50 Cheap Meals $5.00 or Less (Budget Friendly!)

Are you low on funds this week? Read this list of 5 dollar dinners to give you ideas for cheap meals!

Whether you’re struggling to make ends meet or just looking to save some money, I think we all need ideas for cheap dinners. Ways to stretch our grocery budget every week and keep the grocery bill low.

Back when we ate for $37 a week, I felt like the master of coming up with cheap meals! I’ve come up with a list of over 45 dinners you can make for $5.00 or less, almost all of which are kid friendly!

Are these recipes healthy?

Keep in mind that some of these may not fit in with your lifestyle; that is, they may not be the healthiest option for your family. If you don’t like plain cheese quesadillas, add a can of beans or some chicken, keeping in mind that may take you over $5.00.

There are always healthier options, but when you’re low on money, you do what you can with what you have!

The majority of these are dinners, although I’ve also sprinkled in some lunch and breakfast options too.

Do these recipes really only cost 5 dollars or less?

Disclaimer: I live in Ohio and have access to an Aldi. Your prices may not be this low, so do your research! Also, inflation can have a huge impact on prices in your area. As such, I’m no longer including exact prices of ingredients in my area.

Some of these meals are at-cost. Meaning, what you pay for the entire package of an ingredient is part of the total cost of the recipe. So if you buy a bag of cheese for $2.00, that whole $2.00 is included in the $5.00 meal even if you only use part of the bag.

Other recipes below only calculate the cost of ingredients actually used. Make sure you look for those!

Looking for other healthy meal ideas? Be sure to download my FREE Healthy Meal Plan!

Extra tips to stretch the grocery budget

Make a meal plan

This sounds so obvious, but knowing what you’ll cook every week can help you save money because you’re not buying lots of random ingredients.

You can plan weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly. Find what works for you!

Stick to your grocery list

This one is huge, as it’s so easy to get to the grocery store and want to buy all the things that look amazing.

Bring your shopping list with you, whether it’s on paper or on your phone. I’ve had people tell me they actually prefer shopping online, because they’re not tempted by all the food in the aisles!

Have a leftover night

When I make my meal plan, I always include a night for leftovers. I cook a ton of delicious meals that have LOTS of servings, so sometimes that means we’ll eat them for both lunch AND dinner another day.

If you have a large family and don’t always have leftovers, consider making breakfast for dinner one night instead. Pancakes are super cheap and is usually one of the family favorites!

Stock up on pantry staples

Every time you’re at the store, buy one or two extra items for your pantry. These could be extra spices, boxes of pasta, or cans of beans.

With food always in your pantry, you can usually make an entire meal and not have to spend extra money that week.

Meals That Cost 5 Dollars or Less

1.) Pancakes

We like cooking these with our griddle because we can fit 6 at a time! This is a meal that my whole family enjoys on Saturday evenings.

• Box of pancake mix
• Bottle of syrup
• Eggs (as a side, for protein)

2.) Sloppy Joes

This is such an easy recipe. You can use ground beef or ground turkey, depending on what you like and which costs less money. For a little extra nutrition, you can also add diced bell peppers!

Meat can be a little expensive nowadays, so be on the lookout for discounted deals at the grocery store!

3.) Grilled cheese and tomato soup

This is comfort food at its finest. A budget-friendly recipe- and the best thing is, you’ll have plenty of bread and cheese left to make more sandwiches!

• Bread
• Cheese
• Can of soup
• Butter/Margarine

4.) Salad

Salad is tricky because lots of vegetables can get expensive. I added beans here, but feel free to substitute with chicken breast or another kind of protein.

• Iceberg lettuce (Or bagged salad mix)
• Tomato
• Canned kidney beans
• Dressing

5.) Grilled ham and cheese sandwich

These sandwiches don’t take a long time to make and I LOVE grilled sandwiches. The ham adds some extra protein.

• Bread
• Deli ham (Or other deli meat)
• Sliced cheese
• Butter/margarine

6.) Spaghetti

This could make a good meal prep recipe, too! Just divide everything into containers and you can bring them into work.

