Cheap Meal Plans #3

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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.

I didn’t include tons of side dishes in this menu so it comes in a little under budget. Use the extra budget money to get some healthy sides, fruits, and vegetables for this week.

🛒 Shopping List

Protein

• 28 eggs ~ $8.00 (36ct)
• 1 (3–4 lb) beef roast ~ $18.75
• 4–5 chicken breasts (~2.5 lbs) ~ $12.18
• 8–12 slices ham or turkey lunch meat ~ $3.76
• 2 cans refried beans ~ $2.00
• 1 cup sour cream ~ $1.97
• Block Cheese (32oz) ~ $6.96

🍞 Grains & Breads

• 2 loaves bread ~ $2.84
• Tortillas (2 packs) ~ $3.96
• Old Fashioned Oats ~ $2.66
• Egg noodles (16oz) ~ $1.62
• Spaghetti Noodles (16oz) ~ $0.98
• Elbow Noodles (16oz) ~ $0.98

🥕 Produce

• 8 bananas ~ $2.24
• 4 apples ~$3.88 (3lb bag)
• Carrots (2lbs) ~ $2.62
• Potatoes (5lbs) ~ $2.50
• Onions (3lbs) ~ $2.64
• 1 bunch celery ~ $1.97
• 1 head lettuce ~ $2.16
• 1 bulb garlic ~ $0.72
• 1 cans pumpkin (15oz each) ~ $2.32
• Frozen Mixed Vegetables ~ $0.98

🥛 Dairy & Condiments

• 1 lb butter ~ $3.96
• 1 small jar mayo ~ $2.12
• 1/2 gallon milk ~ $2.08
• 1 small jar jam ~ $2.66
• Soy Sauce ~ ~ $1.58

🥫 Canned & Packaged

• 1 jar (16 oz) salsa ~ $1.92
• 2 cans (28 oz) tomatoes ~ $2.96
• 2–3 cups beef broth (or 1 carton) ~ $1.50
• 1 packet onion soup mix (make it homemade!) ~ $0.98

🌿 Seasonings & Spices

• 1 packet taco seasoning (make it homemade!) ~ $0.47
• Thyme and/or rosemary and various other spices and baking supplies ~ $5.00

Estimated Total ≈ $109.40

📅 Cheap Meal Plan #3: Easy Meals

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Mon	Eggs and Toast	Vegetable Lo Mein	Beef Roast, Potatoes, and Carrots
Tue	Oatmeal and Bananas	Leftover Lo Mein	Chicken Tacos
Wed	Pumpkin Muffins	Quesadillas with leftover taco meat	Goulash
Thu	Eggs and Toast	Leftover Goulash	Chicken Noodle Soup
Fri	Oatmeal and Bananas	Leftover Noodle Soup	Bean Enchiladas
Sat	Pumpkin Muffins	Ham/Turkey Sandwiches	Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese
Sun	Eggs and Toast	Use up remaining leftovers (leftover buffet)	Use up remaining leftovers (leftover buffet)

Print a PDF file with the menu plan HERE.

🥪Recipes and Instructions

Breakfast Recipes

Eggs and Toast

This menu plans on 2 eggs and 2 pieces of toast per person plus jam on the toast.

Oatmeal and 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.

Pumpkin Muffins

Find the recipe here: Pumpkin Muffins or Bread

Lunch Recipes

Vegetable Lo Mein

Find the recipe here: Vegetable Lo Mein

Quesadillas with Leftover Taco Meat

Just warm a tortilla in a skillet with a little butter or oil, sprinkle on some cheese, add your chicken taco filling, and top with another tortilla. Cook until golden and crispy on both sides, and until the cheese is melted through. Slice it up and serve with salsa, sour cream, or whatever toppings you have on hand.

Sandwiches

Use ham or turkey or your favorite lunch meat to create a sandwich with a bit of mayo, lettuce, and cheese slices. Serve with apple slices.

Supper Recipes

Beef Roast, Potatoes, and Carrots

Place a 3–4 lb beef roast in your slow cooker and sprinkle a packet of onion soup mix over the top. Add 4–5 potatoes (cut into chunks) and 1 sliced onion around the roast. Pour in about 1–2 cups of beef broth or water. Cover and cook on low for 8–9 hours or high for 4–5 hours. About 2 hours before serving, add 4–5 peeled carrots (cut into large pieces) so they stay tender but not mushy. Once finished, slice the roast and serve it with the potatoes and carrots. You can make a gravy from the broth if you’d like something to top it with.

Chicken Tacos

Place 2–3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in your crockpot. Sprinkle with one packet of taco seasoning (or your own mix of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika). Pour in 1 cup of salsa or a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies. Cover and cook on low for 6–7 hours or high for 3–4 hours, until the chicken is tender. Shred the chicken with two forks, mix it back into the juices, and serve in taco shells or tortillas with your favorite toppings like cheese, lettuce, sour cream, or avocado.

Goulash

Get my recipe here: Homemade Goulash

Chicken Noodle Soup

Add about 1 pound of chicken (breasts or thighs), 4–5 cups of chicken broth, 2–3 chopped carrots, 2–3 chopped celery stalks, 1 diced onion, and seasonings like garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper to your slow cooker. Cook on low for 6–7 hours or high for 3–4 hours, until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken, shred it with a fork, and return it to the pot. About 30 minutes before serving, stir in 2 cups of uncooked egg noodles and let them cook until soft. Taste, adjust seasonings, and serve warm with bread or crackers.

Bean Enchiladas

Make this recipe for Sour Cream Enchiladas but use refried beans in place of the chicken to make it more frugal.

Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese

Make this recipe for the Tomato Soup. Butter one side of two slices of bread. Place one slice, butter side down, in a skillet over medium heat. Add a layer of cheese (like cheddar or American) and top with the second slice of bread, butter side up. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, then flip and cook the other side until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted. Slice and enjoy warm with the Tomato Soup.

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 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.

Happy Meal Planning!

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