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

Meal Planning

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

Easy, Budget Friendly Tuna Noodle Cassarole-Under $3

Budget-friendly tuna Noodle is one of my go-to meals!

My kids love it and it is easy to make. It is honestly the cheapest meal in my meal plan. If you love comfort food, this budget tuna noodle casserole is just what you need for a chilly fall or cold winter night.

This meal is so budget-friendly that we can get your cost down to under $3 for the entire meal. That’s an awesome deal for a family of four.

Easy, Budget Friendly Tuna Noodle
Easy, Budget-Friendly Tuna Noodle Casserole

One of the easiest ways to save money on food is to use meal planning. When you meal plan you have all of your ingredients and are not tempted to run back to the store where you will inevitably spend more. Also, you won’t be tempted to order take-out with high prices. Meal planning is the best way to keep your food bill low and keep your money in your walllet.

Meal Planning Posts:

Incorporate this into my meal planning sample and you will have another fall meal under your belt.

As I go along with this yummy recipe, I will give you prices and information on where to shop (Target,) to get the best deals on your ingredients.

Not a gourmet chef?  No worries! This recipe is so simple, if you can open a can, you can make it! Turn on your stove and start boiling that water because we are ready to cook.

Budget-Friendly Tuna Noodle Ingredients:

1 can tuna (.79)

1 can mushroom soup (.89 – stock up when on sale)

1/2 can peas (.99 save the other half & make again – so .50 for this meal total)

1/2 box of rotini or use what pasta you have on hand ( 1.00/ box -so .50 for this meal total)

Optional: Cheese for topping

image1-1
Boil water and add rotini

Budget-Friendly Tuna Noodle Casserole Directions:

1. Boil water (season with a dash of salt)  and add rotini

2. Cook rotini for about nine minutes and drain

3. Place rotini back in the pot

4. Dump the rest of the ingredients in the pot and stir (add a little salt and pepper to taste)

5. Plate and serve

Tuna Noodle

Optional: If you have shredded cheese on hand, sprinkle on top and/or melt in the microwave. You can also top with crunched-up chips or crackers.

 

Tuna Noodle
Budget-Friendly Tuna Noodle

 

All of my ingredients were Market Pantry brand purchased at Target using my Target Redcard to score an extra 5% off my entire order, which brings my meal cost to $2.55!! Yummy and cheap!

Related Post:

  1. Budget-Friendly Meal Planning
  2. Budget-Friendly Chili
  3. 50 Cheap Meals that Will Fill Up Your Family
  4. 50 Make-Ahead Tailgate Foods for Your Tailgate Menu
  5. Budget-Friendly Two-Week Dinner Meal Plan – Under $75
  6. 55 Cheap Meals to Try When You Are Broke
  7. Cucumber Chicken Pasta Salad
  8. Avocado Turkey Sandwich

Budget-Friendly Meal Planning

Looking for ways to save money? Meal Planning is a quick easy solution to keep your budget on track.
Yummy & Budget-Friendly Meal Planning

Have you ever had one of those days, where the kids are screaming, starving, and on the verge of a meltdown, yet you have no idea what you are going to make for dinner? Trust me, we’ve all been there.

Dinner time can be one of the most stressful times of the day. Well, stress no more! One great way to save money and eliminate mealtime chaos is to use meal planning!! Using these simple tricks takes the guess-work out of a busy mom’s dinner schedule (or dad’s, depending on who is the chef in your home) and eliminates the chance of having multiple hangry-I mean hungry ;-)- kiddos. Furthermore, meal-planning helps you save food, money, and time.  It is a great way to use your recipes and use up frozen food lurking in the back of your freezer.

I usually plan out our meals monthly, starting at the beginning of the month. Today’s example will include two weeks’ worth of meal planning, which can be doubled for a month’s worth. (or for more ideas check out Budget-friendly Two Week Dinner Meal Plan for under $75)

I like to pay serious attention to the days my four-year-old has preschool and needs mommy right around meal-time.   I save the simple, kid-friendly meals or crock-pot meals, I can make in advance, for these evenings.  So play around with my sample and do what works for your schedule!

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Chili-Fall Budget Meal Under $4

Fall Budget Chili Recipe

Fall Chili Recipe

Crisp air, pumpkin patches, cider and donuts, football games, beautiful colored leafs-These these are just a few favorite things that are reminiscent of fall!! One other favorite, and maybe one of the best, is my budget-friendly chili recipe. This is a fall go-to recipe my entire family of four loves.

Every year around this time, I incorporate my quick easy, budget-friendly chili into my meal planning rotation. For those of you that do not cook, this recipe is so easy, you can’t go wrong!  In my next post I’ll give you an example of my two-week meal planning, but for now, here is my favorite chili recipe!


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Grab your free Meal Plan and Menu Template

Click here to grab your Meal Plan Packet

Since Chili is a go-to recipe I try to stock up on diced tomatoes, tomato paste, kidney beans, and ground beef when it is on sale. I freeze my ground beef and stockpile the canned goods. You will need to make a trip to the store for the fresh produce, but that is part of the reason this chili tastes so good! Fresh onion and green pepper! Not to mention, it makes your house smell amazing! What are you waiting for? Give this chili recipe a try this fall!

