Looking for some inspiration this month? Check out these deliciously frugal dinner ideas and see how you can feed your family for cheaper this month with this $140 Monthly Meal Plan for a Family of 4.
It's been a bit financially rough this month as we paid a lot of money towards my husband's latest surgery. Thankfully I'm experienced enough with frugal meal planning to keep our groceries as cost-effective as possible so that we can afford the large copays and out-of-pocket expenses that keep getting thrown at us.
If you've seen my $200 Monthly Meal Plan and my $180 Monthly Meal Plan, then you can see I have a "trend" going. Turns out that some of the cheapest meals I can feed my family of 4 for dinner are breakfast, soups, and fried rice. Coincidentally they're some of the easiest things to make too!
This month I've trimmed the grocery bill back about as far as I can without breaking it and found filling recipes to feed us for under $140. (Tip: Shopping at your local Aldi and save even more money!)
Things to Keep In Mind:
- My family's size and ages. My family of 4 consists of 2 adults and 2 children ages 5 and 10. All of us are healthy, happy, and well-fed. We all get our multivitamins daily and have regular doctor checkups as well. When I say these meals feed 4, I mean at a bare minimum it feeds my family of 4, but most of these recipes often make plenty of leftovers to enjoy over the course of a few days. Which means they can make more than 4 servings per recipe.
- I keep my pantry stocked and organized. I get paid once a month, and do my big shopping- once a month. Right before payday, I clean out the pantry and do a visual check to see what I have on hand. A Messy Pantry Costs You Money, and I'm trying to save money. I use the foods I find to create new meals to keep everything cycling through as needed. I will make small shopping trips throughout the month to buy fresh produce and products as needed.
- I like cooking from scratch, but I don't do it for every meal. I will use condensed soups, store-bought pie crusts, and packaged pancake mix whenever possible. The more time I can save in the kitchen, the more time I can spend with my family. I can easily spend hours per day on my feet photographing recipes for this blog. The less time I have to spend cooking, the more time I have to spend with the kids while they're still little. I'm also a fan of limiting dirty dishes because we don't have a dishwasher, and I already spend 5-7 hours hand washing dishes per week.
- I shop frugally. I do a majority of our grocery shopping at our local Aldi, and whatever I can't find there, I purchase from our local Walmart. Currently, we aren't in the position to Extreme Coupon, but I do follow store sales and check for markdowns whenever I go shopping. I also make sure to plan all my trips out of the house accordingly, so I'm not going back and forth to places, and it's more gas efficient by making a loop from home to stores and back.
- This menu plan ONLY includes dinner. It will not include the suggested daily servings of fruit and veggies, breakfast, lunch, or snacks. We do aim to include veggies at dinner in some form or another. If you choose to follow this plan, then it is up to you to add fruits, veggies, and more protein to your diet to make it more balanced.
For more frugal recipe ideas, make sure to check out our helpful posts on How to Save Money by Stretching Meat or How to Reuse Leftover Food (100 ideas).
Week 1
Wednesday
French Bread Pepperoni Pizza You can make these even cheaper by using the french bread from the discounted day old bread rack. I recommend saving some pepperoni in the package to be used in a future meal.
Thursday
Grab a bag of Bear Creek Soup and a loaf of French bread (make sure to check the day old racks in the bakery department!) Note that Aldi has a store brand version of these soups for under $3. (Sometimes, I just grab a slice of sandwich bread and spread softened butter on top instead.)
Friday
Breakfast for dinner. Homemade Sugar Free Pancakes or Eggless Pancakes, A standard-sized can of sliced peaches (split into 4 servings), 2 sausage links each, and 1 fried or scrambled egg each (depending on who wanted what).
Saturday
Leftover night. I like to warm up and assembled all of our leftovers like a buffet and allow everyone to pick and choose what they wanted to eat. This allows everyone to pick and choose their favorites from the week and ensures everything gets eaten.
Any leftovers that weren't eaten during the week get tossed in the trash after dinner, and we start the week fresh the next day.
Week 2
Sunday
Grab a large can or two smaller cans of your favorite canned chili and a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix for a really cheap dinner night. For more fun, you can assemble it like a Cornbread Tamale Pie. -For whatever reason, it always feels like it stretches further when I do this.
Monday
A cheap jar of Alfredo sauce is just under $2 from Walmart. Add it with a $1 box of pasta, one (cooked) diced chicken breast (or leftover shredded chicken), and a bag of mixed veggies.
Using penne noodles and adding a bag of California Medly veggies to the pot of boiled noodles (a minute or two before draining) can make the meal feel more like those Birds Eye meals from the store.
Tuesday
Bacon Fried Rice. With meat, veggies and starches in one pan, there's no need for side dishes.
