Kelly-Linden during her time at Bristol uni, as a way to enhance her own cooking skills, and procrastinate uni work! You’ll also find reviews of foodie stuff in Bristol, London, and beyond.
Best for:
Food reviews
7. The Healthy Hangover
This blog consists of the food-related escapades of a perpetually hungover student. It features low-cost recipes, new ways to eat avocado, as well as tips and advice for saving money on your weekly food shopping, interspersed with food reviews.
Best for:
Avocado fans
8. The College Food Blog
This Tumblr blog is run by roommates Sam and Justin, and features a great variety of student-friendly recipes. You’ll find new takes on old favourites like mac n cheese with gouda and peas; and healthy breakfast and lunch ideas that won’t cost the earth.
Best for:
Student-friendly recipes
9. What The Cook
This blog is run by Elle, a Law student with a love of cooking. Whether you’re looking for a simple pasta dish for a mid-week main, or something a bit fancier like herb-crusted rack of lamb, you’ll find a wide variety of recipes for all tastes and abilities.
Best for:
Fancy cooking
10. Well Plated
This blog was set up by Erin in 2012 when her husband was a law student. She was looking for ways to create delicious food that was easy to prepare and budget-friendly. Recipes are organised by category, diet, occasion, season, and sweet treats.
Best for:
Healthy eating on a budget
11. Top With Cinnamon
Set up by Food Science & Nutrition student, Izy, this blog features a great variety of recipes, conveniently grouped by food type and dietary requirements. There are also some useful step-by-step how-to guides that walk you through some of the recipes.
Best for:
Improving your culinary skills
12. Half Baked Harvest
Wholesome recipes made with real ingredients, from cosy comfort foods to healthier desserts. Half Baked Harvest will help you to cook and eat what is in season, helping to keep your grocery costs down without compromising on the quality of your home cooked meals.
Best for:
Cooking in season
13. I Am A Food Blog
A wide variety of recipes ranging from basic and simple, to more advanced. You’ll find cuisine to suit all tastes, from Vietnamese and Indonesian noodle recipes, to cheap and easy pizza toast ideas and pasta recipes with a twist.
Best for:
International cuisine
14. Good Cheap Eats
This blog is run by mum-of-six Jessica, who aims to feed her large brood good food as cheaply as possible. Whilst not directly aimed at students, this blog is a fantastic resource for anyone who is looking for healthy, tasty recipes that won’t break the bank.
Best for:
Batch cooking
15. The Diary Of A Frugal Family
Mostly aimed at families, this blog also has some valuable take-away tips and recipes for anyone who wants to spend less money on food and life in general. You’ll find tips for meal planning, budget planning, and saving money.
Best for:
Frugal living
16. Frugal By Choice
The blog is run by Sarah, a frugal mother trying to keep costs down for her family. Within the recipe archives you’ll find a plethora of low-cost meals such as homemade burgers and chicken nuggets, and classic desserts like apple pie and chocolate fudge cake.
Best for:
Dairy free frugal recipes
17. Frugal Family Home
Mainly aimed at families who are trying to save money, this blog also offers up some useful advice for students to incorporate into their current lives. There’s a great recipe section, as well as a section on meal planning and food preservation tips.
Best for:
Making use of the freezer
18. Graceful Little Honey Bee
This blog is primarily aimed at helping families to feed themselves for less, but the recipes and frugal living tips will also be useful to students too. If you’re looking for cheap and tasty recipes that are easy to make, you’ll find it on this blog.
Best for:
Slow cooker recipes
19. 5 Dollar Dinners
As the name of the site suggests, all of the recipes featured come in at $5 or less per meal. Obviously the site is American, so prices and the availability of ingredients will vary in the UK, but the ethos of cooking good food for less money is still the same!
Best for:
Cheap meals
20. Premeditated Leftovers
This site features a great catalogue of frugal recipes, as well as meal planning tips, and innovative ways to use leftovers. Being frugal is essential for students, and sites like this will help you to make more of your money beyond your uni years.
Best for:
Frugal lifestyle tips
21. Cooking On A Bootstrap
This blog is run by Jack Monroe and came about as a result of her time spent reliant on benefits and food banks. With very little money for food to feed her and her child, she became very creative with the supermarket basics range of foods, making these recipes perfect for cash-strapped students!
Best for:
Meals at 20p per serving
22. Thrifty Lesley
The tag line of this site is “1 person, 1 day, £1” and all of the recipes, tips, and meal plans that are featured are designed to keep your daily food spend to just £1 per person. For a student with a tight budget this is the ideal way to plan, shop for, and cook food.
Best for:
Making leftovers go further
23. Frugalfeeding
Set up by food-lover Nick, this blog aims to bring you recipes that are delicious, easy to make, and easy on the purse strings. Being frugal and saving money is a way of life, so the site also features general tips to help you to be more frugal with food long-term.
