Cheap Meal Plans #1

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Do you need to create a menu for your family for this week? I’ve already got you covered! Here’s a simple meal plan with clean foods that you can buy and make for your family of 4 for less than $130.

Below you will find the shopping list, estimated prices (from Walmart, using generic ingredients when available), the meal plan for the week, and the recipes you will need to make. Prices are based on pricing at my closest Walmart store in Wyoming.

To make this meal plan for a family of 2, you can cut everything in half. For a family of 6, add 50% of the ingredients. For a family of 8, double all the ingredients.

🛒 Shopping List (quantities & estimated prices)

• Chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)(buy 2) – 3 lb frozen family pack @ $3.29/lb ≈ $9.87 each
• Ground beef (85/15) – 3 lbs ≈ $16.94
• Uncured Ham ≈ $7.92
• Brown rice – 2 lb bag (buy 2) ≈ $1.64 each
• Whole-wheat pasta – 1 lb box ≈ $1.43
• Egg Noodles – 2 bags ≈ $1.62 each
• Heavy Cream – small container ≈ $3.37
• Wheat Bread – 1 loaf ≈ $1.42
• Rolled oats – 42 oz ≈ $4.18
• Large eggs – 18 count ≈ $3.97
• Canned black beans – 3 cans ≈ $2.76 ($0.92 each)
• Canned pinto beans – 1 can ≈ $0.92
• Tomato sauce – 1 can ≈ $0.96
• Diced tomatoes – 2 cans ≈ $0.96 each
• Fresh Cheese Pearls (8oz) ≈ $4.26
• Parmesan Cheese (6oz) ≈ $2.24
• Butter 1lb ≈ $3.96
• Salad Dressing – 1 bottle ≈ $1.97
• Frozen mixed vegetables – 2 lb bag ≈ $2.62
• Frozen Stir Fry Vegetables – 20oz bag ≈ $2.72
• Fresh produce:
  • Carrots (1 lb bag, buy 2) ≈ $1.32 each
  • Onions (3 medium) ≈ $2.55
  • Bell peppers (3) ≈ $2.16
  • Spinach (10 oz bag) ≈ $1.98
  • Salad (buy 2 bags) ≈ $2.48 each
  • Bananas (8) ≈ $2.24
  • Apples (3lb bag) ≈ $3.50
  • Roma Tomatoes (buy 2) ≈ $0.36 each
  • Green Onions ≈ $0.96
• Potatoes (5 lb bag) ≈ $3.48
• Olive oil – small bottle (~17 oz) ≈ $5.94
• Soy sauce – small bottle ≈ $1.58
• Spices (cumin/taco seasoning, cinnamon, garlic powder) – estimation (one small jar) ≈ $4.00

Estimated Total ≈ $126.53

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📅 Meal Plan #1

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Mon	Oats + banana	Rice & black beans with peppers, spinach	Baked chicken thighs, roasted potatoes & carrots
Tue	Oats with apple & cinnamon	Leftover chicken thigh + salad	Beef & vegetable stir‑fry over rice
Wed	Scrambled eggs & toast with spinach	Pasta salad (wheat pasta, chopped peppers, spinach, tomatoes)	Chicken fried rice
Thu	Oats with apple & cinnamon	Beans & rice bowl with diced tomato, onion	Veggie‑Beans chili
Fri	Eggs & toast with spinach	Chili over rice (leftovers)	BBQ Meatballs with Egg Noodles and Salad
Sat	Oats + banana	Pasta salad or bean bowl leftovers	Creamy Ham and Noodles
Sun	Oats with apple & cinnamon	Leftovers (leftover buffet)	Leftovers (leftover buffet)

Get the printable PDF of the meal plan for Week 1 HERE.

🥪Recipes for Meal Plan #1

Breakfast Recipes

Oats with Bananas

Combine 1/2 cup of oats with 1 cup of water per person. (2 cups of oats with 4 cups of water for 4 people). Cook on a low heat on the stovetop until oats are softened. Slice bananas and place one sliced banana on each serving. You will make this recipe twice this week but you should have plenty of oats to make larger servings if needed.

Oats with Apples and Cinnamon

Combine 1/2 cup of oats with 1 cup of water per person. (2 cups of oats with 4 cups of water for 4 people). Cook on a low heat on the stovetop until oats are softened. Slice apples and place one half sliced apple on each serving with a sprinkle of cinnamon. You will make this recipe three times this week but you should have plenty of oats to make larger servings if needed.

