A friend asked in a FB group that I’m in about cheap and easy meal ideas that don’t take a lot of effort and could fit into a budget for a friend of hers. Not real sure how much the budget is but I’m gathering it needs to be as little as possible.
I always write out my responses in a word document before I post on Facebook because it usually takes me so long to get it done. I’m not a person of few words. Unfortunately…
Well, once I got some meal ideas put together and all written out I thought…
“I can’t put that much on Facebook!! Good Lord, it would overwhelm the crud outta anybody who reads it!”
I still wanted to help so I decided to put it in a blog post and then send the link to my friend. I hope this helps some others out too.
If you are reading this and you are brand new to meal planning then easy meals like this may be just what you need to start off with so that meal planning doesn’t get overwhelming for you.
Hey, I started like this.
Here we go…
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Easy and Cheap Meal Ideas
Usually I just focus on dinner meal planning but let’s give it our best shot and see what we can put together here.
I have listed seven days worth of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you would like me to brainstorm more ideas for more days then let me know. I know you are shooting for a month’s worth of cheap and easy meals to help your friend out but I wanted to get something out there to get you started.
I may just brainstorm anyhow and add more dinners later. As far as breakfast and lunch goes, they can be repeated with just using different flavors of foods.
I have listed the meals for each day and the ingredients she will need for each meal. After each ingredient there are prices. All prices are from Walmart.com as a pickup order but still may differ depending on location.
Some of these will repeat so that she can use up all the groceries she buys so not to waste and save her some money.
I’m not sure how much the family eats so I will base some of these on how many servings are in the package.
Breakfast Meal Ideas
I don’t eat breakfast or even cook breakfast most of the time but I will do my best to help here. Some easy and cheap breakfasts that come to my mind in the moment are these.
Day 1
Oatmeal & Apples
- Instant Oatmeal – $1.72 for a box of 10 packets (use 5 packets)
- Sliced Apple – $2.80 for a bag of about 10 apples (slice 2 apples, ½ apple for each person)
Day 2
Biscuit, Gravy & Eggs
- Eggs – $1.37 large white, 18 count
- Biscuits – $3.38, 20 count frozen biscuits, (use 8)
- Gravy – $0.98 for canned or packet to cook on stove
Day 3
Cereal
- Cereal – $1.23 for a box of Great Value 12oz (use half the box)
- Milk – $1.98 for a gallon milk
Day 4
Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnamon Rolls – $1.23, 8 count so 2 for each person
Day 5
Oatmeal & Apples
- Instant Oatmeal – use remaining 5 packets
- Sliced Apple – slice 2 apples, ½ apple for each person
Day 6
Bacon, Egg & Cheese Sandwiches with Hash Browns
- Bacon – $3.47 (use 2 slices per sandwich then use the rest for soup beans for dinner)
- Eggs
- Cheese – (use 4 slices)
- Biscuits – (use 4 frozen biscuits)
- Hash Browns – $1.63, 10 count
Day 7
Cereal
- Cereal – use remaining
- Milk
Now for Lunch Meal Ideas
Again, I don’t cook lunch because I work during the day but let’s see what we can put together that is cheap and easy. I would think if she cooks in the morning for breakfast and she cooks dinner then lunches should be pretty easy things that don’t require much.
So, these will be sandwiches and chips. Again, if she wants a healthier twist then she can supplement the chips for veggies or add veggies to the lunches. For instance, carrots and ranch dressing would be pretty tasty. Or, celery sticks and peanut butter. These could also just be used as an afternoon snack.
Don’t forget about the apples you will have left over from Breakfast. If the bag of apples has ten in it then there will be six apples leftover for lunch or snack.
Day 1
Ham Sandwiches & Chips
- Ham – $3.36, Land O’ Frost Premium, 1 lb
- Bread – $0.88, 24 pieces (use 8 pieces)
- Cheese – $1.96, 24 count sliced (use 4 slices)
- Lettuce – $1.38, head iceberg
- Chips – $1.33, Great Value Flavored chips, bag says it has 8 servings but I’m going to calculate closer to 6 servings so 1 bag will take care of 1-1/2 lunches.
Day 2
Fried Bologna Sandwiches & Chips
- Bologna – $1.93, Fischer’s Thick Sliced.
- Cheese – (use 4 slices)
- Bread – (use 8 more pieces)
- Lettuce
- Chips – $1.33, Great Value Flavored chips
Day 3
Easy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches & Chips
- Cheese – use 2 slices per sandwich, so use 8 total slices
- Bread – (use final 8 slices from first loaf)
- Butter – $0.97, 4 sticks
- Onion –Slice or chop a 1/4 of the 1/2 onion. She will use the other 1/4 onion on Day 5 Dinner
- Chips – remaining chips from Day 2
Butter the bread on both sides and put on a flat skillet on medium-low heat. Brown one side of bread and then flip to the other side. Put your cheese slices and onions on one slice of bread and put your other slice on top so that the two outside pieces are left to brown on the bread. Once bread is browned remove from the skillet and slice in half or eat whole, if preferred. My kids like for it to be sliced in half diagonally. Who am I kidding… my husband and I do too!
