On a super tight budget and need to eat cheaply? Here are some simple meals to make when you have no money!
Although things are fine now, there were quite a few times when my family had to eat really cheaply.
We’ve gone through 4 job losses, two of which my husband John was the sole money earner. And with a young daughter, that can prove to be tough!
Each time though, we’ve gotten through it. I had to be super creative with food to keep a $30/week grocery budget for a family of 3, but we ate well and survived. In fact, all the recipes we made can be found in my e-book, Emergency Meals.
The following 16 meals are those “Oh crap, I don’t have a lot of money next week” meals. They’re not fancy, but they get the job done. And when you’re on a super tight budget, you’re just looking to feed your family!
Whether you’re looking for the cheapest meal to make, or what to make with no money, hopefully these meals will give you ideas on what to feed your family.
Are these meals healthy?
Some of the meals below may not be nutritionally balanced. That is, they have bare-bones ingredients and may not include any fruits or vegetables. When you have no extra money, you do what you can with what you have; and when you can add extra veggies to your meal, do it so you can add some extra nutrition. But I believe these meals are perfectly fine to serve to your family, whether or not you are in a rough financial spot!
Here are 16 meals, breakfasts and dinners alike, that you can make with very little money.
Meals to Make When You Have No Money
1.) Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
This one’s a bit obvious, but PB&J is a classic staple. It’s kid-friendly, requires cheap ingredients, and is just plain good. I like to eat mine with a banana and string cheese or yogurt. Someone once told me that PB&J is not actually a real meal; but it’s in my belly, so it must be!
2.) Pasta and jarred sauce
These are items I recommend you keep in your pantry at all times. You never know when you need an emergency meal, and pasta and sauce is as easy as it comes. If you have shredded mozzarella, you can even mix cooked pasta and sauce in a casserole dish, sprinkle the cheese on top, and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes for a simple pasta bake!
3.) Bean and cheese burritos
Here’s my favorite recipe. Homemade refried beans and a little shredded cheese make an easy burrito. These freeze well, too!
4.) Pancakes/waffles
You don’t even need boxed pancake mix to make pancakes/waffles. It costs pennies to make up a simple batch, and it’s a very cheap dinner alternative. I’m fond of this oatmeal pancake recipe, and this Freezer Whole Wheat Waffles recipe.
5.) Grilled cheese
The classic grilled cheese. You can do pretty much anything with this, but my favorite is sliced cheddar with fresh baked bread. I could probably eat about 5 in one sitting.
6.) Chili cheese dogs
Very simple and filling dinner. Canned chili is the easiest, although if you made chili earlier in the week, you can use leftovers to save money!
7.) Sloppy Joes
Ground beef/turkey with a few condiments cooked together, and it’s a simple dinner! Here’s my favorite Sloppy Joe recipe, and if you’re going meatless, here’s a Lentil Sloppy Joe recipe. This one makes a ton!
8.) Goulash
Who knew something so simple could be so good? Cooked macaroni, ground beef, and tomatoes! Here’s the recipe we use.
9.) Baked potatoes
I LOVE making baked potatoes for dinner. You can add broccoli and cheese, bacon, taco toppings, or even baked beans. I’d never heard of that last one until recently, but it sounds interesting!
10.) Quesadillas
Add anything to it: Rice, black beans, shredded chicken, ground beef, or even just plain cheese.
11.) Red beans and rice
A good way to make plain rice and beans taste better. Here’s my favorite recipe!
12.) Biscuits
Biscuits make a great breakfast item. Make an egg sandwich, add a simple gravy on top, or eat plain with butter and honey. Here’s my favorite biscuit recipe.
13.) Tuna melts
The most basic recipe calls for tuna and mayo, with a slice of cheese, but you can add hard-boiled eggs, relish, or anything to make it more filling.
14.) Egg and cheese burritos
Breakfast burritos are great in the mornings, and even freeze well. You can add ground sausage to stretch it more.