If you are really ready to save on groceries, check out my favorite cashback app Ibotta. I have literally earned hundreds back on food and groceries in the past few years and the app is easy to use, so why not get money back on the cheap meals you are about to make?

The best part about Ibotta is you do not need to clip coupons, which most of us dislike. Everything is organized on the app and it is easy to add your stores to your account or upload your receipt for some extra cashback when you finish your grocery shopping.

Sign up with my link and get $10 when you use it 


Fall Chili Budget Meal Ingredients:

1 lb. of ground beef (season with salt & pepper) – paid 2.99 on sale-stock up

1 large can 30 oz. diced tomato – paid 1.39

1/2 an onion – paid . 99(save other half & make again next week)

1 green pepper – paid .62

1 can kidney beans 15 oz. – paid .89 (rinse)

1/2 can tomato sauce 15 oz. – paid .99 (save other half & make again next week)

1/2 tablespoons chili powder paid 1.99 for an entire bottle (estimate .20  per use)

*optional*Dried red pepper-I don’t use because I make mine kid friendly, but some like it spicy.

(Most ingredients were purchased at Target using my REDcard to get an extra 5% off my purchase, the green pepper was purchased at Walmart.)

Yummy Cheap Chili

Fall Chili Recipe Directions:

1. In a large skillet, brown ground beef & drain grease

2. Add green pepper & onion to the meat and cook on medium heat until soft

3. Dump the rest of the ingredients in and stir-See, I told you.. easy, peasy

4. Simmer and stir on low for 30 minutes or longer

*I’ve made this ahead of time and left on the stove top for up to two hours.

Optional: Sprinkle with shredded cheese & dollop with sour cream

Yummy cheap chili
Yummy cheap chili

Enjoy Your Chili Fall Budget Meal!

Serve with crackers or garlic toast and ENJOY!!!!

For a family of four, this makes two meals. I have leftovers the following evening, cutting the meal cost in half and the mess! I love serving chili nachos the following day! Just top your chili over tortilla chips and add cheese and sour cream and you have another meal you don’t have to cook! The total cost was $7.67 (this includes my target red card 5% discount) or 3.83 per a meal. This chili is sure to be a winner and it is cheap and filling!

Budget-Friendly Food Related Post:

Don’t forget your free meal plan packet!!

Click here to grab your Meal Plan Packet

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How to Cook Pumpkin Seeds Recipe (So Easy)

Super Easy How to Cook Pumpkin Seeds Recipe:

Are you ready to carve your pumpkins? If so, don’t throw away your seeds just yet, Did you know pumpkin seeds are easy to clean and cook, to make a yummy, nutritious snack? Here is my easy recipe:

Save money in snacks and cook up those pumpkin seeds!
Save money on snacks and cook up those pumpkin seeds!

 

Pumpkin Seeds – The Money-Saving Snack

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE the fall! Yes, that time of year is right around the corner (of the corn maze).

Our favorite fall activity is visiting the pumpkin patch and picking a perfectly round, orange pumpkin off the vine! Our favorite farm has kid’s activities, a corn maze, and a train!

Since we are buying our pumpkins at the patch, they are usually cheaper than the supermarket so we save a little and have some family fun. My kids absolutely LOVE this family day trip!

Nonetheless, what better way to save money than to use something you were already going to buy – your great pumpkin! Don’t let the seeds go to waste. Be ready after carving to scoop them out and rinse them off.

You may be tempted to toss them, but they are super easy to cook and make into a yummy, healthy snack.

After you carve out your pumpkin, rinse those babies off, pat them dry, and stick them in the oven!! You now have a healthy snack (seeds are loaded with magnesium, potassium, and zinc). Depending on how many pumpkins you carve, you’ll have a yummy, nutritious snack for days. Enjoy my simple recipe! 

Easy “How to Cook Pumpkin Seeds” Recipe

1. Rinse your seeds well and pat dry. Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty to get off the pumpkin guts, but you want all of that gunk off your seeds before your cook them.

2. Grease your tray with olive oil (or cooking spray) & lay seeds in a single layer so they cook evenly.

3. Season (use salt or cinnamon & sugar for your sweet tooth). You can get crazy with your seasonings and mix it up with whatever y ou have. Nutmeg or something spicy will work too, but I’m a boring old salt kind of girl.

4. Cook at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

5. Cool & enjoy for around five minutes and enjoy.

6. Seal your leftovers and they should stay good for around two months in the refrigerator if you use an air-tight container, according to Allrecipes, or a week at room temperature.

Pumpkin Seed Recipe Final Thoughts…

Pumpkin seeds are an easy, delicious snack. It is a fun treat to keep the Halloween excitement going all month.

You can take “snacks” off your grocery list for a few days and enjoy your yummy treat! I hope you enjoy the recipe and have a great snack with your family! Happy Halloween!

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