Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
Cheap Eats: The Essential Grocery List For Broke College Students
15
items Textbooks are expensive, tuition is terrifying, but eating doesn’t have to be. This list of cheap eats is your syllabus for staying full without going financially extinct.
Cheap, reliable, and always down to hang -rice is the ride-or-die of broke college cuisine. It doesn’t judge your microwave skills, goes with literally anything, and costs less than your daily caffeine habit.
Enriched Long Grain White Rice, 2 pounds
The cheap, noodly wizard that turns a sad pantry into a five-star feast. It’s fast, filling, and accepts any sauce like it’s gourmet, even if it’s just ketchup and optimism. When your wallet’s dry but your hunger isn’t, spaghetti’s got your back... a...
Spaghetti Pasta, 1 pound
Cheap ramen is the ultimate broke student bestie - hot, salty, and always there at 2 a.m. when life falls apart.
Maruchan® Beef Ramen Noodle Soup, 6 ct / 3 oz
Cheap, dependable, and slightly beige. Oats are the culinary equivalent of showing up to your 8 a.m. class in sweatpants: low effort, but technically responsible. They’re cheap, filling, and won’t judge your life choices.
Kroger® Old Fashioned Oats, 42 oz
This budget-friendly, fiber-filled grain says, “I care about my health… a little.” It’s like white rice’s older, wiser cousin who does yoga and reads nutrition labels. Cheap, hearty, and slightly more adult, brown rice is how broke college students p...
Kroger® Long Grain Brown Rice, 2 pounds
They're sweet, saucy, and require zero cooking skills - perfect for students too tired to microwave. Cheap and filling, baked beans are the unsung hero of the budget meal plan.
Bush's Brown Sugar Hickory Baked Beans 28 oz
Cheap canned tuna is what happens when you're broke but still want to feel mildly sophisticated. It’s protein-packed, shelf-stable, and just bougie enough to pretend you're eating clean.
Wild Caught Chunk Light Tuna in Water, 5 oz
This is what you get when you want gains on a ramen budget. It’s like rotisserie’s weird cousin who lives in your pantry and never goes bad. Toss it in noodles, slap it on bread, or eat it cold at 2 a.m. - this salty protein brick doesn’t judge.
Premium Chicken Breast Chunk in Water, 5 oz
Mac and cheese is the culinary equivalent of a warm blanket and a good cry. For a dollar or less, you get noodles, neon-orange nostalgia, and enough fake cheese to make you forget your GPA. It’s quick, it’s comforting, and let’s be honest, it’s been ...
Kraft Original Mac N Cheese Dinner, 7.25 oz
Peanut butter is like emotional support in a jar - nutty, dependable, and always ready to stick around. Whether you're spreading it on toast, dipping a spoon straight in, or pretending it's dinner, it delivers protein, calories, and just enough energ...
Kroger Creamy Peanut Butter, 16 oz
Frozen pizza is the culinary masterpiece you deserve after a long day of pretending to study. It’s got cardboard crust, mystery meat, and just enough melted cheese to convince you it's a balanced meal. Pop it in the oven, ignore the instructions, and...
Red Baron Supreme Classic Crust Frozen Pizza, 23.46 oz
Frozen vegetables are your guilt-free ticket to pretending you have your life together. They’re healthy, cheap, and won’t judge your sad stir-fry skills.
Birds Eye Steamfresh Mixed Vegetables Frozen Vegetables, 10 oz
Frozen burritos are the Swiss Army knives of broke student meals - compact, versatile, and mildly explosive if you forget to poke holes. They're filled with beans, dreams, and enough sodium to keep you preserved until finals.
Kroger - El Monterey® Family Size Beef & Bean Frozen Burritos, 8 ct / 32 oz
Budget wheat bread is what you buy when you’re broke and trying to pretend you care about your health. It’s the slightly more mature sibling of white bread - boring, dependable, and oddly comforting. Toast it, sandwich it, or eat it plain at 1 a.m. I...
Kroger Honey Wheat Bread, 20 oz
Sweet, full of potassium, and cost less than a vending machine snack. Eat one on the go, mash it on toast, or let it sit on your counter until it turns brown. Affordable, reliable, and slightly overripe, just like your college diet.
Fresh Bananas, 1 Bunch