15.) Rice and beans burrito bowl
Maybe I’m weird, but I’m okay with eating just rice and black beans. The best combination, for me, is adding roasted sweet potatoes, and eating it with salsa and shredded cheese.
16.) Oat bars
Any kind of baked oatmeal is cheap and great for breakfast. You can add bananas, chocolate chips, blueberries… The possibilities are endless, and they’re all delicious. Here is a cheap one that contains just peanut butter.
On weeks when we were a little low on cash for food, I would use Swagbucks to help earn gift cards for stores like Sam’s Club to stock up on essentials like toilet paper. That can get expensive, especially when your grocery budget includes household items!
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Do you have any tested recipes to add to this list? Please post in the comments below!
Leslie says
Yum, these are making me hungry! I’m pinning this for later, when I meal prep I get tired of eating the same thing 3 or 4 days in a row. Thanks for sharing!
Gina says
In my breakfast burritos that we freeze I add baked oven potatoes. Peel if you want, dice and chop into little pieces. I add oil any kind you have, spices whatever you have, then bake them in the oven at 400. That works for me my oven runs hot about 30 minutes. I also make a lot so I can have them all week. Then you can add all your other things and you won’t have to add as much meat. The texture of potatoes does change a little but it wasn’t that noticeable even for my picky eaters. We also take the same oven potatoes and have a clean out the fridge day. You can add anything you have as toppers. If anyone loves Disney Hades Nachos is what we started making at home. It’s from Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Blue corn tortilla chips , cheese sauce homemade or canned and buffalo chicken on top. Feel free to buffalo any kind of protein your family likes. I put mine in plastic baskets with paper but a plate works well also so does any tortilla chips. I am also going to try Animal Fries at home from In and Out 🍔. French fries, grilled onions, cheese sauce and thousand island dressing on top.
Marie says
When the kids were small, Indian fry bread was a big hit on those days!
Jaime says
I’ve never heard of it! I’ll have to look it up, thanks for the suggestion. =)
Delorus says
Try Mexican style sopa for a tasty change, lightly brown any type of pasta in hot oil, then add a can of tomato sauce with enough water to completely cover pasta over with about 2 cups extra liquid, salt to taste cook until pasta is tender. It will be a soup consistancy, you can perk it up by adding veggies, chicken, potatoes, bullion cubes, ect.
Jaime says
That sounds really good! Thanks for sharing!
Kyndell says
Thank you
Mary says
Yummy frybread and leftover turkey or ham during holidays
Jaime says
I love leftovers during the holidays! I purposely plan no meals the rest of the holiday week because of leftovers. 😛
Kyndell says
I’m not sure who has this web site but I’m very glad I found it. My boyfriend left me after I gad to get on permanently dialysis. Not going to help me. My daughter and granddaughter live me they help take care of me. So I have maybe 40.00 left for the month for medicine food and gas. I love the recipes that you put on here affordable and good that all three of us would like. So I thank you and if any one has any more I hope I find your posts. Thank you 😇
Jaime says
Hi Kyndell, I’m glad you found me! I have other posts that are similar to this, like 20 Dinners That Cost 5 Dollars or Less. I hope you can find a few things here that will help you during this rough time!
Kyndell says
Hello. Can you please tell me how to make that fried bread. Thank you
Kyndell
Lena says
Fry Bread can be maid with canned biscuit dough flattened out and fried in oil till golden brown. They can be maid much cheaper making the dough at home. There are many recipes online for how to make it.
Jaime says
That sounds good, thanks for the idea!
A. says
Oh yeah, baked beans, baked potato and a knob of butter is gorgeous! Some people add grated cheddar cheese to it as well. Noms!
Jaime says
That sounds amazing! I still need to try this. =)
Barb Schmidt says
My kids still remember crockpot pinto beans with tomato sauce and smoke flavoring served with saltines and also spaghetti noodles with buttered broccoli and parmesan cheese as favorite dinners. They never knew I made up those meals when we had nothing else to eat.
Jaime says
That’s amazing! Kids are so resilient. =) You did a great job providing even when you didn’t have much.
