Daydreaming about mom's homemade meals just doesn't cut it sometimes, am I right? Well stop daydreaming and put your chef hat on! Some meals actually aren't that hard to make, and they definitely won't break your wallet. Students, here are 9 meals that will prepare you for the real world of cooking.

1. Vegetable beef soup

This dish is my favorite go-to. It is so easy to make and DELISH! If you love a savory tomato broth, this is your dish. This meal costs me about $10 when I make a big pot that lasts almosts 6 meals! Check out the recipe here!

2. Teriyaki Chicken with peppers

This meal can be served over white rice. The basic ingredients that you will need are chicken, teriyaki sauce, and peppers. The sauce is really what does the trick and you are pretty much set with flavor. Click here for a detailed recipe.

3. Chicken salad with onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers

Eating healthy can sometimes be expensive. However, all you have to do is find the right recipes to avoid the cost! Buying a pre-made salad at the store can be a little much and might I add only last for one meal! Buy your preferred vegetables, a head lettuce, and get to chopping!

4. Tortellini with broccoli and fresh tomato sauce

Again, one of my go-to's! You can buy the tortellini already made, saving you a bunch of time. If you want, you can even buy frozen broccoli to go with it. Once you have the tortellini and broccoli, all you need is a tomato sauce, and you are set! For a more detailed recipe, click here!

5. Ham and vegetable fried rice

This one is too easy. All you need is ham (that you can get at any deli), rice, and vegetables. Throw a little bit of soy sauce for flavor, and enjoy! Click here for a recipe!

6. Moms homemade chicken noodle soup

Chicken broth, fresh carrots, celery, and egg noodles. You can even throw in some boiled chicken. This meal is seriously so easy, once you make it once you will crave it all the time. You can really throw in any preferred vegetables that you like, and you will have a meal for days. Here is the recipe.

7. Italian sausage with bell peppers and onions

Prep time says 25 minutes but to me, actually, takes about 10. All you need to do is buy your preferred Italian sausage, peppers, and onions. Cut all of these up and throw them in a skillet. The sausage itself will give the vegetables a lot of flavors, but you can add more seasonings if you prefer! Check out this recipe here!

8. Garden vegetable spaghetti

This meal takes about 35 minutes to cook and lasts for about 6 servings. A lot of the ingredients listed for this recipe are optional. You can really just buy a bag of frozen vegetables, cook them in a pot, and serve it over pasta. Choose a sauce, and enjoy! Here is a recipe you can refer to.

9. Southwest Chicken Skillet

You can use a store bought a rotisserie chicken for faster prep! This meal legit costs you $5.21. You read that right, people, $5.21! This one is a MUST. Here is the exact recipe!

The key to an easy and affordable meal is knowing your ingredients. Lots of times, recipes put in ingredients that really are not necessary. The key is knowing which these are. For instance, if a meal says put olives in it and you don't like olives, then don't put them in! Some other hacks are buying things like frozen vegetables, ham from the deli, and rotisserie chickens. As a student, cooking can seem tedious and expensive. If you do your research, it doesn't have to be!