Wednesday
Give your boxed mac and cheese a delicious kick of spice in this upgraded version. Taco Mac and Cheese with Rotel is a delicious meal that goes perfectly with a dollop of sour cream on top!
Thursday
Grab a bag of Bear Creek Soup and a loaf of French bread (make sure to check the day old racks in the bakery department!) Note that Aldi has a store brand version of these soups for under $3.
Friday
Breakfast for dinner with Sourdough French Toast, canned peaches, 2 sausage links per person, and one fried or scrambled egg.
Saturday
Leftover night. I like to warm up and assembled all of our leftovers like a buffet and allow everyone to pick and choose what they wanted to eat. This allows everyone to pick and choose their favorites from the week and ensures everything gets eaten.
Any leftovers that weren't eaten during the week get tossed in the trash after dinner, and we start the week fresh the next day.
Week 3
Sunday
Cooked up some Instant Pot Hot Dogs, and (2) prepared boxes of Kraft Mac and Cheese. You can also add a side of steamed broccoli. (Reserved 3 hotdogs for a future meal).
Monday
Spaghetti and Frozen Garlic Bread in Air Fryer with a side of The Best Canned Green Bean Recipe.
Tuesday
Freezer Grilled Cheese and bowls of tomato soup
Wednesday
Hot Dog Fried Rice using the reserved hot dogs from Sunday.
Thursday
Grab a bag of Bear Creek Soup and a loaf of French bread (make sure to check the day old racks in the bakery department!) Note that Aldi has a store brand version of these soups for under $3.
Friday
Breakfast for dinner! Dairy Free Waffles, sliced fresh strawberries, 2 strips of bacon, and one egg each.
Saturday
Leftover night. I like to warm up and assembled all of our leftovers like a buffet and allow everyone to pick and choose what they wanted to eat. This allows everyone to pick and choose their favorites from the week and ensures everything gets eaten.
Any leftovers that weren't eaten during the week get tossed in the trash after dinner, and we start the week fresh the next day.
Week 4
Sunday
1 pound of cooked ground beef or ground turkey mixed with a can of Manwich sloppy joe mix and served on top of cheap hamburger buns and a side of cooked broccoli.
Monday
Mac and Cheese Tuna Casserole. You don't have to add any Ritz crackers on top or bake it- it can be served straight from the pan.
Tuesday
Make my hot dog fried ice recipe, but omit the meat entirely and leave it as just veggies and eggs. (Chances are, no one will notice the missing meat).
Wednesday
Cheesy Salsa Chicken and Rice. This is a great recipe for using up leftover shredded chicken.
Thursday
Grab a bag of Bear Creek Soup and a loaf of French bread (make sure to check the day old racks in the bakery department!) Note that Aldi has a store brand version of these soups for under $3.
Friday
Buying a pound of ground pork sausage or raw sausage patties is cheaper than buying pre-cooked patties. Cook them up yourself, add a single egg and slice of cheese, and nestle them between two halves of an English muffin for your breakfast sandwich.
Saturday
Leftover night. I like to warm up and assembled all of our leftovers like a buffet and allow everyone to pick and choose what they wanted to eat. This allows everyone to pick and choose their favorites from the week and ensures everything gets eaten.
Any leftovers that weren't eaten during the week get tossed in the trash after dinner, and we start the week fresh the next day.
Week 5
Sunday
Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Bake (using the saved pepperoni from earlier in the month).
Monday
My kids love when I cook up 5 Ingredient Mac and Cheese. I usually add some steamed veggies on the side.
Tuesday
Tuna Fried Rice. Follow along with my hot dog fried rice recipe, but swap out the hot dogs for a small can of drained tuna. Break it up well as you cook and mix things together.
Wednesday
Grab a cheap $0.50 packet of gravy mix (the kind that just needs water) and add in some shredded cooked chicken (leftover from a past meal). Serve over the top of some cooked white rice and add a veggie if desired.
Thursday
Grab a bag of Bear Creek Soup and a loaf of French bread (make sure to check the day old racks in the bakery department!) Note that Aldi has a store brand version of these soups for under $3.
Friday
A pound of pork sausage, milk, and package of white gravy mix served with (2) cans of biscuits or some Homemade Baking Powder Biscuits and some fresh fruits (opt for seasonal fruits as they'll be cheaper).
Saturday
Leftover night. I like to warm up and assembled all of our leftovers like a buffet and allow everyone to pick and choose what they wanted to eat. This allows everyone to pick and choose their favorites from the week and ensures everything gets eaten.
Any leftovers that weren't eaten during the week get tossed in the trash after dinner, and we start the week fresh the next day.
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