Rose says
Hi Jaime,
I am a grandmother raising 5 grandchildren. Thank you for your recipes for dinner and . breakfast, I have one that my kids like, it’s english muffin pizzas.
One package english muffins split. Spread with pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce. top with cheese and pepperoni or with anything else you might like on a pizza. Place in toaster oven or oven until cheese is melted.
Rose
Jaime says
Pizza is a huge hit in our household, too! The English muffins are a great idea, thanks for sharing, Rose. =)
Gaye Faulkner says
Bagels are good too! I teach Culinary Arts at a high school, we had dozens of bagels left over from an event so the students made bagel pizzas! You would have thought I taught them to make the best meal ever!!!
Jaime says
We love bagel pizzas! =)
Lisa says
You can do pizza on a tortilla too!
Jaime says
Oh yes, great idea!
Mary says
Taco Mac, chili mac,tuna mac, the list is endless. Box of mac ncheese and taco meat or other and can add other ingredients as availAble such as corn stewed tomatoes. My son and his best friend had cook off on Taco mac. He won. His frugal mom taught himwell
Jaime says
That’s amazing! We’ve made something just about like yours: a box of mac and cheese, some taco meat, a can of diced tomatoes, and shredded cheese on top. I think it’s called Cheesy Beef Skillet!
Betg says
One one of our favorite breakfast or lunch (sometimes a lazy dinner) is a hard boiled egg sandwich on favorite bread.
Jaime says
That sounds great! I love hard-boiled eggs, and that would make a good breakfast here. =)
Connie says
I always said as long as you have flour you’ll never go hungry. I make everything with flour. Tortillas, donuts, hot water bread, dumplings, all easy & cost penny’s 🙂
Jaime says
Great advice! The only thing I’ve never made is dumplings, but they look super easy. =)
Kelly says
As kids my mom made up elbow noodles, onion, canned diced tomatoes and bacon. Fry the bacon then saute onion in grease. Add tomatoes and the bacon to onion and heat all together. Pour over boiled elbows. I still love it to this day and so do my kids.
Jaime says
That sounds delicious, Kelly! And cheap, too!
Lisa says
I make Cincinnati Recipe Chili once a month – a pot costs maybe $5. I use ground beef that I often have in the freezer, one can of tomato paste, and a packet of Cincinnati Recipe Chili Mix (https://www.kroger.com/search?query=cincinnati%20recipe%20chili%20mix). Put over spaghetti noodles with cheese on top or make into coneys. So good!
Jaime says
That’s such a frugal and easy way to make Cincinnati chili! Thanks for sharing; I’ll be trying that this Fall! =)
Teresa says
Tomato soup with black beans. Very good and filling
Jaime says
Ooh, that sounds really good!
Mrs Stookey says
homemade biscuits with homemade white gravy and if you have bacon use the bacon and bacon grease to make the gravy.
Noodles + butter+ ketchup is a childhood fav of mine
Noodles+ soy sauce+ pb cheap asian style noodle dish
Noodles+ parmasan cheese and parsley and butter
Tomato slice on bread is amazing and cheap when tomatoes are in season
Jaime says
Those are all great ideas! My husband is a huge pasta fan and has probably done a few of those on occasion. =)
Lisa says
My family loves ground beef with carrots and/or peas. Sometimes we eat this over rice. Sometimes just plain. Add a little seasoning and this is really good.
Jaime says
Nice! That’s a good frugal meal. =) I seem to remember making a casserole a couple years ago that had just ground beef, rice, and a can of tomato soup. I could probably add some extra veggies to it too!
Brynne says
Add some shredded cabbage and diced onion and you have a lazy cabbage roll casserole.
Joan Peters says
Try Ground meat, browned with onions & peppers, garlic salt. add a can of veg. soup serve over mashed potatoes.
Jaime says
That sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing. =)
Lesley says
Chipped beef gravy w/hard boiled eggs on whatever you choose. Bowl of wide egg noodles w/ bacon, garlic, green onion, and soy sauce. English muffin pizza’s can’t go wrong.
