Caf food sucks, and woman cannot live on Ichiban alone. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best of cheap eats-from brunch grub to post-bar snacks, and of course, the necessary 24-hour study food for when McDonald’s just won’t do.

TORONTO

Best cheap brunch? Take advantage of student status to beat the weekend crowds and spend a cozy weekday morning at Aunties & Uncles (get the breakfast pocket) or Kos (61 Bellevue Ave.) in Kensington. The big patio at Kos is great for outdoor studying, too-if it’s not too crowded. For delicious thai food on the cheap, jostle for space at Salad King . The cafeteria style dining means no waiting for a table, and they get you in and out fast-perfect for between classes. You can cast your own vote in the burrito wars, but ours goes to Big Fat Burrito (285 Augusta Ave.) in Kensington. For healthier market fare, get a bagel with veggies at Moonbean Coffee Company -they’ll make your Yerba Mate however you like. New Generation and Sushi On Bloor have been duking it out for best annex sushi for longer than anyone can count, and are equally delicious. For shawarma (late night after-bar staple), try Ghazale . The Fish Store (657 College St.) on College has fish tacos and homemade limeade to write home about, and Utopia and Nirvana (434 College St.) both have amazing and affordable sandwiches. And for poutine? Shell out $6 for a compostable cup of Poutini’s : regular or veggie! Hooray!

MONTREAL

When it comes to cheap eats, we have only one word: Buns (3673 blvd St-Laurent). Cute boys serve delicious burgers till 3am, but if you’re a vegetarian don’t even bother, the menu is three items: hamburgers, wedges, pop. Veggies should instead try Patati Patata (4177 blvd St-Laurent) also a burger joint but with a menu that includes tofu, fish, and all-day breakfast. The shop is tiny, the food is tiny (petite hamburgers are $2.25!) and again, the boys who work there are hip and handsome. Head to Frite Alors locations all around the city for the best poutine, and you have to have $2 Chow Mein (3754 blvd St-Laurent) on your way home from St-Laurent at least once.

Also, for a huge variety of take-out without having to converse with anyone, visit A La Carte Express : there’s every kind of cuisine, including Thai, Japanese, Greek, Lebanese, Mexican, French, Chinese, Italian, and Caribbean. If you get your heart broken, they can also deliver Ben and Jerry’s, a bottle of wine and a pack of cigarettes to your door. This is definitely a service I wish I had discovered in first year.

VANCOUVER

Start with brunch. For the impoverished student, there’s nowhere like Bon’s off Broadway, (2451 Nanaimo St.) a restaurant with a giant packed dining room featuring inexplicable movie posters, a salt-and-pepper cowboy (he’s a retired security guard who spices up your brunch for fun) and an amazing $4 all-day Breakfast Special-it’s huge. For a classier meal, hit up Havana’s on Commercial, and gorge on Chorizo Hash and Avocado and Shrimp benedict. Sophie’s Cosmic Cafe on 4th is great for those who like a little kitsch with their ketchup and scrambled eggs. They also have giant pie. For delicious sushi, go to The Eatery or Sushi Yama (371 East Broadway). For late-night eats The Naam serves up amazing 24-hour healthy vegetarian food: perfect antidote to caf meals and bingeing on chips. They also boast the coziest of atmospheres and art displays. Annapurna offers cheap and delicious Indian eats. Get some dum sum on Main: Sun Sui Wah is the place.