• Box of spaghetti noodles
• Jar of spaghetti sauce
• Small bag of Italian meatballs (Optional)

7.) Mac and cheese with tuna and peas

This one is simple and can stretch the budget! Feel free to use a carrot and pea blend instead, or canned chicken instead of canned tuna.

• Box of mac and cheese
• 1 can of tuna
• Bag of frozen peas

8.) Spanish rice with ground turkey and diced tomatoes

This was a new recipe for me and it was quite good! You can add a dollop of sour cream if you have any.

• Box of Spanish rice
• Ground turkey
• Can of diced tomatoes

9.) Baked potatoes

Baked potatoes are so versatile. Here, I added broccoli, sour cream, and butter. But you could replace one of those with cheese, bacon bits, or other favorite toppings.

• Potatoes
• Sour cream
• Bag of frozen broccoli
• Butter

10.) Egg noodles with butter and Parmesan

This was one of my husband’s favorites growing up. Add a little bit of garlic powder or pepper to spice things up too! This is one your entire family will hopefully enjoy.

• Egg noodles
• Butter
• Parmesan cheese

11.) BBQ pulled chicken

This is easily made in our slow cooker and shredded using our KitchenAid mixer! You can also use any leftover chicken in a salad or quesadilla.

• 1 pound of chicken
• Bottle of BBQ sauce
• Hamburger buns

12.) Quesadillas

Again, this recipe is very versatile. Use corn tortillas or flour tortillas. Use a different kind of cheese or protein. Whatever you like!

• Tortilla shells
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Can of black beans
• Sour cream

13.) Tuna melts

This will take you over $5.00 if you don’t have butter

• Bread
• Can of tuna
• Mayo
• Cheese
• Butter/margarine

14.) Smoked sausage and potatoes

Use leftover potatoes as baked potatoes above! Talk about saving money!

• Smoked sausage
• Potatoes

15.) Frozen pizza

Yes, frozen pizza counts! It’s a good, fast weeknight dinner

16.) Chicken and fries

Honestly, John and I enjoyed this once per week when we first got married. It was an easy dinner while we were still learning how to cook.

• Frozen chicken nuggets
• Frozen fries

17.) Beans and rice

I LOVE this type of budget meal. I always keep dried rice (Both white rice and brown rice) and beans in my pantry so I can easily put together a meal.

• Can of black beans
• Bag of rice- We cook rice in our rice cooker to save time and energy!
• Diced tomatoes
• Onion (Optional)

18.) Cheesy beef skillet

I found this recipe on the Kraft website and it’s become a favorite comfort meal!

• 1 box of mac and cheese
• Ground turkey
• Diced tomatoes
• Taco seasoning
• Brown ground turkey as the macaroni boils. Add macaroni to the turkey, as well as the cheese powder, diced tomatoes, and taco seasoning, and simmer for about 10 minutes.

19.) English muffin/bagel pizzas

Can be easily made in a toaster oven for a quick meal!

• English muffins/bagels
• Pizza sauce
• Mozzarella cheese
• Pepperoni: Optional, but will take you over $5.00

20.) Two timin’ pasta

• 1 box of pasta
• 1 jar of spaghetti sauce
• 1 jar of Alfredo sauce
• Mozzarella cheese
• Mix both jars of sauce together, then pour over boiled pasta in a casserole dish. Top with Mozzarella cheese, then bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes

21. Red Beans and Rice

Even though this recipe uses many different spices, you can customize this any way you want. I typically don’t have adobo seasoning so I use spices like cumin and chili powder!

• 1 can kidney beans
• 1-lb bag of rice
• 15-oz can of tomato sauce

22. Scrambled Eggs With Veggies

Breakfast for dinner is a SUPER idea! Breakfast foods are typically cheap, which can make a great dinner option too. Feel free to customize this with whatever vegetables you want- I’ve also added rice at times for a breakfast fried rice!

• Eggs
• Mushrooms
• Bell pepper

23. Vegetable Soup

What I love about vegetable soup is that you can add pretty much anything and it’ll work. I add beans for protein, but you could also add pasta for some starch.

