These cheap supper meals will help keep your grocery budget on track! With 3 weeks of cheap and easy dinner meals, you’ll save money and feed your family well.
One time, I blew our November budget out of the water. And NOT in a good way.
We were over by a third of our overall budget for the month. Looking back at what we purchased, the only thing that stands out to me is that we bought lots of things in bulk. I blame the lure of Costco.
Buying in bulk is an EXCELLENT way to save money, but when you’re on a budget, just a few bulk items can eat up a large part of the pot. Sometimes it’s best to buy smaller portions, even if it’s more per ounce.
I knew I had to come up with cheap supper meals for our next meal plan.
PLANNING FOR CHEAP SUPPER MEALS
Since money doesn’t grow on trees, that $120 we overspent had to come out of somewhere. The only logical place would be our grocery budget for December. So, for the next three weeks, our real food budget was only $150.
For the fellow math nerds:
- $330/month – $120 overage = $210
- $210 / 4 weeks = $52.50/week
- $52.50/week x 3 weeks = $157.50
I rounded down.
The best way (and ONLY way) to accomplish this aggressive goal was to make cheap supper meals from what we already had in the kitchen as much as possible.
An impromptu pantry challenge, if you will making budget-friendly recipes.
CHEAP MEALS START IN THE PANTRY
After taking an inventory of our kitchen, you can see that we had a lot of food. Much of it is what I call “random” food ingredients that I typically keep in my real food stockpile:
- barley
- garbanzo beans
- black beans
- tomato sauce
- oatmeal
- flour
- wheat
- salt
- canned tomatoes
- canned pumpkin
By itself, it looks like nothing grand. In most cases, it needs something else to be considered a complete “healthy meal.”
Except for my month of cheap meals, that “something else” needed to come from the kitchen, not the store. To effectively and efficiently turn our random food into meals without sacrificing flavor, I needed to write a really awesome meal plan.
3 WEEKS OF CHEAP AND EASY DINNER MEALS
So here it is, in all its glory and awesomeness. Except for some fresh fruits and vegetables, I had everything needed to make the cheap and easy dinner meals below.
And now I’m sharing my plan so you can cook cheap meals too! A few notes before we get started:
- This plan mostly shops from the pantry and freezer using basic ingredients. Additional items were purchased, costing me about $50 a week. Prices will vary per region, and if you need more of the ingredients, it may cost more.
- Grocery prices have also increased since I wrote this list of cheap and easy meal ideas, but overall, you’re still going to be making cheap wholesome meals, even if your total is a bit above $50/week.
- Many of these cheap supper meals use leftovers or a cook-once-eat-twice mentality. Keep that in mind if you switch anything out.
- There are no formal breakfast or lunch dishes planned. Instead, we had lots of “snacky” breakfasts and lunches where random slices of who-knows-what got wrapped or dipped or blended and magically became a meal. And leftovers were always an option! – Your wallet will thank you
CHEAP SUPPER MEALS: WEEK 1
(S) Spinach Salad with Man Bread
(M) Grilled Cheese with Veggie Sticks and Ranch (bell peppers, carrots, and broccoli are cheap!)
(T) Maple Glazed Pork Chops with Crispy Potato Wedges and Sautéed Green Beans
(W) Spaghetti with Side Salad with Greek Dressing
(T) Hearty Minestrone Soup (can make a double batch and freeze for Week 3)
(F) Homemade Pizza
(S) Baked Greek Chicken with Instant Pot Steamed Veggies (2x chicken for Week 2)
CHEAP MEALS FOR SUPPER: WEEK 2
(S) Cheesy-Mexi Lentil Macaroni (We added sour cream this week and used it in Mexican meals next week until it was gone!)
