So, you’re a college student who is in need of a kitchen, huh? I get it, you’re tired of ordering take out for all your meals and want so save by cooking it yourself. But the issue is that you probably live in a dorm room or a run-down studio apartment that doesn’t have its own kitchen. 

Luckily for you, I’ve had a similar issue and I’m ready to help. In this article, I’ll tell you what you need to get started. All you need is a budget of $100, an Amazon account, and access to a Dollar Tree. 

First off, the most important thing you’re going to need is the tools required to cook- a pan, a spatula, and a hotplate. You can get an Elite Gourmet Hot Plate for $16.99, a Utopia Kitchen Non-Stick Frying Pan for $14.99, and a KitchenAid Spatula for $6.99. I’d like it known that I at first tried to get a butane powered camping stove, but the price of both the butane and the stove would’ve been too much for our budget. 

Next, you’re going to need a set of knives. All you really need are three knives- a paring knife, a bread knife, and a chef’s knife. On Amazon, I found the Home Hero 7pc Knife Set for $24.99. This comes with the three knives previously mentioned, a utility and a carving knife, a knife block, and a knife sharpener. 

Finally, the last two items for this Amazon list are going to be a cutting board, because you don’t want to damage your countertops, and some tupperware for storage. You can get the Fiberware Cutting Board for $6.97 and the Prep Naturals 10pc Food Storage Containers for $8.99. Before tax, your estimated total is going to be $79.92, $20 to spare. 

Accounting tax, you should have somewhere around $10 to $15 left over. So, while you are waiting for all of these to arrive, the best course of action is to hop on over to your local Dollar Tree. Here, everything is $1 and it should have everything else you need. Get yourself a couple of plates, some bowls, and some silverware.  

While it doesn’t have any produce, Dollar Tree does have a food section where you can get yourself some spices, canned foods, and other miscellaneous food items. Be sure to get some ramen noodles. After that, you should be set. 

While this is well outside of the $100 budget, a few things I would like to recommend you get is a toaster oven, an instant pot, and a mini-fridge. An instant pot is this new aged pressure cooker/crockpot combo which can be used to cook things such as rice and pot-roast, the toaster oven is great because it can be used to cook your own pizza bagels and toast, and the mini-fridge is because, well, you need a refrigerator. However, what I’ve told you should be enough to get you started.