5 Girl Dinners Fit For A College Budget

As summer is itching around the corner, one of my all time favorite meals to make is shrimp tacos. Although it might sound like this is not a cheap meal to make, I’ve found a way to make it affordable! For this meal you’ll need to purchase frozen popcorn shrimp, tortillas, coleslaw, street taco sauce, and a lime for just over $10. All of these ingredients can be used for more than one meal as well! If you prefer, you can also make your sauce and coleslaw from scratch to add your favorite ingredients.

One of my go to meals when I have a late night of homework or a busy day at my job is homemade pizza. It’s customizable and affordable so there’s not many places to go wrong with it! I usually decide between buying a dough ball from the grocery store or using bagels as my base and then I use tomato sauce, cheese, and seasonings to top it off. If you’re feeling fancy, you can add toppings like pepperoni, sausage, peppers, or pineapple to really make it your own pizza. This meal only takes about 15 minutes to make and is absolutely delicious!

If you’re looking for something that can last you throughout the week or fulfill your meal prep dreams, Stir Fry is the way to go. I personally like to use the frozen vegetable medley bags at the grocery store, but you can use canned vegetables too! I mix those up with microwavable basmati rice, stir fry sauce, and premade pulled chicken. Depending on serving size, this meal can last you up to five dinners. It’s one of my favorites because it requires minimal ingredients and is super easy to make!

This dinner is perfect for a quick meal or a summer treat. I love to make my wraps with deli turkey, avocado, black beans, peppers, provolone cheese, and chipotle sauce. I alternate between using pita wraps and tortillas, but you can choose your preference. This dish is the perfect mix of savory and simple! I usually pair the wraps with a side of fruit or rice. Like some of the other meals mentioned above, these ingredients can be reused with other meals or to make wraps again later on in the week so it’s very budget friendly!

This dinner option is easy, affordable, and super filling! Recently, I have discovered that one of the best toppings to put on grilled cheese is pesto. I use pepper jack cheese, pesto, and sour dough bread to make my sandwiches, but you can switch it up with your favorites too! This pairs perfectly with a soup of choice that can be homemade or store bought. Additionally, if you want some protein added to this option, you can add bacon to your grilled cheese. This meal takes less than 15 minutes to make and can be made multiple times with the ingredients purchased!