Living without a fridge for seven weeks

Otar

So the gist of it is I'm living in university residence to do two courses I need over seven weeks. I will be extremely busy so I will not have time to get a mini fridge. However I am still going to need to eat. Thus far I've been living off of cereal, nuts, dried cranberries and water. There is a common fridge that is almost packed full so all I can fit in is milk for my cereal. I just need some ideas for foods that will keep beyond what I already have. I have the basic things to prevent my death due to malnutrition (multi-vitamins, omega fat caplets, etc.) so I really just need shit to keep me alive while studying.

Casually Hardcore

Doesn't the university have a buffet/foodcourt/pig-slop (depending on how much the University hates the students)?

TychoCelchuuu

Baked goods like bagels, bread, muffins, etc. Peanut butter for peanut butter sandwiches. Fruits and vegetables don't need refrigeration unless you have a bunch of them that you need to last for a while, so go shopping fairly often and buy small portions. Rice, beans, and pasta don't need refrigeration and you can live off of those three for the rest of your life, although if you don't have a stove you might need to stick to rice in a rice cooker.

streever

Do you have a neighbor? Do they have a mini-fridge? maybe this is a great opportunity to make a new friend!

RadicalTurnip

Produce, canned soup, canned fruit/veggies, mac and cheese...

not too many super-healthy options. But good luck to you.

Kate of Lokys

If you don't have time to run to Target for a minifridge, I'm not sure how you have time to go shopping often enough to replace the tiny quantities of food you can have on hand without refrigeration. I mean, unless your university is in Nunavut and the nearest housewares store is seven days away by dogsled, I just can't imagine it taking more than a couple of hours to go get yourself a little fridge.

Rotting Meat

Eggs keep at least a week at room temperature.

Otar

Casually Hardcore wrote: »

Doesn't the university have a buffet/foodcourt/pig-slop (depending on how much the University hates the students)?

I'm in summer semester so no meal plans are offered unfortunately.

streever wrote: »

Do you have a neighbor? Do they have a mini-fridge? maybe this is a great opportunity to make a new friend!

No neighbors, I'm the only one here for an extended period of time, they mostly just rent it out to people throwing events during the summer and that type of deal.

Kate of Lokys wrote: »

If you don't have time to run to Target for a minifridge, I'm not sure how you have time to go shopping often enough to replace the tiny quantities of food you can have on hand without refrigeration. I mean, unless your university is in Nunavut and the nearest housewares store is seven days away by dogsled, I just can't imagine it taking more than a couple of hours to go get yourself a little fridge.

I do not have time to go to the wal mart five miles away and carry a mini fridge back with me, assuming I had enough money to buy one in the first place. I literally only have enough money for food and several hours is a big deal when there is a 20% midterm every week and five lab reports due per week.

jclast

Assuming you have a pot ramen is cheap. Other than that I'd buy hiking stuff - granola bars, trail mix, pretzel sticks, stuff like that.

Oh, and you could get tuna and crackers. Canned tuna is sold at room temperature in the supermarket.

NeitherHereNorThere

Rotting Meat wrote: »

Eggs keep at least a week at room temperature.

This. A lot of people don't seem to know this, but it is very true. Plus they are pretty cheap and filling.

Maybe you could build a makeshift fridge for things you need to store for a day or 2? I'm thinking a cooler and a bunch of ice.

Satsumomo

Dried meat aka Jerky, nutritious and lasts forever! But it is kinda expensive...

Terrendos

Otar wrote: »

Casually Hardcore wrote: »

Doesn't the university have a buffet/foodcourt/pig-slop (depending on how much the University hates the students)?

I'm in summer semester so no meal plans are offered unfortunately.

streever wrote: »

Do you have a neighbor? Do they have a mini-fridge? maybe this is a great opportunity to make a new friend!

No neighbors, I'm the only one here for an extended period of time, they mostly just rent it out to people throwing events during the summer and that type of deal.

Kate of Lokys wrote: »

If you don't have time to run to Target for a minifridge, I'm not sure how you have time to go shopping often enough to replace the tiny quantities of food you can have on hand without refrigeration. I mean, unless your university is in Nunavut and the nearest housewares store is seven days away by dogsled, I just can't imagine it taking more than a couple of hours to go get yourself a little fridge.

I do not have time to go to the wal mart five miles away and carry a mini fridge back with me, assuming I had enough money to buy one in the first place. I literally only have enough money for food and several hours is a big deal when there is a 20% midterm every week and five lab reports due per week.

Yeah but without a fridge, you'll probably still need to go grocery shopping at least twice a week if you want to eat like a relatively normal person.

On the other hand... do you happen to have those window AC units? With proper ducting (you can use corrugated cardboard), you could get a box down to 40 F and use that. It'll cost you keeping yourself cool though, at least a bit.

streever

You could always have an ice box and make sure you keep it full of ice.... but that sounds like a real pain. You'd need a big tub to keep a lot of ice in.

locomotiveman

All universities I've ever dealt with have a surplus department that may have mini-fridges for sale. They may have been owned by the university or may have been abandoned in the dorms by students (very common). Give them a call. They'll also often have other interesting/fun/borderline dangerous stuff for sale.

Some universities also will actually lease you a mini-fridge. They like to do this because they buy them in bulk and are able to control their electrical load by only allowing their models to be used in the dorms. Needless to say they also like the additional fees.

corcorigan

Tinned and dried foods? It will be like living through WW2!