Jaime says
We love English muffin pizzas here! We’ve also done bagel pizzas. Just a few minutes in the oven and you’ve got a simple but delicious dinner!
Christine says
We make English muffin pizzas too. And when we have leftover burger or hot dog buns we do pizza on those too.
Jaime says
That’s awesome! I’ve even attempted it on just regular sandwich bread. Pizza goes well on anything, in my opinion. =)
Kyndell says
That sounds very good and healthy. Tuna has protein My friend told me to make sloppy joes fat a box of jiffy cornbread mix put the sloppyjoes in a baking dish with cornbread mix on top and bake My granddaughter wants to try that to 😊
Kim says
Tuna pot pie was a favorite of ours that our mom made..
1 can of tuna drained
1 can of mixed veggies
1 can of cream of mushroom
Mix and put in an already baked pie shell and add cheese on top..
Cover with aluminum foil (spray with non stick spray..
Bake for 35-40 mins in 350 degree oven..
Jaime says
That sounds super easy! =) Thanks for sharing!
Joy says
Our family favorite: Poor Man’s Hoppin’ John
1 lb regular or hot pork sausage, 2 cans black eyed peas, spices to taste, such as garlic, onion, sage, and thyme. Brown sausage, add peas with liquid and spices. Bring to boil then let simmer uncovered about 10 mins until thickened and flavors combine. Serve with a little shredded cheese or cornbread on the side if desired.
Traditional Hoppin’ John also has tomatoes, rice, and okra. My family doesn’t like those things, so I leave them out. It makes for a fast, economical, high fiber, high protein dinner. Especially right now, when you can stock up on sausage on sale for Christmas, and black eyed peas on sale for New Year’s.
Jaime says
That sounds awesome! Thanks for sharing this. =)
Tineke says
HI. First of all. .. sorry for my English, î am from Belgium. When we have no money for groceries î look in my freezer. Most of the time there are some vegetables and î make soup. Put some pasta in there as wel. My kids love this.
Jaime says
Great idea! I always have at least something in my freezer and I look in there when I make my menu for the week. =)
Kim says
I love a micro baked potato topped with cottage cheese then cook a little longer. Splash a bit of Italian dressing on top. Quick filling lunch when in a hurry. One of my favorite dinner meals is hamburger soup. Ground beef, lots of sliced carrots, some onion and garlic, maybe some celery, tomato sauce, beef broth, Worschester sauce and a bay leaf. Filling and satisfying on a cold day. I have also found Knorr sides, pasta or rice for $1 at Walmart, that can be jazzed up with a little meat or vegetables make 2 meals for my lunch. I have started making my own chicken pot pies with frozen crusts, a lg chicken breast cut in small pieces, carrots, celery, onion and a can of corn. Even less expensive if you make your own crust. I am a big fan of meals that have left overs for lunch the next day!
Jaime says
We love leftovers for lunch, too! These are all delicious ideas; thanks for sharing!
Angela Collins says
Cooked elbows with a can of diced tomatoes, add a little salt/pepper…take some slices of bread, smear butter, add garlic salt, broil…yummy quick cheap pasta and garlic bread meal.
Jaime says
That’s a great frugal idea! We like doing the easy garlic toast, too. =)
Terry says
To stretch taco meat and some small diced fried potatoes thrown into a fry pan with a little oil. Cook in a little water with some hot sauce when the water evaporates the potatoes will brown-a good way to extend ground beef or turkey for tacos. Saute some cabbage (or your prefered veggie) and add to whole wheat linguine or angel hair with a homemade stir fry sauce. Black beans with sauteed onion and red peppers with a small amount of bbq sauce make a good topping for baked (or microwaved) sweet potatoes. Also, sauteed diced sweet potatoes with the black bean mixture above makes a delicious quesadilla. Homemade refried beans using a can of red beans added to sauteed onions with chili powder and cumin, add some water and smash the beans. They are good on totasdos with shredded lettuce, onion and diced tomatoes. Also teriyaki chickpeas or spiced lentils with carmelized onions on top of brown rice . I could go on and on but these are a few of my go to easy recipes. I don’t believe that you have to spend a ton of money or spend alot of time in the kitchen to enjoy good food.