Day 4
Turkey Sandwiches & Chips
- Turkey Breast – $3.36, Land O’ Frost Premium, 1 lb
- Bread – $0.88, 24 pieces (use 8 pieces)
- Cheese slice – (use remaining 4 slices of first pack)
- Lettuce
- Cucumber – $0.62 x 2 = $1.24. Use ½ cucumber per sandwich, sliced on sandwich or on the side.
- Chips – $1.33, Great Value Flavored chips
Day 5
Bologna Sandwiches & Chips
- Bologna – (use remaining bologna)
- Bread – (use remaining 8 pieces)
- Cheese – $1.96, 24 count sliced (use 4 slices)
- Lettuce
- Tomato – $0.82 Beefsteak
- Chips – $1.33, Great Value Flavored chips
Day 6
Easy Tuna Salad Sandwiches & Chips
- Tuna – $0.68 x 2 cans = $1.36
- Mayonnaise – $2.36
- Pickle Relish – $0.98
- Bread – $0.88, 24 pieces (use 8 pieces)
- Chips – $1.33, Great Value Flavored chips
Drain the 2 cans of tuna then add in mayonnaise and pickle relish to desire texture. Some like it with less which makes the sandwich more dry and others like it with more mayo and relish. I add a little at a time until I get it the way I like it. This also tastes really good if the bread is toasted.
Day 7
Soup & Crackers
- Canned Soup – $0.76 x 3 = $2.28 for GV Homestyle Chicken Noodle. I chose Homestyle because it is a heartier. She can choose any choose and it wouldn’t be over a couple dollar difference in total price.
- Crackers
GET 78 DINNER THEME NIGHT IDEAS
If you struggle trying to figure out what to put on the table Every. Single. Night. then grab these dinner theme night ideas to make this much easier and fun. You also get the How to Meal Plan Checklist and the What’s for Dinner worksheet.
Dinner Meal Ideas
For dinners, it sounds like she needs what I like to call “Backup Meals” when I talk meal planning. These are meals that are super easy to throw together, doesn’t take much time, effort or money. They may not be the healthiest choices but, hey, we gotta do, what we gotta do. To make them healthier she can throw in some steamed veggies straight from the freezer to the pot and done in five minutes for a buck.
Day 1
Tacos & Refried Beans
- 1 lb Hamburger – $2.88, frozen
- Taco Seasoning – $0.44
- Lettuce – $1.62 shredded lettuce. She could get a head of lettuce for $1.38 and shred it herself but we are trying to keep this simple.
- Tomato – $0.82 Beefsteak
- Onion – $0.54 for single onion. A little cheaper per onion if she purchases a bag but not cheaper if she doesn’t use them up and they waste. Chop 1/2 onion and use the other 1/2 later.
- Taco Sauce – $1.34
- Flour Tortillas – $2.28, 10 count
- Refried Beans – $0.82
- Shredded Cheese – $2.77, 16 oz. Shredded cheese will be used a few times week.
Brown hamburger over medium-high heat then add taco seasoning and enough water to mix up the taco seasoning. Let it heat through. Divide the taco meat up between the ten tortillas and add lettuce, chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, shredded cheese, and taco sauce. Spoon refried beans on plate and top with shredded cheese to melt.
Day 2
Pizza & Salad
- 2 Frozen Pizza – $2.78 x 2 = $5.56 (did 2 here because I know my family of four would eat this much)
- Salad – $3.63 for salad kit with dressing
Day 3
Beef Stew & Crackers
- Beef Stew – $1.74 per can x 2 = $3.48
- Crackers – $0.77 for 4 sleeves, use ½ sleeve per person to have enough for Day 7 Lunch
Heat both cans and serve with crackers.
Day 4
Spaghetti & Bread
- Spaghetti – $0.82
- Spaghetti Sauce – $0.88
- 1 lb Hamburger – $2.88, frozen
- Shredded Cheese
- Bread – (use 8 pieces, 2 per person)
- Butter
Fry the hamburger in a pot and then when it’s done let it drain while cooking the spaghetti. This way you are only getting dirty one pot and then a baking sheet for the bread. The bread can be just regular ole white bread with a pat of butter in each corner and one in the center. Put it in the oven to broil enough to brown. My mom would have this with spaghetti when I was a kid. Top the spaghetti with shredded cheese.
