What are the best frugal meals for the family?
Are you worried about your food budget? Lately, the price of everything is on the rise and as gas goes up, food prices follow. However, you can learn to save money on food and continue to feed your family on a budget, no matter how big or small.
This post contains affiliate links. This means if you click a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you, so thank you. This site uses cookies for a better user experience. For more information read our disclosure policy here.
If you are worried about not having enough food for your family, keep in mind, that there is no shame in asking for help. Contact your local food bank or church for extra help.
However, if you have a budget for food, but want to save money so you can spend that money on other bills or savings, here are five of the best frugal meal ideas for your family to try this week.
#1 Make a Casserole
If you are eating on a budget, making a casserole is an easy way to feed your family on a tight budget.
You can add so many different ingredients, so uses up what you have in your cupboards such as rice, beans frozen veggies, eggs, and many more.
You can create a simple casserole by using rice or pasta, a cream-based soup, some vegetables, and adding a protein like chicken, tuna, or turkey (which can be bought canned to save money.)
My favorite casserole (and my nine-year-old son’s) is tuna noodle casserole. I love adding cheese on top to give it more flavor! It is definitely a budget comfort food we make often in the winter.
#2 Whole Chicken or Turkey
If you are into clean eating, a whole chicken or turkey can go a long way. In fact, I love to buy a rotisserie chicken for around $5-$6 and use it for a few different meals. However, you will save more by getting one from the meat section and cooking it yourself. I love putting each in a crockpot for an easy way to cook your whole turkey or chicken.
Buying a whole chicken or turkey tends to cost less than buying cuts of each, and it will be more than enough to feed your family for a few meals (depending on the size of your family.)
#3 Breakfast for Dinner
My kids absolutely love it when I make breakfast for dinner. We usually make eggs and pancakes, but at other times I will break out my waffle maker and freeze the leftovers for breakfast. However, the cost of eggs has gone up too, but can still be a decently priced meal even with eggs, depending on how much they cost in your area. Around me, I can still get one dozen for around $3.00 which isn’t bad for a dinner price.
You can do so many things with eggs too. Scrambled, sunny-side up, over-easy, and omelets.
You can add a side of bacon or sausage too! (We often buy frozen sausage to save money.)
Breakfast sandwiches with English muffins, ham, and eggs are also a great idea that will fill up the family on a budget.
These meals are often way less expensive than making a meat-based dinner such as burgers or chicken breast.
The best part is breakfast for dinner is super easy to make! YUM! I think we will have this tonight!
Related: How to Buy Organic Food on a Budget
#4. Cook From Scratch to Save Money
Are you ready to cook? There are many pre-packed, pricy foods that can easily be made at home to save money.
Sure, it may be a little more work, but if you are looking to save, it is worth it.
Some foods that can be made from scratch include the following:
- granola
- protein balls
- hummus
- applesauce
- nut butter
It also helps to cut up fruit or buy snacks in bulk and split them up in reusable bags. You can buy your reusable bags here!
5. Chili and Soup
You are going to LOVE my budget chili recipe. You can check it out here: Budget Chili
It is a go-to fall recipe in our house and loves serving it with crackers or bread. It is super filling and my kids also love this recipe.
We also make soup and grilled cheese which is a hit in our house. At times, I make my own soup, but other times when we are rushed for time, I just open a can of soup. (Hey, it works)
5 Best Frugal Meals for the Family
These are the five best frugal meals my family loves. My kids will eat each and every one of these (which is rare), but if you find something that is cheap and your family actually likes it, stick with it!
If you are interested in more cheap and frugal meals, you can check out this post for more ideas: 55 Cheap and Frugal Meal Ideas (for when you are broke)
Related Budget Meal Planning Posts:
Healthy Budget-Friendly Instant Pot Recipes
Grab your Meal Plan Pack Here!
Please leave a comment and let me know what your favorite budget meals are! I would love some more ideas!