You can make this even better if you have time by lightly pan frying the apples in a little bit of oil with some maple syrup or honey (if you have it) and the cinnamon and then using them to top the oats.

Eggs and Toast with Spinach

Use 2 eggs per person or 8 eggs for a family of 4. You will make this recipe twice this week. Scramble all the eggs in a bowl in advance. Place a small amount of oil in your pan and scramble the eggs over a low heat until cooked through. Add in a handful of spinach after you turn off the heat and stir in just until it wilts. Serve with a piece or two of bread made into toast.

Lunch Recipes

Rice & Black Beans with Peppers and Spinach

Cook the rice according to the directions with a serving size for 4 people. On the stovetop, cook 1 onion with 1 bell pepper in a frying pan. Add in the black beans and cook until heated through. When the rice is finished cooking, add it into the mixture. Add a handful of spinach last and only heat until it wilts. Add any spices that your family would enjoy in this.

You will eat this recipe for lunch twice this week so if you want to save time, make a double batch and put half in the fridge for a fast lunch later in the week.

Variation for Thursday. Make this same recipe but skip the pepper and add in one can of diced tomatoes and some taco seasoning to change it up.

Leftover Chicken Thighs + Salad

Top a salad with shredded leftover chicken thighs from Monday’s supper and your favorite salad dressing. You can make your own croutons from the heals of the loaf of bread if you want a little added crunch to the salad.

Pasta Salad (wheat pasta, chopped peppers, spinach, tomatoes)

Here’s how to make our favorite cold pasta salad. Add in chopped bell peppers, pearl cheese, chopped spinach, and two fresh roma tomatoes to your salad.

Supper Recipes

Baked Chicken Thighs, Roasted Potatoes & Carrots

Season your chicken thighs with salt and pepper and any other seasonings that you think might be good (like onion powder and garlic). Place on a large baking sheet. Dice the potatoes and carrots and place on the tray as well. Top with a generous drizzle of olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked to 165 degrees internal temperature. (Be sure and thaw frozen chicken first.)

While you are making this, make an extra tray of chicken that you will use for leftovers throughout the week.

Ground Beef & Vegetable Stir‑fry

Use 1 lb ground beef and cook through. Add salt, pepper, and soy sauce to flavor the meat while it’s cooking. Once no pink remains, add in the bag of frozen stir fry vegetables. Serve over rice, cook extra rice to have for tomorrow’s supper.

Chicken Fried Rice

Place a generous amount of oil in a large frying pan. Add in the leftover rice from yesterday (at least 1 cup cooked per person). Add in a bag of frozen mixed vegetables and some leftover shredded chicken thighs and stir until heated through. In a small bowl, scramble 2 eggs with some salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Pour over the rice mixture and stir until egg has coated the rice and veggies and is cooked. Use soy sauce to taste.

You could use some of your uncured ham in this recipe instead of chicken if you want to use the chicken for something else.

Veggie‑Beans Chili

In a saucepan or small stockpot, fry up one chopped onion and one chopped pepper in some oil until softened. In the pot, combine one can of pinto beans and one can of black beans plus one can of water. (Drain the beans first.) Add in the can of tomato sauce and a can of diced tomatoes. Add some spices to taste such as chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook until heated through.

We like chili topped with sour cream and cheese and hot sauce if you are able to fit that into your budget! Beef this recipe up by adding a pound of cooked ground beef if you have room in your budget. If you have extra bread from making toast, make a little garlic bread by placing some slices of bread topped with butter, garlic powder, salt, and some dried parsley. Bake in the oven until like toast.

BBQ Meatballs with Egg Noodles and Side Salad

Make this recipe for BBQ Meatballs. If doesn’t have to be made in the crockpot but that does make it easy! Serve the meatballs over egg noodles with a side salad.

Creamy Ham and Noodles

Make this recipe for Creamy Ham and Noodles. Serve with whatever vegetables you have left.

Helpful Tips on Meal Planning

You can, of course, get these prices down even further if you already have some of these items on hand such as the pantry staples. My menu assumes you at least have flour, sugar, salt, and pepper on hand.

There will be items leftover from this menu such as some uncured ham, butter, potatoes, and a few other things that you can use next week if you need to or you can add into some of these meals to bulk them up.

You could also make some of these items from scratch to save even more! If you have flour and yeast you can make your own bread for less. You could also make things like dinner rolls to add to these recipes to bulk them up. Here are some tips on making frugal meals stretch and more filling.

Keep all the recipes in a Meal Planning Binder.

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