Day 5
Hot Dogs & Chips
- Hot Dogs – $0.96
- Chips – remaining chips from Lunch
- Onions – chop remaining ¼ onion for topping
- Hot Dog Sauce – $0.44
- Hot Dog Buns – $0.88
- Shredded Cheese
Day 6
Pinto Beans in Slow Cooker & Biscuits
- Pinto Beans – $1.00, 16oz
- Bacon – remaining from Day 6 Breakfast
- Salt – $0.44
- Pepper – $2.68
- Biscuits – use remaining 8 frozen biscuits
Rinse and sort beans to make sure the tiny stones are removed. Put beans, 7-1/2 cups of water, bacon, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. Keep an eye on the beans to make sure they are tender but the outer layer doesn’t look like it’s falling off of them. After they are done if you let them sit for a while they will absorb more of the liquid to make them creamier. They usually don’t last that long in my house though. **sigh**
Day 7
Sloppy Joes & Chips
- 1 lb Hamburger – $2.88, frozen
- Sloppy Joe sauce – $0.82
- Hamburger Buns – $0.88
- Chips
Total for 7 days of Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner is $95.55
Other stuff she may need:
Cooking spray
Sandwich condiments:
- Mayonnaise
- Mustard
- Ketchup
How to Make the Meals a Little Cheaper
Keep in mind that if she repeats any of these meals very often then she could get a better price by buying in larger packages for any items that won’t ruin.
But be careful and mindful of what she has available to spend in each moment because the savings may not be enough to matter. I’m not sure if her funds are available to her monthly or weekly.
Like cheese slices. If she buys the 24 count then she will pay $0.0816 per slice but if she buys the 72 count box she will pay $0.0752 per slice. The savings to buy a 72 count box will only be $0.46.
And look at the hamburger. You may be wondering why I didn’t say to get a 3 lb roll of hamburger and just divide it. Well, I found that buying three 1 lb frozen hamburger rolls is cheaper than buying one 3 lb roll. Who would’ve guessed? But take a gander at this… the frozen 1 lb roll is $2.88 per roll. Multiply that by three rolls and you will pay $8.64. Now, a 3 lb roll of non-frozen hamburger is $8.77. It’s just a few cents difference but considering that you can have three packages already divided out and don’t need freezer bags. I think I will just go with the frozen and let it defrost in the fridge until I need it that week.
But let’s take a look a mayo. If her family eats a lot of mayo then it may be worth it to spend an extra $1.52 and buy the larger 48oz jar at $3.88. The 15oz jar is $0.157 per ounce and the 48oz jar is $0.081 per ounce so by buying the larger jar she would save $3.65.
Here’s a Grocery List
If you would like to just print it out, click Cheap & Easy Meals for 7 Days Grocery List. This one is sorted by department.
Walmart has this great service where you can shop online and choose their Pickup and then just swing by and pick up your groceries without ever having to get out of your vehicle.
- Instant Oatmeal, box of 10 packets
- Sliced Apple, bag of about 10 apples
- Eggs, large white, 18 count
- Biscuits, 20 count frozen biscuits
- Gravy, canned or packet
- Cereal, GV 12oz
- Milk, gallon milk
- Cinnamon Rolls, 8 count
- Bacon
- Hash Browns, 10 count
- Ham, Land O’ Frost Premium, 1 lb
- 3 loaves Bread, 24 pieces
- 2 packs Cheese, 24 count sliced
- Lettuce, head iceberg
- 5 bags Chips, Great Value Flavored
- Bologna, Fischer’s Thick Sliced
- Butter, 4 sticks
- Turkey Breast, Land O’ Frost Premium, 1 lb
- 2 Cucumber
- 2 Tomatoes, Beefsteak
- 2 cans Tuna
- Mayonnaise
- Pickle Relish
- 3 cans Canned Soup, GV Homestyle Chicken Noodle 10oz
- 3 packs 1 lb Hamburger, frozen
- Taco Seasoning
- Shredded Lettuce
- Onion
- Taco Sauce
- Flour Tortillas, 10 count
- Refried Beans
- Shredded Cheese, 16 oz. Shredded
- 2 Frozen Pizza
- Salad kit with dressing
- 2 cans Beef Stew
- Crackers
- Spaghetti
- Spaghetti Sauce
- Hot Dogs
- Hot Dog Sauce
- Hot Dog Buns
- Pinto Beans, 16oz
- Salt
- Pepper
- Hamburger Buns
- Sloppy Joe Sauce
I actually just wrote a post yesterday called 21 Awesome Free Meal Plans for Budget Meal Planning. Maybe you can find something there that can help too.
Truly hope this helps your friend.
IT’S UP TO YOU NOW
If you are ready to change the path of your future and starting working toward living a less stressed life and putting some extra cash back in your pocket, then you are ready to get yourself more organized.
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