Best for:
Frugal food
24. Faye’s Frugal Foods
Whilst this blog is not directly aimed at students, it’s safe to say that most students need to be frugal with their money in order to stretch their loans further. The site is full of frugal recipes, meal planning advice, and general tips on frugality, with a section on student recipes.
Best for:
Simple frugal meals
25. Frugal Queen
Not a student blog per se, but definitely a useful resource for a cash-strapped student. Frugal Queen is full of cheap recipes, low-cost gift ideas, and general tips for spending less money in your everyday life, all good things that students can benefit from.
Best for:
Frugal life hacks
26. Skint Dad
This site is an online hub of money saving advice, run by a husband and wife team who were fed up of being skint all the time. It features tips for saving, making, and managing your money, as well as a wide variety of frugal, yet tasty, recipes.
Best for:
Money saving tips
27. The Frugal Hausfrau
Your student loan may seem like a lottery win at first, but you’ll actually need to stretch it pretty far! The tips, advice, and frugal recipes in this blog, whilst not aimed directly at students, are incredibly useful for anyone looking to live life a bit cheaper.
Best for:
Long-term frugality
28. Hillbilly Housewife
This blog isn’t necessarily written with students in mind, but the same frugal life advice and recipes offered to families can benefit students in a house share living on a tight budget. There are also a variety of how-to videos on the site to help you save money.
Best for:
General frugal tips
29. Frugal Foodie Mama
If you’re in search of easy, low cost recipes that don’t compromise on taste, this blog is ideal for you. Search recipes by cooking method, course, or key ingredient to find something to suit your tastes and your cooking ability.
Best for:
Variety of recipes
30. The Frugal Girl
The blog is run by Kristen, a married mother of four, who aims to live life as frugally as possible. One of the best ways to save household costs is by reducing what you spend on food, and this blog shows you how to do just that without compromising on taste.
Best for:
Low cost main meals
31. BrokeAss Gourmet
This blog features a great variety of delicious and easy to make recipes that won’t break the bank. Recipes include Macaroni Cauliflower Cheese, homemade hummus, and turkey burgers, as well as tips for cooking for one and general frugal advice.
Best for:
Good food on the cheap
32. Frugality Gal
This blog is full of great low cost recipes and meal ideas, as well as general tips for living life more frugally. Whether you’re looking for a cheap pasta dish, or need advice on the best way to store foods for longer life, you’ll find it all here.
Best for:
Meal planning
33. The Frugal Girls
Run by frugal girl, Heidi, this blog is a hub of information, advice, and recipes for anyone who is looking to spend less money. If you prefer no-fuss recipes with fewer ingredients, you’ll love the wide range of 3,4, and 5 ingredient recipes.
Best for:
3 ingredient recipes
34. Cheap Recipe Blog
The site is run by Haley, a life-long fan of cooking, baking, and bargain-hunting. Her aim is to show people that eating healthy and delicious food can be achieved on even the tightest of budgets. Recipes are easily navigated by main ingredients or food category.
Best for:
Dietary requirements on a budget
35. Stonesoup
All of the recipes you’ll find on this blog have one thing in common; they contain five ingredients or less! There are a great variety of recipes to choose from, whether you’re looking for something meaty, vegetarian, pasta-based, or a sweet treat. Each recipe also has adaptations for special diets too.
Best for:
Special dietary requirements
36. The 99 Cent Chef
The focus of this blog is to bring you recipes in which each of the ingredients costs around 99 cents each, or 99 cents per pound. The blog is American, so there may be some differences in the cost and availability of ingredients, but it still a great resource for students.
Best for:
Bringing recipes to life with gifs
37. Cookie + Kate
This is a vegetarian blog that focuses on healthy recipes using whole foods, with the occasional indulgence. The site is easy to navigate and you can quickly locate recipes based on cuisine, dietary requirements, courses, ingredients, and seasons.
Best for:
Vegetarians
38. The First Mess
This vegetarian blog features a wide variety of plant-based recipes, with a great selection of gluten free options too. It’s not the most frugal on our list, but if you are vegetarian or gluten intolerant it provides some great inspiration to get you out of a food rut.
Best for:
Vegetarian and GF diets
39. Joy The Baker
Not necessarily the most frugal or budget-friendly food blogs on the list, but definitely full of great recipes and inspiration. Whether you’re looking for a sophisticated variation on the classic mac and cheese, or a healthy weekend brunch recipe, this website has it all.
Best for:
Baking
40. Handbags and Cupcakes
This is a general lifestyle blog with a fantastic recipe section. It features main courses, breakfasts, and brunches, but it’s predominantly all about the sweet treats! If you’re looking to rustle up a batch of cupcakes, a tasty traybake, or a tray of cookies, this is the blog for you.
Best for:
Cakes
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Andrew Chell can be contacted as follows:
Phone: 07769 684800
Email: andrew@andrewchell.com
Office: 66 Ashby Road, Loughborough LE11 3AE
Published 11th November 2019
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