On a super tight budget and need to eat cheaply? Here are some simple meals to make when your budget needs help!
Although things are fine now, there were quite a few times when my family needed some really cheap dinner ideas.
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 30 meals are some cheap family meals. 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 for the cheapest meal ideas!
Whether you're looking for the cheapest meal to make, or what to make with very little money, hopefully these budget-friendly recipes will give you some inspiration.
Are these healthy meals?
Some of the cheapest 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 easy recipes are perfectly fine to serve to your family, whether or not you are in a rough financial spot!
Here are 30 cheap meals, breakfasts and dinners alike, that you can make with very little money.
Cheapest Meal Ideas
1.) Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
This one's a bit obvious, but PB&J is a classic staple and a REALLY simple meal. 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.
Whole wheat bread can go well with this because it has extra protein and fiber- which keeps you full longer!
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. When you head to the grocery store next time, think about buying one of each just in case.
If you have shredded mozzarella cheese, 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 for bean and cheese burritos. Homemade refried beans and a little shredded cheddar cheese make an easy burrito. These freeze well, too!
If you don't like refried beans, black beans or lentils work well too. You can also add sour cream or salsa.
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. This is comfort food my whole family enjoys!
5.) Grilled cheese sandwiches
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.
To add to this simple tasty meal, buy a can of tomato soup if you're able.
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 as a great way to save money!
7.) Sloppy Joes
Ground beef/ ground 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 slow cooker 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 for a low cost meal.
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
This is one of my favorite meals because they're so customizable. Add anything to it: Rice, black beans, shredded chicken breasts, ground beef, or even just plain cheese.
Bonus tip: Bone-in chicken breasts and chicken thighs are usually cheaper than boneless. Cook them and remove the bones yourself!
11.) Red beans and rice
This is an easy meal and can 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 other simple ingredients 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. It's one of those easy weeknight meals using pantry staples.
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.
Try this peanut butter baked oatmeal for a cheap and delicious meal!
17. Yogurt Parfait
While Greek yogurt has more protein, it is more expensive. Feel free to use plain regular yogurt and any cheap fruits- apples or berries, depending on the season, and this makes an excellent breakfast idea!
Granola is delicious in yogurt as well! You can be frugal about it and make your own, like this Honey Vanilla Granola.
18. Ham and Beans
Do you have a ham bone in the freezer? Use that along with a bag of dried pinto beans to make a delicious and frugal Ham and Beans! It makes a ton, and you can serve it with homemade cornbread.
19. Soup
The great thing about soup is that you can add pretty much anything to it. Leftover chicken, beans, pasta, any kind of vegetable... Soup can serve a ton for a low price, and is amazing with homemade bread!
20. Breakfast Fried Rice
Looking for creative ways to use up rice? Breakfast fried rice is super easy and a great way to use any other leftover foods!
My favorite 5-Ingredient Breakfast Fried Rice uses sausage links. But if you're on a tight budget, you can use a couple extra eggs instead to keep the protein high.
21. Black Bean Soup
Canned beans are really cheap, but you can also buy a bag of dried beans and cook them in your Instant Pot to save a few cents.
This 5-Ingredient Black Bean Soup uses a lot of pantry staples. Keep these on hand at all times for an easy meal!
22. Black Bean Burgers
Going vegetarian a couple times a week helps you save a ton of money. And a creative way to use beans is to make Black Bean Burgers!
Add some cheese and salsa on top and you've got yourself a filling dinner. This is actually one of my favorite budget meals!
23. Vegetable Frittata
I consider a frittata to be basically an egg casserole. Mix eggs with some of your favorite add-ins, and you've got a super filling breakfast.
My Vegetable Frittata recipe uses broccoli and zucchini, but feel free to substitute whatever you have. And frozen veggies work just as well!
24. Knorr dishes
Those packets of Knorr pasta and rice sides are really good! You can use them as a side dish, but I like to mix them with other ingredients to make a full dinner.
This Tuna Broccoli Cheddar Rice is so easy and uses ingredients that easily fit into your food budget.
25. Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken
When you can find chicken on sale, stock up and freeze it for recipes like this!
This Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken has only 4 ingredients and is SO easy. I like to serve mine over rice and roasted vegetables.
26. Breakfast Potatoes
Potatoes are a really cheap option and very filling. One bag can be made into a couple meals!
This Breakfast Potatoes recipe uses frozen bell peppers and onions to add a little extra nutrition and flavor. You may be able to save money by buying fresh and dicing them yourself!
27. One Pot Broccoli Pasta
Another delicious vegetarian recipe, this One-Pot Broccoli Pasta is full of nutrients and has a nice tang of Parmesan cheese. This comes together in 30 minutes and has very little cleanup!
28. Salsa Chicken Casserole
This Salsa Chicken Casserole is a delicious one-pan meal. Everything, including the rice, cooks in the casserole dish. That leaves you more time to clean the kitchen or prep something else!
