So, I'll be living off campus on my own. And well, I'll have to be getting my food, myself.
Are there any good deals in and around McMaster?
Or some good fast food-ish restaurants nearby that cater to a students budget?

Originally Posted by Cliu91

So, I'll be living off campus on my own. And well, I'll have to be getting my food, myself.
Are there any good deals in and around McMaster?
Or some good fast food-ish restaurants nearby that cater to a students budget?

Buying food and cooking yourself is the cheapest. I find that buying fast-food or at restaurants can really kill your wallet.

Sadly there aren't any "savings" store nearby, apparently there's a food basics downtown somewhere but you have to bus there. Other than that there is just Metro and Fortinos. I consider Fortinos the cheaper of the two.

Cook for yourself, that's the cheapest.

Pasta, Chilis, Sandwiches are probably the least inexpensive but decently healthy.

Kraft Dinner

Originally Posted by Lij

Cook for yourself, that's the cheapest.

Pasta, Chilis, Sandwiches are probably the least inexpensive but decently healthy.

I find pasta to be extremely cheap. On sale at Metro you can get a pack of pasta for 99cents, and a can of tomato sauce for 99cents. I usually get 4 servings out of that. I usually buy sausages to eat with it because ground beef spoils easily. You can get 6 sausages for 2$ on sale, which gives me 3 servings.

So a bit over 1$ per meal.

^ put the beef in the freezer man.

but yeah, this is the best time to learn to cook on your own. build up a cooking recipe list and you'll be good to go. practice makes better!

sometimes you really are too damn lazy to cook, but you'll be thankful how much money you save and the knowledge you gain on cooking.

Originally Posted by TTHX

^ put the beef in the freezer man.

but yeah, this is the best time to learn to cook on your own. build up a cooking recipe list and you'll be good to go. practice makes better!

sometimes you really are too damn lazy to cook, but you'll be thankful how much money you save and the knowledge you gain on cooking.

Or get a crock pot so that your food cooks while you're in class.

Thanks for the tips guys, pasta it is... and the $2 sausage sounds good.

just check the flyers online before you go to the store to see whats on sale and make a list and stick to it. otherwise i find if you just go you end up with a $150 bill easily

Gino's pizza.

$6 for a medium that can last 2 meals.

Buy a big container of prewashed spinach or coleslaw, a container of pasta sauce with a good vegetable mix (Prego maybe?), some cheap whole grain pasta, sausage when it's on sale (it always is somewhere), and a bag of milk. That'll cover a huge chunk of all your micro and macronutrients and it won't break the bank. You might want to consider some cheap cans of tuna and salmon for the healthy fats and maybe a three pack of bell peppers.

The PC Pasta Sauce is my personal favourite, the price is reasonable and the options are the best- they range from ground soy, to mushrooms, to spinach and cheese, to many more that I haven't tried.

Its also usually worth the extra money to get a wider assortment of vegetables, if you just repeatedly eat the same few types you'll get your servings, but you'll miss out on some key nutrients.

If you really need to eat out though (and with midterms that can be a given) Subway is the best balance between health and price.

Originally Posted by TTHX

^ put the beef in the freezer man.

but yeah, this is the best time to learn to cook on your own. build up a cooking recipe list and you'll be good to go. practice makes better!

sometimes you really are too damn lazy to cook, but you'll be thankful how much money you save and the knowledge you gain on cooking.

I did, I don't have any special bag to put it in so it always gets freezer burn after a couple days :(

when there is a deal at metro or fortinos on chicken breasts.... get on that! if i see chicken/any meat on for a really good price i stock up

Instant noodles also work for a quick, cheap meal