Jaime says
These are all excellent ideas and sound delicious! I’ll have to try some of these, thanks for sharing. =)
Denise says
As a kid, my mother used to make macaroni and eggs: cook and drain elbow macaroni and add to a skillet with a little butter over medium heat. Add eggs, salt and pepper to taste and stir to scramble the eggs and mix with the macaroni. These days I like making it with boxed macaroni and cheese. It works great with leftover macaroni also. I love to eat it with ketchup and it is great with a little chorizo.
Jaime says
That’s really interesting and sounds delicious! =) I’ll definitely need to try that with the mac and cheese in my pantry.
Hannah says
We plan meals off the store ad from Sprouts most of the time. The stores in our area of OKC will give out rain checks on most items that are on sale they run out of. I also share online ordering with family or friends. We get to free shipping a lot faster.
Our biggest savings was moving our phone plans to Walmart straight talk. Excellent service but you have to change your APN settings if you have a phone from another carrier. I have a ATT phone on the Walmart network.
Jaime says
Sharing online orders is a great idea! I’ve heard some great things about Wal Mart’s phone plan, too. =)
missy says
Dont forget. Spam or treat. You can use it for sandwiches or cut it up & cook it with canned vegtables like a stir fry
Jaime says
Yes! One of our guilty pleasures is Kraft mac and cheese with spicy Spam in it. =)
Tammy says
Mmmmm….yes. Diced spam and potatoes fried together until it is all brown and crispy!
Jaime says
That sounds good! We’ve put spicy spam in macaroni and cheese, and that’s the ultimate comfort food. =)
Susan says
Potato soup was a big one in our house. When my Mom had bacon she would add it. If not no. Pancakes were a getting close to Friday payday with no food meal.
Jaime says
Potato soup is delicious, and a great way for me to use up any extra vegetables! And pancakes/waffles are done here at least once a week. =) We love breakfast for dinner.
Sandra says
Finally a list from people who are actually broke
Thank you
Jenny says
A roasted chicken can make 3 meals 1 chicken soup,using left over bones and the wings to make broth add in noodles and some vegetables ,use cut up meat 2nd meal chicken and rice,3 rd meal add veg and gravy make chicken ala King over toast.add 2 bags of pinto beans and 1 lb of bacon,this makes enough beans for 1 chili day 1 rice and beans and 1 bean soup day
Jaime says
Those are all awesome ideas, Jenny! Thank you!
Amy Jo Gavin says
College soup,, I never had money ,, and two kids,, I fry lightly one cup of any kind of pasta,then boil it in salted wated, pour off all but two cups of the pasta water, add one boullion cube, chicken, and add pepper if you like, one teaspoon of butter, and one can of chicken broth. Bring back to a summer,, I used to add a shredded carrots and a stalk of celery cut thin, as well. It’s still one if my favorite soups and my girls that are now adults still love it. Little did they know I made it out of desperation. I used to pack around saltines from the student Union building cafeteria and serve on the side.
Jaime says
That’s a really good way to be resourceful! Thank you for sharing this. =)
Ananda says
I like to stretch ground meat for tacos with finely diced potatoes and a can of corn.
I also like to make my own version of dirty rice with anything I have around. Ground meat, canned tomatoes, corn, onions etc.
And finally cabbage and potatoes in the pressure cooker with onions and some sausages. Very simple but yummy and filling.
Jaime says
Those are all great ideas! I’ve never thought to add small diced potatoes to taco meat.
Jan says
Corn Chowder- fry some bacon, drain and reserve, fry a chopped onion in the fat. Add diced potatoes and enough water to cover and cook til done. Stir in 2 cans creamed corn and 2 cans evaporated milk. Season with salt and pepper and add crushed bacon. You can add as many potatoes as needed and can also add another can of whole corn to bulk it up. Makes about 8-10 servings. I usually have the ingredients in my pantry for emergencies. Could be made without bacon and just use butter. Very handy recipe!
