Cheap Meal Plans: Week 6

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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.

You will need extras for sides and snacks this week.

Table of Contents

🛒 Shopping List

Protein

Eggs ~ $8.00 (36ct)
Ground Beef (2lbs) ~ $12.48
Whole Chicken ~ $7.68
Frozen Chicken Breast (3lbs) ~ $8.94
Pepperoni ~ $4.96
Breakfast Sausage Links ~ $2.42

🍞 Grains & Breads

Bread (2 loaves) ~ $2.84 (make breadcrumbs with leftovers)
Tortillas (1 pack) ~ $1.98
Elbow Noodles (16oz) ~ $0.98
Old Fashioned Oats ~ $2.66
Egg Noodles ~ $1.62
Burger Buns ~ $1.43

🥕 Produce

Onions (3lbs) ~ $2.64
Garlic ~ $1.48
Celery ~ $1.97
Apples (3lbs) ~ $2.96
Carrots ~ $1.32
Frozen Spinach ~ $1.26

🥛 Dairy & Condiments

Milk (half gallon) ~ $2.08
Colby Cheese (16oz) ~ $3.78
Mozzarella Cheese (16oz)~ $3.78
Sour Cream (16oz) ~ $1.88
Heavy Cream ~ $2.96
Cream Cheese (3 bricks) ~ $4.68
Sharp Cheddar (8oz) ~ $1.94

🥫 Canned & Packaged

Enchilada Sauce ~ $1.00
Mayo ~ $2.12
Ketchup ~ $1.94
Mustard ~ $0.68
Worcestershire Sauce ~ $1.12
Pickle Slices ~ $2.24
Pancake Mix ~ $1.98
Peanut Butter ~ $1.94
Jelly ~ $1.98
Pizza Sauce ~ $1.88
Pumpkin Puree ~ $1.16

🌿 Seasonings & Spices

Cinnamon, seasonings, and various other spices and baking supplies (sugar, flour) ~ $5.00

Estimated Total ≈ $111.76

📅 Cheap Meal Plan #6

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Mon	Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Toast	Homemade Chicken Nuggets	Cheeseburger Casserole
Tue	Cream Cheese Danish	Leftover Cheeseburger Casserole	Breakfast for Supper
Wed	Oatmeal with Apples	Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches	Chicken Noodle Soup
Thu	Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Toast	Homemade Chicken Nuggets Leftovers	Chicken Enchiladas
Fri	Cream Cheese Danish	Chicken Enchiladas Leftovers	Hamburgers
Sat	Oatmeal with Apples	Homemade Mac and Cheese	Homemade Pizza
Sun	Pumpkin Doughnut Holes	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

Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Toast

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.

Cream Cheese Danish

Double this recipe for Cream Cheese Danish so that you can serve it twice this week. If you happen to have leftover jelly or fruit from this week or last, add it in the filling to give it more flavor!

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 twice 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.

Pumpkin Doughnut Holes

Use this recipe for Pumpkin Doughnut Holes.

Lunch Recipes

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

This is a fun and easy recipe to make! Double the recipe found here for Homemade Chicken Nuggets. Serve with BBQ or any other dipping sauce you have on hand. Save half back for a second day of lunches.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches

Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread and jelly on another. Press the two slices together with the spreads facing each other. Cut the sandwich in half if desired to serve.

Homemade Mac and Cheese

Use this recipe for 3 Ingredient Mac and Cheese for an easy lunch this week.

Supper Recipes

Cheeseburger Casserole

Use this recipe for Cheeseburger Casserole.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Cook a whole chicken and use the broth and part of the meat to make Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. The instructions for Cooking a Whole Chicken can be found here. Save the rest of the meat to make Chicken Enchiladas later this week.

Chicken Enchiladas

Use the leftover meat from cooking a whole chicken early this week in this recipe for Chicken Enchiladas.

Hamburgers

To make simple burgers, combine 1 pound of ground beef with salt and pepper in a bowl, mixing gently so the meat doesn’t get tough. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and shape them into patties slightly larger than your buns, pressing a small dent in the center of each to help them cook evenly. Heat a skillet or grill over medium-high heat and cook the patties for about 3–4 minutes per side, or until they reach your desired doneness. Add cheese in the last minute if desired. Serve on toasted buns with your favorite toppings like lettuce, tomato, pickles, and ketchup.

Breakfast for Supper

Make 2 eggs plus breakfast sausage per person. Serve either with pancakes or toast and jam, your choice. For pancakes, use my Pancake Mix recipe.

Homemade Pizza

This is our favorite Pizza Dough recipe. I’ve included the ingredients to make a pepperoni pizza in this week’s shopping list.

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!