Meal Planning Archives - Page 5 of 10 - I Heart Frugal

Meal Planning

Meal planning at it’s finest and the recipes to boot!

50 Cheap Family Meals That Will Fill You Up – Most Under $10

Are you looking for cheap family meals that your family will eat and love? (updated 2/2021)

50 Cheap Family Meals | Cheap Dinner Ideas | Cheap Family Dinner | Cheap Easy Family Meals | Healthy Cheap Meals
50 Cheap Family Meals

So many times, cheap family meals do not make enough to feed an entire family. Your family is left snacking all evening and this is costing you money!

If there is one thing I LOVE, it is saving money.

So today I have compiled a resource to help you solve your cheap family meals dilemma. Below you will find over 50 cheap dinner ideas that will fill your stomach and your hearts because they are all made with love.

One of my favorite ways to save money on groceries is to use meal planning. You could easily make a bi-weekly meal plan using any of the cheap dinners below.

Be sure to sign up for my meal planning pack, and add in your dinners and fill your shopping list for weekly or bi-weekly cheap family meals and save money on your groceries.

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.

 Check out my favorite ways to save money below:

Ibotta Ibotta is an awesome money-saving app that allows you to receive rebates for stuff you already buy. All you have to do is find your store and search the available rebates for that week. Once you find your rebates, start shopping. Next, send your receipt by taking a picture and uploading it which is super easy. I suggest doing this right when you get home from the store so you do not forget. It is as easy as taking a simple picture and clicking your rebates! Ibotta has recently added some online shopping to their app as well, so you have more options. Use my link and receive a $10 sign up bonus when you redeem your first rebate! Read more about Ibotta here: Ibotta, Awesome Rebate and Money Making App.

(more…)

Super Easy Chicken Cucumber Salad Recipe

Super Easy Pasta Chicken Cucumber Salad
Super Easy Pasta Chicken Cucumber Salad

Are you looking for some frugal and easy recipes to serve your family this summer? This Chicken Cucumber Salad Recipe will not disappoint.

Summer is a time to relax and spend with your family, so cooking five-courses meals may not be on your agenda. (Or mine!)

If you are like me, you want something quick and easy that won’t heat up the entire house by using the oven.

I make this salad for parties, lunch, and as a full meal with chicken added. The best part is, it is SO easy to make and only takes a few minutes to whip up.

If you are able to boil pasta and cut up vegetables, then you can make this!

Are you headed to a party for the fourth? I made this for my son’s birthday party last summer and the bowl was empty when the party was over. I like to make dishes for holiday parties that incorporate fruits or vegetables so my kids aren’t eating junk food all day. This includes tomatoes and cucumbers as part of the salad so yay for nutrition!

Let’s Talk Price For Your Chicken Cucumber Salad Recipe

Not to mention, I LOVE saving money and this salad will not break the bank with only five ingredients (well, add a bit of salt and pepper on top of the five) and you have a great meal for around $6-7 depending on where and how much you spend on your chicken.

I bought mine at Target and got six pieces of fresh chicken for $5.79. That is under $1 per piece, so my salad priced out around $6!

Don’t forget you can make it veggie style if you are on a tight budget. I usually don’t add chicken if I am making it for a side dish for a party. So that’s around $4 for a hearty side dish.

(more…)

Cheap Meal Plan for Two – Under $30 for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Cheap Meal Plan for Two
Cheap Meal Plan for Two

How many times has five o’clock rolled around and there is nothing on your table for dinner? You frantically start searching for something to eat, but nothing sounds good. You wish you had a cheap meal plan for two but you didn’t take the time to plan anything out this week.

So what do you do? You get out your flyers and call for takeout spending $20-$30 on one meal because well, it’s easy.

This is commonplace in many households and ordering take out and going out to eat could literally be killing your budget as I write this.

If you are doing this just few times a week, you are adding $20-60 to your budget.

What if you could find a way to cut your food bill and keep some of that money in your pocket?

Have you considered using meal planning? Meal planning is a great way to cut money from your budget.

Often we find ourselves over-spending and wind up in debt. However, if you are trying to get yourself back on track or avoid going into debt altogether, meal planning can save you so much on your food bill.

One way people go overboard on their food budget is by frequently going out to eat. If this is a favorite of yours, I’m not saying to cut it out completely. However, maybe cut back your restaurant trips to once every two weeks and eat at home for every other meal.

Start tracking your food spending. I bet at the end of the month, you will have saved at least $50, if not more.


Related Money-Saving Posts:


Reasons to Try My Cheap Meal Plan for Two Under $30:

There are many reasons to start meal planning, but my favorite is to save money! However, meal planning can also save your time and your sanity! It takes the stress out of dinner time by carefully planning your meals, shopping for your ingredients, and having things on-hand so you are not making extra trips to the store where you will be tempted to spend more.

Best Reasons to Meal Plan:

  • Time – You will save time NOT making last-minute trips to the store and searching your cupboards when everyone is hungry.
  • Money – You will save money because you will not go out to eat or order takeout on a whim. Cooking at home is much cheaper.
  • Stress – You will not be stressed out when dinner time rolls around and you can’t find anything to make or need to run back to the store for an ingredient.

Suggested Reading: 7 Lies You Have Heard About Meal Planning and How to Start

I’ve used meal planning for most of my adult life and what I found: It is not hard, you just need to make a plan and stick to it! Finding cheap meals that will feed your family is possible and you CAN save more on your grocery bill. 

I promise you, meal planning will save you money!

Grab your free Meal Plan and Menu Template

Click here to grab your Meal Plan Packet

(more…)

Mother’s Day Brunch Roundup on a Budget

Mother’s Day Brunch Roundup

Mother’s Day Brunch Roundup on a Budget
Mother’s Day Brunch Roundup on a Budget

What are you doing for Mother’s Day this year? Going out for a nice brunch is always popular. Yet, if you are on a budget, you may not be able to foot the entire bill for the family. So making your own Mother’s Day budget brunch at home is a fabulous option. Planning a brunch would be such a treat!

Why not, instead, make momma something she will love and save your money for your bills. Momma would be SO proud of how she raised such a financially responsible person.

And if you are the hubby, trying to find something to do, these would be amazing options for breakfast in bed. Help the kids whip up one of these tasty dishes and serve mom while she relaxes and sleeps in! This is every mother’s dream!

Also, the best part is when it is homemade, mom knows came from the heart.

Think of all the things mom does for you! Washing your clothes, making you dinner, cleaning the house, putting away toys… The list goes on and on. Doesn’t mom deserve something special this year?

(more…)

Best Meal Planning Tips Series to Make you a Pro – Day 5 Stay Sane

Budget Meal Planning Tips - Stay Sane
Budget Meal Planning Tips – Stay Sane

Best Meal Planning Tips to Make you a Pro Day 5 – Stay Sane

If you are not a natural planner meal planning can seem frustrating which may cause you to give up. Keep in mind, meal planning doesn’t have to be hard and you can reuse recipes to save time. Try cooking the same meal plan for two weeks and double it for a month’s worth of meals. After you get the hang of it, add a few new recipes to your repertoire.

Meal planning is meant to help you save time and money but the first few hours of creating your plan and shopping may seem daunting, you will be glad the rest of the month because you will be on top of things and you will not have to worry about what’s for dinner or if you have the right ingredients on hand.

(more…)

1 3 4 5 6 7 10