Jaime says
That sounds really good! Thanks for the recipe! =)
Jennifer G says
We like using leftover sloppy joe mix as the chili on our chili dogs 🙂
Jaime says
That sounds awesome! I’ll definitely be trying that next time. =)
Dawn says
My favorite go to meal is two chicken breast with one can of cream of chicken and a chopped onion in crockpot for 6-8 hrs on low. Serve with mashed potatoes,baked potato, or rice. Very easy and pretty cheap
Jaime says
That sounds really good!! Very frugal too, I’ll have to try that soon. =)
Danielle Laberge says
Every week i make a big casserole of différent soup with what i have in the fridge; broth, vegetables, rice or noodle, spices, you can eat this with bread or crackers, its cheap and good!
Jaime says
That’s a really good idea! Thanks for sharing. =)
Todd says
The majority of these suggestions are not very healthy. Most are high carb, high fat and high sodium options.
Folks who have little money to spend on food, need more healthy options that can be stretched out to multiple meals. Soups, Casseroles and salads. Eating poorly tends to cause more health issues and weight gain. The more one weighs, the more food they will consume and ultimately spend more money.
Jaime says
Thank you, Todd! As I said at the beginning of the post, some of these meals may not be nutritionally balanced; but adding a fruit or vegetable side helps!
For a normal healthy person, eating carbs, fat, or sodium should be no issue. I hope that those who have medical issues and have been advised by their doctor to lower intake of carbs, fat, or sodium know that they may need to avoid some of these recipes. But someone like me, a long-distance runner, totally thrives on high carbs and even higher sodium! We all have different needs, so thank you for bringing that up. =)
Andrea Wiener says
thanks – you gave me a great idea for pasta!! (I’m gf/wf/cf/df/yf and it’s hard for me to find “budget” recipes that i can use.. 🙂
Jaime says
Wow! That would be difficult to find budget food, but it seems like you’re doing great. =)
D. Byers says
Wow, I have eaten many of these recipes as a child in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Not surprising as my mom was raised in the Depression and cooked what she knew. You have left out the jello salads with canned fruit, however! Also creamed tuna on toast. Make a white sauce with butter or margarine or even oil, flour, and milk or broth. When bubbling, add can of tuna, drained and mix. Add frozen peas if you have them to stretch this. Serve over toast, cut up for kids.
Tip: using a whisk will eliminate lumps.
Jaime says
I’ve never heard of creamed tuna! That sounds nice and frugal; I’ll have to try it sometime. =)
Henrietta Newman says
Creamed tuna is also DELICIOUS on baked potatoes!
Donna Holden says
Cabbage is cheap if you finely chop it you can add it to many dishes to extend the other ingredients and also add more nutrition. Also we always use oatmeal wherever we can to stretch groung beef.Donna
Cassidy says
We make this often because it’s now one of my husbands favorite meals! Depending on how much you would need to make would be less than $5. I always double it because i think it’s better the next day!
1 cup cooked white rice
1 lb chicken
1 taco/fajita seasoning packet( I have also just used cumin, chili powder and garlic powder when I run out of the packets)
1 cup water
Cheese to sprinkle on top
I put cooked rice in an 8×8 pan, add seasoning and water to chicken( the water mixes with the seasoning and makes the rice taste so much better!) pour the chicken over the rice, top with cheese and put in oven until melted.
Jaime says
That sounds amazing and super cheap! Thanks for sharing! =)
Sheryl says
Fantastic suggesions! These are things my family would actually eat. Love that vegetables on hand would be easy to add to most.
Jaime says
Thank you! Yes, I love stocking up on frozen veggies because they’re such easy sides. And they usually go on sale for $1.00 at Meijer, so they’re cheap too!
Michelle says
We eat most of these all the time ☺️ Adding in fruit/veggies.
Awesome job as always and pbj is a meal !! Have a great day.
Michelle
Jaime says
Good to know we’re not alone!!! We still love the simple classics =)