This article is for when you’re staring, desolate, into your cupboard or the aisle of a supermarket after a long day of lectures (or short day, depending on what time you made it in for) and looking for some resemblance of inspiration for dinner...and it’s me, telling you to make eggs.

Your bank account is kindly informing you not to deliveroo dinner and your desire to make an actual meal is dwindling by the minute; you stare into the scrolling abyss of Instagram. Be a survivor, scavenge what you can in the fridge or pick up some bread and make scrambled eggs on toast.

Alternatively, top some leftovers with a poached or fried egg, depending on the dish and assuming there is a clean frying pan or saucepan left in the house.

Making eggs is not mind-blowing but I am just putting it out there to make sure that you keep those extra few euros for heating and bougie drinks out. This is simply a guide to the easiest food out there for broke students trying to wade through assignments. On another note, always buy free-range or organic eggs, there’s not much price difference there and it makes a big difference.

Scrambled eggs on toast with hot sauce.

There’s no real science to making scrambled eggs and you will find out what way you like them best, except for overcooking eggs, which is why you should never make scrambled eggs in a microwave. I discovered hot sauce in the latter years of college and have to refrain from putting it on everything. To make some pretty good scrambled eggs, whisk three eggs together with a pinch of black pepper. Heat a saucepan on medium heat and add a knob of butter. When the butter starts to foam, pour in the eggs. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the eggs start to set up. It’s best to take them off the heat just before the eggs are fully cooked as the leftover heat will keep the eggs cooking. Stir in a good pinch of salt and serve with buttered toast and a heavy-handed drizzle of hot sauce.

Poached Eggs

Bring a pot of water to the boil and then reduce the heat so the water is at a bare simmer. Add a few tablespoons of vinegar to help the eggs keep their shape. Crack an egg into a small bowl and gently swirl the water in the pot with a spoon. Lower the egg into the centre of the whirlpool and let it cook for 2-3 minutes until the white is set and the yolk is still soft. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Fried Eggs

Cook your fried egg on medium heat with a tablespoon of oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until the yolk is still runny but the egg white is fully opaque. If you need your eggs to cook quickly when frying, cover the frying pan with a lid. If you want a crispy egg, add a bit more oil to the pan and spoon-over the oil onto the egg white on high heat.