Colleges have strict rules about what students can do in their dorm rooms. Those rules typically prevent students from keeping or drinking alcohol in their rooms and using certain types of appliances. When you live on-campus, you usually need to sign up for a meal plan that can cost a few thousand dollars each semester. Private student loans help you pay for that plan and anything else you need. You don’t need to worry about paying on your loan until you’re finished with school too. Before or after you have a loan in-hand, you can look at some of the most affordable food for students to keep in their dorm rooms.
Ramen Noodles
It’s almost impossible to think about college life without thinking about ramen noodles. Priced as low as 10 cents a pack, these noodles come in handy when you get hungry in the middle of the night or run out of money on your meal plan. With flavors ranging from chicken and spicy beef to macaroni and cheese and lobster, you can find any flavor that you want. A little hot sauce or peanut butter adds even more flavor to the noodles.
Nut Butters
Peanut butter is a great option for college students. A single serving costs just a few cents and is loaded with protein and healthy fat. Natural peanut butter is even better because it contains ground peanuts and no filler ingredients. Other nut butters keep just as well, including almond butter and walnut butter. While you can grab a spoonful right out of the jar when you’re hungry, you can also have a quick sandwich with some bread or spread the butter on crackers or a piece of fruit. With some oats and a few other ingredients, you can even whip up a batch of no-bake cookies when you want something sweet.
Popcorn
Even if your university forbids you from having a microwave in your dorm room, you’ll still have one in the shared kitchen area on your floor. Popcorn is one of the ultimate and affordable foods for college students because it’s cheap and takes only seconds to make. Many companies now make unusual flavors that include caramel or chocolate in addition to kettle corn and movie theater popcorn. With dried spices stored in your room, you can come up with even more flavors. You might toss the popcorn with a handful of your favorite candy too.
Dried Fruit
Keeping fresh fruit in your dorm room is practically a recipe for disaster. There’s always a chance that you might forget how many apples you had by your bed until the smell of rotten fruit hits you. If you share a fridge with a roommate, you won’t have much room to store fresh fruit. Dried fruit tastes just as delicious, serves as a healthy snack, and only requires a zippered bag or airtight container to store. While dried apples and bananas are great, you might go for some unique dried fruits too, including kiwi and mango. Dried fruit is perfect for storing in your bag for a quick snack in the middle of the day also.