Equipment

Leaving home and cooking for yourself not only means buying and cooking food without poisoning yourself, it also often means getting hold of all the kitchen equipment that you need from scratch. That can be expensive, but doesn't have to be.

First up, ask family and friends if they have any spares of anything. It's not unusual for people to have a few duplicates lying around and they may well be more than happy to have a bit of a clear out.

Then try eBay and charity shops. Cheap pots and pans are often a false economy as they don't last long and you have to keep replacing them. Better quality second hand pans, for example, have already been tested for longevity and will probably be cheaper than new cheap ones. I still use loads of my Granny's cooking equipment that she would have probably been using since before the war. And it was likely to have been second hand even then.

This is the sort of thing you're going to need:

Essential:
Big saucepan
Big non-stick frying pan (Wilko actually do a good cheap one)
Roasting tin
Colander
Measuring jug
A big bowl
Grater
Chopping board (if you only have one then make sure you are careful with cooking chicken!)
Wooden spoon (or flat spatula) for stirring
Plastic spatula for flipping
Potato masher
Sharp knife
Plates, bowls and cutlery

Bonus:
A smaller saucepan
Big storage jars (most pound shops have them and you can re-use jars that food came in)
Plastic pots for leftovers (old takeaway containers or pound shop again)
Freezer bags
Peeler (or just use a small knife or not bother peeling)
Whisk (or a fork and some effort)
Wok (great for stir fries but I just use my frying pan so save storage space)
Small paring knife
Casserole
Rolling pin (or an empty wine bottle!)

Total bonus:
Blender (the Breville BlendActive is great as the holder bit is also a travel cup for smoothies)
Mini chopper (bashing nuts, making humus...)
Tagine (although you can use a casserole or big saucepan)
Food processor
Mortar and pestle (or a plastic bag and a rolling pin)