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 $200 Monthly Meal Plan for Family of 4.
I'm very big on budgeting and trying to save money where I can. Inflated food prices aren't helping much, but we've found a few work-arounds and have been making it work to the best of our abilities.
I challenge myself to average no more than $15 a day for our family of 4. By reducing our grocery budget, I not only challenge myself to get more creative with the food I feed my family but also with the recipes I put on this blog.
Making dinner cheaply means we have more money to allot elsewhere, whether it means more fresh produce and fruits to snack on or a chance to eat out (which doesn't help often).
After compiling my cheapest meals and recipes, I decided to share them with my lovely readers! Who wouldn't like to save money on food? As a frugal food blog, I figured this totally fits in the niche, and I'm excited to share it with you!
So here's a 30 day meal plan for family of 4, I hope you enjoy!
For more meal plans, check out my $180 Monthly Meal Plan for Family of 4.
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 these Cheap Pantry Meals and Cheap Family Dinners Under $10. You should also check out our helpful post on How to Save Money by Stretching Meat or How to Reuse Leftover Food (100 ideas).
Week 1
Monday
Dinner- Breakfast for dinner. Homemade Sugar Free Pancakes, A can of sliced peaches (split between us 4), 2 sausage links each, and 1 fried or scrambled egg each (depending on who wanted what).
Tuesday
Dinner- 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.
Wednesday
Dinner- Bacon Fried Rice. With meat, veggies and starches in one pan, there's no need for side dishes.
Thursday
Dinner- Tomato Soup Chili and a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix.
Friday
Dinner- Sheet Pan Chicken Drumsticks and Potatoes.
Saturday
Dinner- 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
Dinner- Cooked up some Instant Pot Hot Dogs and (2) prepared boxed of Kraft Mac and Cheese. You can also added a side of steamed broccoli. (Reserved 3 hotdogs for a future meal).
Monday
Dinner- Baked French Bread Pizzas were made with a loaf of .47 loaf of french bread for the discounted day old bread rack. I recommend saving some pepperoni in the package to be used in a future meal.
Tuesday
Dinner- Air Fryer Frozen Garlic Bread and Lemon Garlic Butter Pasta with a side of steamed veggies.
Wednesday
Dinner- Hot Dog Fried Rice using the reserved hot dogs from Sunday.
Thursday
Dinner- Cheesy Potato Soup and a loaf of french bread.
Friday
Dinner- Honey Soy Chicken Bites and cooked white rice.
Saturday
Dinner- 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
Dinner- 3 Ingredient Crock Pot Pork Chops, prepared boxed stuffing, and some steamed broccoli.
Monday
Dinner- Enjoy breakfast for dinner with this Easy Spinach Bacon Quiche.
Tuesday
Dinner- My kids love when I cook up 5 Ingredient Mac and Cheese. I usually add some steamed veggies on the side.
Wednesday
Dinner- Cheesy Salsa Chicken and Rice Bake. This is a great recipe for using up leftover shredded chicken.
Thursday
Dinner- Poor Man's Beef Stew
Friday
Dinner- Blackened Chicken Alfredo I serve it with a side of cooked veggies. (The kids love broccoli, so it's usually that).
Saturday
Dinner- 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
Dinner- Simple Cherokee Fry Bread served with a can of chili and some shredded cheese on top.
Monday
Dinner- Breakfast for dinner! Dairy Free Waffles, sliced fresh strawberries, 2 strips of bacon, and one egg each.
Tuesday
Dinner- Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Bake (using the saved pepperoni from earlier in the month).
Wednesday
Dinner- Easy Shepherd's Pie with Instant Mashed Potatoes
Thursday
Dinner- Make Ahead Frozen Grilled Cheese and bowls of tomato soup
Friday
Dinner- Stuffed Chicken Legs and a simple green salad.
Saturday
Dinner- 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
Dinner- Simple Meatloaf Recipe with Oatmeal served with Instant Pot Boxed Au Gratin Potatoes and Roasted Frozen Cauliflower
Monday
Dinner- Breakfast for dinner with Sourdough French Toast, hashbrowns, and a sliced ham steak.
Tuesday
Dinner- Spaghetti and Air Fryer Frozen Garlic Bread with a side of The Best Canned Green Bean Recipe.
Wednesday
Dinner- Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs, Angel Hair Pasta Roni, and Steamed Mixed Veggies or Roasted Frozen Green Beans.
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