• Large bag of frozen mixed vegetables
• 2 cans white kidney beans
• 1 box elbow macaroni:
• Broth (Or save money by just using water and spices)

24. Oatmeal

Oats are super filling from the fiber and protein! You can use milk or water to cook them, and add your favorite foods. I suggest some sort of fat like peanut butter to make this more filling.

• Rolled oats
• Peanut butter
• Bananas

25. French Toast

Another fun breakfast-for-dinner idea! You can top this with cinnamon sugar, and definitely fruit to make it more filling!

26. Meatballs

This is an easy recipe and freezer friendly as well!

27. Pepperoni pizza bites

• Flour
• Baking powder
• Milk
• Egg
• Parmesan cheese
• Mozzarella cheese
• Pizza sauce
• Pepperoni
• Seasonings

28. Pizza quesadillas

• Tortillas
• Pizza sauce
• Pepperoni
• Mozzarella cheese

29. Biscuits and gravy

• Biscuits (You can make your own!)
• Ground sausage
• Flour
• Milk

30. Red beans and rice

• Wild rice
• Kidney beans
• Half an onion
• Chicken broth
• Diced tomatoes

31. Homemade chicken nuggets

• 1 pound chicken breast
• Panko bread crumbs
• Parmesan cheese
• Oil
• Flour
• Eggs

32. Garlic bread pizza

• Garlic toast
• Pizza sauce
• Pepperoni:
• Mozzarella cheese

33. Enchilada crescents

• Ground beef
• Green chiles
• Enchilada sauce
• Crescent rolls
• Shredded cheese

34. Bean and cheese burritos

• Refried beans
• Tortilla shells
• Cheese

35. Ham and cheese foldovers

• Puff pastry
• Ham
• Cheese
• Egg

36. Chicken and rice casserole

• Chicken
• Rice
• Cream of mushroom soup
• Shredded cheese

37. One Pot BBQ Chicken Pasta

• Bacon
• Chicken
• Garlic
• Onion
• Chicken broth
• Diced tomatoes
• Milk
• Pasta
• BBQ sauce
• Shredded cheese

38. Sour Cream Enchiladas

• Sour cream
• Tortillas
• Shredded cheese
• Enchilada sauce

39. Chicken Noodle Soup Casserole

• Pasta
• Bay leaves
• Butter
• Celery
• Carrots
• Garlic
• Flour
• Milk
• Chicken
• Shredded cheese

40. Muffin Tin Cheeseburgers

• Butter
• Buns
• Bacon
• Ground beef
• Onion
• Cheese
• Ketchup
• Relish

41. “Poverty Meal”/Goulash

• Onion
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Ground beef
• Stewed tomatoes
• Macaroni

42. Chili Dog Casserole

• Buns
• Hot dogs
• Chili
• Shredded cheese

43. Pulled Pork Sandwiches

• Pork
• Onion
• BBQ sauce
• Garlic
• Buns

44. Hawaiian Fried Rice

• Ham
• Onion
• Bell pepper
• Oil
• Eggs
• Rice
• Pineapple

45. Broccoli, Ham, and Mozzarella baked with Eggs

• Broccoli
• Ham
• Mozzarella cheese
• Eggs

46. Bagel and cream cheese

Sometimes we need simple, especially in the mornings. In this scenario, a pack of bagels and a tub of cream cheese will come out to a few cents per serving.

47. Muffins

Making your own muffins is a great way to keep costs down! With the right ingredients, you can also make them a nutritious and filling breakfast: Like my blueberry banana muffins.

Also: There’s no shame in buying a bag of muffin mix. If you can afford it, do it!

48. Egg salad

Similar to tuna salad, you hard-boil eggs and mix with mayo, relish, and whatever you might have on hand. I like eating this on a sandwich or a wrap!

49. Peanut butter and jelly

Speaking of sandwiches, you can’t forget the classic PB&J. Simple ingredients, pure joy.

50. Pasta salad

A lot of pasta salads require a ton of ingredients, which makes them expensive. My 4-Ingredient Pasta Salad makes for an easy meal or side dish!

Would you add anything to this list of cheap dinner recipes? Share recipes with us below!