(M) Greek Chicken Pitas with Hummus and Veggie Sticks
(T) Tomato Basil Soup, Sweet Potato Buttermilk Bread
(W) Savory Pasta with Bacon, Onions, and Greens
(T) Homemade Pizza
(F) Weeknight Vegetable Stir Fry
(S) Grilled Sandwiches with Crispy Potato Wedges
CHEAP SUPPER MEALS: WEEK 3
(S) Panzanella Salad
(M) Chicken Tacos, Southwestern Corn, Coconut Rice, & Homemade Corn Tortillas
(T) Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers and Onions and Mushrooms
(W) Spaghetti with Side Salads & Ranch Dressing (2x for Friday Pizza)
(T) Minestrone Soup (from Week 1 or Fresh)
(F) Homemade Buffalo Chicken Pizza
(S) Loaded Baked Potatoes
CHEAP MEALS RECIPES TIPS
When you’re making cheap meals for supper, these tips can help you keep your costs down.
- Repeating meals. You’ll notice several of the meals on this meal plan show up more than once. That’s intentional. Eating the same thing multiple times saves time and money!
- Repeating ingredients. Making multiple meals using the same ingredients means I can use up what I have without needing a long list of separate ingredients. It also makes prep work more streamlined – I can chop all of my onions at once or shred cheese for multiple meals.
- Making some meatless meals. Meat is often the most expensive component of a meal, so including some cheap supper meals without it keeps my overall costs low.
- Include catchall meals. Broth soups, stir-fry, or loaded baked potatoes can help you use up the bits and pieces leftover from other meals. You’ll avoid food waste while making something new!
MACRO-FRIENDLY CHEAP SUPPER MEALS
Can you make cheap supper meals and still stay on track with your food goals? Absolutely!
Focus on your staple ingredients that hit your macros and mix and match those basics for each meal.
Potatoes, brown rice, oatmeal, and roasted squash are great options for inexpensive carbohydrates.
Protein options like chicken, ground beef, and ground turkey are easy on the budget.
And chances are you already have olive oil and butter in your kitchen for easy, healthy fats!
Load up on produce, whether that’s fresh fruits and veggies that are on sale this week, or frozen or canned versions you already have on hand.
RECIPES FOR CHEAP MEALS FAQS
What’s a good lazy dinner?
Crockpot meals! Dump-and-go recipes for cheap meals are great for busy days and lazy dinners. Here are some cheap recipe ideas for slow cookers!
How do you cook on a budget?
You’re in the right place! My blog is packed with ideas for making healthy meals on the cheap. Start by figuring out what your frugal grocery budget is, browse the recipes, and make a meal plan.
What about cheap dinner recipes for two people, or one person?
If you don’t mind eating the same thing multiple nights in a row, you can use this meal plan, but stretch it out over a longer timeframe. You can also make half-batches of many of the cheap supper meals to feed fewer people. Check out my tips for cooking real food for one person here.
NEED EVEN MORE CHEAP SUPPER MEALS?
The menu above uses leftovers and doesn’t include breakfast or lunch, but have no fear! I have two more plans for cheap & healthy meals that include three square meals every day and do NOT include leftovers.
- One Week of Easy Low Cost Dinner Ideas, Breakfasts, and Lunches. Get the meal plan and the free shopping download that goes with it here.
- One Week of Easy Cheap Supper Recipes Plus Breakfast and Lunch is here!
- I’ve also shared a $50 ALDI Meal Plan that covers dinners that you can find HERE!
- For even more cheap nutritious meals already planned for you, check out the meal plan archives!
This is amazing, and I totally agree – kitchen filled with “random” items I’m too lazy to try and incorporate when we go over our budget. This is inspiring, I’m totally trying it! Shared too, well done :0)
I noticed you didn’t list your breakfast and snacks? Just curious because even those have been a big help to me last month 🙂
I skipped those partly because I didn’t want to “over plan” with the ingredients I had, causing me to worry about not having enough of this or enough of that, etc. I’ve been planning breakfast and snacks about every 2-3 days or so. So far we’ve made porridge using leftover barley and pureed fruit, a batch of scones with homemade egg nog instead of cream, and lots of fresh fruit. A batch of cranberry pancakes or muffins is in order for sure, and I might make an egg nog cake. Snacks have been fresh fruit mainly, except the day we made scones. Then they ate those for snacks too. 🙂
Nods, I see, not having a freezer would make it much harder. Thanks for all the great ideas and tips. Read it all everyday!
http://keepitsimplewithjessie.blogspot.com/2013/12/shopping-list-and-menu-1-week-december.html
My family of 6 eat on $50 a week.
