Every month I write meal plans that are designed to feed the average family of four for about $350.
While that number is low for many families, it’s a dream budget for others.
There’s no doubt about it. The cost of food is steadily going up. Organic milk has gone up by one dollar per gallon in the past year and eggs have doubled in price in the past 3 months alone.
It’s only $4, but even this small amount is a really big deal to some of you because there isn’t that much in the food budget in the first place.
That’s one reason why I started sharing one week $50 meal plans for a family of four. When your mind is filled with concern about small paychecks and increasing costs, figuring out what to eat is sometimes just too much to handle.
The first $50 meal plan didn’t include recipes – which was intentional. So many recipes were in my head, or so greatly modified from the original version, that I honestly thought it would be too confusing to try to explain it all in a single post.
But you guys shared emails, made comments and requested recipes to go with these meal plans. You made your concerns loud and clear, and I heard them. Essentially the meal plans weren’t helping unless you have the whole package.
So in this $50 meal plan, and similar ones from here on out, you’ll find everything you need to make it happen: the plan, the shopping list AND the recipes. It’s a one-stop shop for you to feed your family of four on $50 for a whole week.
$50 October Meal Plan
Sign up to get instant access to my $50 October Meal Plan, complete with recipes and shopping list!
If you’ve ever made a meal plan before, you know that there really is an enormous amount of creativity that could go into a meal plan. From extravagant meals to flavorful sides, from weekly themes to beautiful produce. It’s a foodie’s blank canvas!
But to be completely honest with you, when you only have $50 to spend on food each week, you’ve got to keep it simple otherwise you’ll blow the budget. So because of this, I created a few basic guidelines for these meal plans.
$50 Meal Plan Ground Rules
This menu was created to feed the average family of four. Considerations for children (light eaters), teenagers (heavy eaters), food allergies or any other eating patterns are not included.
This menu is 100% real food, but it was not written to include organic, grass-fed or any other qualities of real food. These things are great, but they’re not required for a real food diet. If your budget is only $50 for the week, these qualities need to be momentarily set aside until your financial situation can afford them.
Snacks and desserts are not included. When you are forced into a very lean grocery budget, these things become luxuries. If you MUST have snacks or desserts, I encourage you to use what you already have on hand.
Spices (salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning) are not included. Most people have basic spices already, but you can include them in your budget if you don’t. The dollar store sells garlic powder and Italian seasoning for $1 each and you can find a salt/pepper combo for $1. Alternatively, leave them out of your meals.
There is a meal planned for every breakfast, lunch and dinner, but eating leftovers should be priority. Not eating food you’ve already paid for and cooked is a waste of money, and when you’re going through financial crises, you can’t afford to waste anything.
This menu is seasonal, so adjust produce as necessary to fit the season you’re in. Aim for $1 per pound of fresh produce, and don’t rule out frozen if it’s less expensive.
Serve fruit with breakfast and lunch. I’ve included basic recipes for these, but adding fruit rounds them out as a whole meal. The following fruits are likely to be most affordable in October – remember to aim for $1 per pound (but the less per pound the better!):
- apples
- pears
- grapes
- oranges
- melon
Day 1
(B) Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal w/Fresh Fruit
(L) Peanut Butter Sandwiches w/Carrot Sticks & Fresh Fruit
(D) Carnitas with Corn Tortillas, Rice & Beans
Day 2
(B) Hash Browns with Eggs and Fresh Fruit
(L) Bean & Potato Burritos w/Carrot Sticks & Fresh Fruit
(D) Easy Vegetable Chili
Day 3
(B) Blender Pancakes w/Fresh Fruit
(L) Cheese Quesadillas w/Carrot Sticks & Fresh Fruit
(D) Chili Mac with Peas
Day 4
(B) Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal w/Fresh Fruit
(L) Peanut Butter Sandwiches w/Carrot Sticks & Fresh Fruit
(D) Carnitas Burrito Bowls
Day 5
(B) Hash Browns with Eggs and Fresh Fruit
(L) Bean & Potato Burritos w/Carrot Sticks & Fresh Fruit
(D) Humble Tuna Pasta Salad
Day 6
(B) Blender Pancakes w/Fresh Fruit
(L) Cheese Quesadillas w/Carrot Sticks & Fresh Fruit
(D) Tex-Mex Baked Potato Bar
Day 7
(B) Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal w/Fresh Fruit
(L) Peanut Butter Sandwiches w/Carrot Sticks & Fresh Fruit
(D) Loaded Fried Rice
Using local circulars and sales, I was able to shop this menu for $51.40. Remember that local sales and prices will vary from region to region.
My goal is to make this $50 meal plan as complete as possible, I included a shopping list, recipes and the above meal plan in a single download for you. I also included price points so you have something to go on while you’re in the store.
$50 October Meal Plan
Sign up to get instant access to my $50 October Meal Plan, complete with recipes and shopping list!Real food doesn’t have to be expensive. It doesn’t matter how small your grocery budget is – you can do this!!
Looking for more meal plans?
I have TONS of meal plans on this page, plus you can find the first $50 meal plan (June) here.
