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Please note that I am not a professional of any kind so any information in this post is not meant to be medical, legal, financial, relationship or any professional advice.With the rising costs of groceries who’s not looking for meals on a budget? These are some of the best easy family meals on a budget!
Meals on a budget can sound boring but I assure you these budget friendly meals taste good and are easy to make!
These are great cheap meals that go a long way!
They are simple dinner ideas that are great for one person, a couple, or if you’re looking for easy weeknight dinners for family.
So if you’re wondering what is the cheapest thing to make for dinner? Then you’ll love these ideas!
This post is all about meals on a budget.
Best Meals on a Budget
A major way I’ve been able to save on groceries is meal planning!
Taking just a couple minutes at the beginning of the week to plan your meals can make a HUGE difference!
You’ll probably eat better and save money since you know ahead of time what to make instead of just winging it.
When you meal plan you tend to use a lot more of the groceries you bought instead of them going to waste.
1. Tacos
Tacos are great budget friendly meals because they are incredibly versatile.
You can make tacos with leftover rotisserie chicken, you can make them with beef, fish, shrimp, or ground meat.
Or you can make them vegetarian with black beans and cheese, or any type of veggies like sweet potato or cauliflower.
There are tons of taco recipes online to get some inspiration.
2. Soup
Soups are one of the best meals on a budget because they last a couple of days and you can make a soup with almost any type of veggie or meat.
Sometimes I make a soup with frozen veggies I have in the freezer, pasta, and beans or meat if I have on hand.
Soups are a great freezer meal to make as well that way you have something homemade in the freezer for those days when you are too tired to cook.
3. Stew
Stews are pretty similar to soups in the sense that they last a couple of days and there are so many variations.
Stews are also great to make in the slow cooker if you don’t feel like cooking that day.
4. Quesadillas
Quesadillas are my go to cheap recipes for families because they are so quick to make and can be as simple as two ingredients.
For this reason I almost always have tortillas and cheese on hand.
I love making these and taking them for lunch or on family trips because they are so easy to eat on the go.
I also love bringing a small jar of store bought or homemade salsa to dip.
They can be as simple as just tortilla and cheese, or you can add corn, peppers, beans, or whatever you like!
5. Curry
Curry can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be that day.
Sometimes I will add a bunch of leftover veggies that I had in the fridge, and other times I will only add lentil or chickpeas with spices and broth or tomato sauce.
Curry can be so comforting and one of those great healthy meals on a budget.
6. Eggs
Eggs are not just for breakfast!
I love cooking eggs for breakfast, lunch, or sometimes even dinner.
They are cheap and super versatile.
You can make eggs and toast, french toast, shakshuka, egg salad sandwich, egg tacos or burritos.
There are tons of cheap meals that you can make with eggs.
7. Loaded baked potatoes
Loaded baked potatoes are such an easy family meal on a budget because you can usually get an entire bag of potatoes for a good price.
You can buy any potato and load it with whatever toppings you have on hand.
Potatoes are also great because they are very filling.
8. Fajitas
Fajitas are great to include when meal planning on a budget because they are inexpensive and super versatile!
You can use almost any protein and veggies. Great meal to clear out the fridge.
9. Sandwich
Sandwiches can be super inexpensive especially if you make ones like a tuna salad or egg salad sandwich.
Veggie sandwiches or avocado toast are also super yummy.
10. Leftovers
A meal can’t get much easier than heating up some leftovers, and it’s super cost effective!
If you don’t like the idea of leftovers you can always try to turn your leftovers into something else.
If you had chicken the night before you can use leftover chicken and make tacos, a sandwich, or even put it into a loaded baked potato.
11. Burritos
Burritos are another great way to use up leftovers or what you have on hand.
Just wrap it in a tortilla and heat!
12. Frozen meal
Frozen meals aren’t always the healthiest but once in awhile can be super convenient and sometimes cheaper.
If you do buy frozen meals, try to opt for the healthiest ones you can find, or make some of your own freezer meals on the weekend to use throughout the week.
13. Pasta
Pasta can seem boring, but if you use good ingredients it can make a world of difference.
Instead of buying pre made pasta sauce, try buying strained tomatoes or a can of diced tomatoes and make your own sauce.
There are tons of recipes online that are super simple and quick but the taste is completely different than store bought.
14. Chili
Chili is a great meal to make a big batch of and either have it throughout the week or freeze it.
It’s super cost effective, especially if you make a vegetarian one.
If you don’t like the typical red chili, try and make white chili instead.
15. Tostadas
Tostadas are incredibly tasty and super easy to make especially if you buy pre made shells.
You can top them with whatever you like and you have a meal in minutes!
16. Pizza
Making pizzas can be super inexpensive especially if you use what you have on hand as toppings.
And you don’t need to make pizza dough from scratch either (unless you want to!)
You can make pizzas out of tortillas, english muffins, bagels, pita bread, etc.
These can be super fun to make as a family.
17. Skillet meals
I love a good skillet meal. They’re inexpensive, hearty, and super tasty.
There are tons of different recipes online. You can make a breakfast skillet meal, pasta skillet meal, or a vegetarian black bean skillet.
The options are endless and skillet meals are great because there’s only one pan to wash.
18. Enchiladas
Enchiladas are sooo tasty and can be super inexpensive depending what you fill them with.
Who doesn’t love tortillas baked in sauce and cheese!
These are always great to make a big batch of so you have leftovers.
19. Casserole
Casseroles can be super simple, or filled with ingredients, depending on what you have and what you like.
There are endless casserole recipes online.
20. Pasta bake
If you want to spice up your pasta night try making a pasta bake instead.
Pasta bakes are great because you can add whatever ingredients you want.
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