Thanks Jessie!
Thank you for saying this: “Sometimes it’s best to buy smaller portions, even if it’s more per ounce.” This is something I’ve really struggled with because I just know I can get *it* cheaper at Costco, which made us go way over budget last month. In this challenge with you this month!
You’re welcome! I’ll be sharing my half-way point next week – please share with us how your challenge is going too!
What about iron? I have two daughters (who don’t eat spinach) and providing enough iron is a struggle. Thanks so much for all the wonderful help you provide! I’ve learned a lot from you on this journey
I also struggle with my iron (I do eat spinach…but hate beans!). My solution the past few months was to buy the bulk organic ground beef at Costco which really ate up a huge chunk of our budget each month. Also, I got totally sick of ground beef and would end up buying other red meat anyway! This month, I decided just to get enough red meat for a meal or two a week from the meat counter. It doesn’t take much to make a meal and only takes a few dollars a week instead of a huge chunk at Costco…plus I don’t get bored of hamburgers and can stretch it with rice and veggies. What do you do for your girls? I need ideas!
We have been eating more meat to avoid anemia, but the organic/pastured beef is so expensive, and so we are currently at 125 a week for all groceries, and cleaning/paper products etc, and I think we have to increase the budget, but I don’t know how that will happen.
Organic/pastured doesn’t have to be an all or nothing. It’s possible to buy some organic, and some conventional. Obviously it’s not ideal, but it’s an option to keep in mind. I search for high iron foods and came up with eggs, dark greens (there’s more than just spinach, or make them into smoothies), turkey, lentils, hummus (can flavor to tolerate the “beans” aspect). Are any of those options?
Yes! I have always believed red meat to be highest in iron, but I could certainly give them more eggs. Will have to work on expanding their tastes to include more beans and greens. Thanks 🙂
Are you able to share your recipe for cheesy lentil mac n cheese?
I haven’t made it yet, but when I do and it’s a success, I will definitely share. 🙂
What about iron? I have two daughters (who don’t eat spinach) and providing enough iron is a struggle. Thanks so much for all the wonderful help you provide! I’ve learned a lot from you on this journey
Would love to see that lentil dish too!
Ahhh Tiffany! You inspire me. I’m going to see how much we can eat out of our pantry this month too and how low I can bring out bills. Thankfully, I bought a turkey last month and popped it in the freezer, so I know I can make that go for a week of meals! 🙂
HEATHER! You’re so sweet! Those extra turkeys are such a bargain. Sending big hugs to you and your family! <3
That doesn’t make sense… Aren’t you eating what you bought? That means you now only have to spent money on fresh produce and dairy. So you should not have to make up anything. The $120 you spent now does not need to be spent. Maybe I just don’t understand…. We always eat from the pantry and freezer. When it is gone it is gone till next harvest or canning time. Or it is time for me to do my 6 month shopping at Azure Standard and Costco. I only shop weekly for perishable foods.
The goal is always to eat what we buy, but when the budget resets, there’s the temptation to replenish stock, even if stock doesn’t need to be replenished. We don’t have a deep freezer or a significant amount of canned goods in the pantry, so shopping weekly/bi-weekly/monthly is necessary.
How do you make honey hummus?
I’m thinking about using white beans instead of garbanzo, and adding a bit of honey and cinnamon to sweeten. It’s an experiment for sure, but I’ll share if it works!
I have just started the budgeting phase. Last month was the “how much do I spend on everything” part. This month is to see if I stick to what I want. My main goal is to eat at home the majority of the time. As a single mom, sometimes its a challenge to find the gumption to cook for myself and a 13 month old.
I understand Beth. The handful of times Mr. Crumbs is out of town, cooking for the 3 of us just seems pointless… I’ve found myself purposely making dinner fast, just so we could leave and do something more fun. Maybe lots of soup/finger veggies would be good, followed up with watching the neighborhood Christmas lights. 🙂
LOVE this! Definitely sharing today! 🙂
Thank you for sharing Kelly!