What’s your favorite super frugal meal? Leave it in the comments below and I’ll include it in a future meal plan!
We like to make creamed chicken or turkey for a frugal meal. Sautee 1/2 onion in 2Tbl butter. (Skip the onion if you don’t have any or substitute a little onion powder for flavor.) Season with salt and pepper. Then add 2Tbl flour (gluten free works too!) and stir while cooking for a minute or two. Add 2 cups milk, stir, and bring to a boil. Add leftover cooked meat like chicken, turkey, maybe even ham. Add veggies at the same time – whatever you have on hand, frozen or fresh. We like peas, corn, carrots, green beans, but anything works. Once the meat and veggies are heated through, serve over toast or mashed potatoes.
Sounds delicious Ashley!
This menu looks great!! I’ve never cooked so much from scratch so am a little nervous about it all. I work part time so am wondering about prepping ahead. Do you do any of the recipes ahead of time like on Sunday or freeze anything? Do you have any tips on which ones would be good to do on Sunday. I’m assuming the bread, tortillas, maybe butternut puree. What else? I just want it to be not too over-whelming when I get home on those days I work. Thanks!
Thanks Jodi! Looking at the menu, I wouldn’t necessarily delegate time on Sunday to prep for the week, BUT I would batch cook big time on Day 1 since many of those things will be re-used later in the week.
For example, I’d wash/chop fresh fruit for the whole week on Day 1, since I’m chopping anyway. Same for the veggies at lunchtime.
Tortillas, rice and beans – make however much you need to get through the whole week and you’ll be covered on Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5 and Day 6.
Basically, anytime you make something, look ahead to the rest of the week and see if you’re eating the same thing, or using that ingredient again (as in the case of rice and beans). Instead of cooking for just that one night’s dinner, make enough for the rest of the nights’ too. The printable is designed to help you do this, but looking at it again I’d make extra rice (day 1), prepare salsa, cook the squash, double batch pancakes (triple if you can, and freeze extras for later), maybe boil pasta for the week, shred cheese, make hard boiled eggs and bake bread. That would get you covered for sure!
What herbs go into your herb bread? I have been dying to try and make bread, this recipe seemed so simple!
Whatever you have! Rosemary is always popular, and oregano will make your home smell like an Italian restaurant, but a hefty shake of Italian seasoning or any dried herbs you have will work. It’s very flexible!
This is such a helpful post. Thank you.
Here are three of my go-to recipes when times were tight on money:
Spaghetti, Pizza, Hamburger Gravy over mashed potatoes, rice, or bread.
1 lb ground beef (Use 1/2 lb or less for spaghetti, 1/4 lb for pizza, 1/4 lb for hamburger gravy)
1 loaf French bread (Use part for garlic bread with spaghetti and part for pizza crust cutting it lengthwise)
1 24 oz jar pasta sauce (Use 2/3-3/4 of jar for spaghetti, the rest for the pizza)
Cheddar cheese, shredded (Use on spaghetti and pizza)
Pizza dough that I make (or use what’s left of the French bread cutting in half lengthwise)
Hamburger gravy uses 1/4 lb ground beef browned with onions. Make pan gravy with flour, milk, salt and pepper. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or bread as you like.
I usually didn’t have the French bread, so I made my own pizza dough which is very inexpensive to do. You can add whatever sides you wish. We also like olives, mushrooms, and bell peppers on our pizza. I watch for them on sale. I find it cooks best to put the cheese over the pasta sauce then add the toppings over the cheese.
Here is a recipe my mother used to make in the pressure cooker that takes about an hour to make.
It’s one of my favorites.
Small steak or any meat and size you like
1 onion, chopped
1 can tomatoes, diced
1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced or use the baby carrots from the store
4-5 potatoes, peeled
A small head of cabbage if you like. If I have it, I like it.
Brown meat in oil in the bottom of the pressure cooker.
Add the can of tomatoes and onions and 1 – 1 1/2 cans water
Close pressure cooker and cook 10 – 15 minutes
While the meat is cooking, peel and slice the carrots, and peel the potatoes.
Let cooker cool before opening making sure all pressure is vented out.
Add carrots around the meat and the whole potatoes over the carrots. You can add more onions if you like.
Quarter the cabbage, place on top of the potatoes if there is room or skip the cabbage.
Seal the pressure cooker, and cook another 10-15 minutes along with the meat again.
Let cooker cool before opening making sure all pressure is vented out.
I don’t thicken the juice. We like the juice over the meat and potatoes as it is.
Serve with hot biscuits.
There are usually leftovers, and the next day I cut up leftover potatoes, shred the meat, and add back into the juice. Makes a good soup or good spooned over leftover biscuits.
I make drop biscuits. Use 1 cup milk instead of the 3/4 cup called for in the recipe on the baking powder can. Drop by spoonsful onto baking sheet and bake – fast and easy.
I can’t get any of the downloads to download. Are they only avaliable on a computer or can I get them on my phone (my only source of Internet)?
You should be able to get them on your phone Apryl, but sometimes your device may require software to read them. These are PDF’s. I’d also check your downloads folder on your phone.