29. Blueberry Oatmeal Cups
Having breakfast ready to heat and eat is super important for me. And these Blueberry Oatmeal Cups can be made ahead of time to save you energy!
Note: Frozen fruit is just as nutritious as fresh, and can be cheaper in the months when they're not in-season.
30. 4-Ingredient Crockpot Ravioli
Frozen ravioli is typically pretty cheap. And if you need to omit the ground turkey, that's fine! This 4-Ingredient Crockpot Ravioli is full of flavor and easily feeds a crowd.
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Making meal plans every week is really one of the best ways to save money and get the best deals on groceries. Follow my beginner's guide to get started today!
Other frugal meal ideas to help you out:
Jaime is a Nutrition Coach through the ISSA and professional writer. She has 4 years experience coaching and 9 years experience in writing. She enjoys cooking easy meals, running, and learning more about food.
Jaime specializes in helping women with ADHD learn to meal plan and cook healthier meals without getting overwhelmed.
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
That sounds really good!! Very frugal too, I'll have to try that soon. =)
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!
That's a really good idea! Thanks for sharing. =)
Growing up my parents made cornbread and milk for dinner or potatoes and onions fried together when we were short of money. Just making a pot of beans with salt in it can stretch into making other meals. We would just eat beans in a bowl with the liquid and have raw onions and cornbread on the side sometimes. To this day I really love pinto beans.
Beans are such a great way to stretch the budget!
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.
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. =)
Eating poorly is better than not eating at all. Trust me. I looked forward to 1/3 of a Mars bar per meal for a very long time. And I'm still alive. These meal suggestion here will help fill hungry tummies. And I wouldn't worry about those folks gaining weight: there's likely no money to buy more food with which to overeat.
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.. 🙂
Wow! That would be difficult to find budget food, but it seems like you're doing great. =)
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.
I've never heard of creamed tuna! That sounds nice and frugal; I'll have to try it sometime. =)
Creamed tuna is also DELICIOUS on baked potatoes!
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
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 8x8 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.
That sounds amazing and super cheap! Thanks for sharing! =)
Fantastic suggesions! These are things my family would actually eat. Love that vegetables on hand would be easy to add to most.
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!
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
Good to know we're not alone!!! We still love the simple classics =)
I've been very poor and hungry before. I was homeless for awhile and then I found myself a rent-by-the-week room without a kitchen, microwave, hotplate, not even an electric kettle. I would buy 1 chocolate bar (usually a Mars bar) per day and cut it into 3 pieces, 1 piece per meal. When I finally managed to secure housing, I still had to eat very cheaply. Instant Ramen Noodle packages from the Dollar store saved my butt. I used to make a pseudo-Pad Thai with them, and use a scrambled egg, some "clearance" vegetables, and maybe some peanuts in it for extra protein. That was always good! The I finally moved again, this time to somewhere where I could garden. I grew my own vegetables and herbs. That saves a lot of money! And actually one of my favourite "Bare Cupboard" meals I still eat even though I am in a much better financial position now vs. then is Frybread (Bannock) with fried (but not breaded) green tomatoes+onions/chives+garlic+whatever other veggies I have scraps of laying around/any other vegetables that fell off of the plants too early. I use the bannock to soak up the delicious juices from the cooked vegetables. It is seriously outta this world in taste!!! Much love to all y'all who are having hard times right now. I love this post <3
Oh my goodness! Emily, you've been through it and what a testimony you have! Thank you so much for sharing this and encouraging others.
Cheese, meat and tuna (even pasta sauce in a jar) are luxury items where I live. So much for this site helping broke people out.
Jeanet, I pray that you find someone that can help you! I live in Ohio, and obviously your mileage may vary depending on where you live. =) Have a great day!
Thank you for your help. I should have been able to come up with these myself but I was blanking.
We all have those moments!! I'm glad it helps! =)
This is so great! Brings me back to my childhood.
I think you ought to edit this original post to say to people to make sure they read the comments!!!! Or perhaps add an addendum with the suggestions and the names of the folks. I'm telling you, I really needed this (unexpected roof repair) and it's very encouraging! Wow!
I like these recipes, they look delicious. But I often prefer to use less animal produce (maybe once a day) as it then means I can afford veg.
Monday and Thursday
Apple & cheap mixed chopped nuts porridge
Tuna baked potato & carrot
Lentil and pea dahl with rice
Tuesday and Friday
Peanut butter, wholemeal toast and frozen berries (much cheaper, defrost overnight)
Fried egg, spicy potato wedges and peas
Spaghetti and vegan meatballs (much cheaper than meat)
Wednesday and Saturday
Bircher muesli
Hummus and carrot sarnie
Cheese, vegan sausage and brocolli pasta
Sunday
Tomatoes on toast
Lemony chicken thighs and potatoes
Mushroom risotto