Extremely low budget foods

23/6/2023

We all have times that money is extra tight and the food budget is crunched. Here is a list of extremely low budget foods. If you need a list of over 100 ways to save on food, read Happily Frugal.

This is from chapter 12 in my book, Happily Frugal.

Learn more about Happily Frugal

Breakfast

Eggs and toast
Oatmeal from steel cut oats
Pancakes
Muffins

Lunch or dinner

Peanut butter sandwich
Grilled cheese sandwich
Tuna sandwich
Egg salad sandwich
Mayo, lettuce, and tomato sandwich
Pantry dump casserole
Veggie stew (potatoes, carrots, green beans, top with sour cream)
Vegetarian chili
Tuna noodles
Any pasta that is noodles with sauce and veggies or beans, but no meat or expensive cheese
Boxed mac and cheese
Spanish rice casserole
Bean burritos
Spaghettios

Side dishes

Biscuits
Hashbrowns
Homemade bread
Bread and butter
Potatoes any way you like them
Green beans
Corn
Cornbread
Stuffing
Beans
Rice (white, brown, Spanish, packets of flavored rice)

Snacks

Hard boiled eggs
Crackers and peanut butter
Cheese and crackers
Toast with butter or jelly

Dessert

Popcorn
Gelatin dessert
Pudding
Cake that is homemade – even from a box it’s cheap per serving
Muffin bread (take 2 muffin mix bags and make a loaf with it)

Others

Anything from the garden

What else can you think of? Comment below.

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1 Comment

Leanna Mae

Apostolic Pentecostal Christian

international author

maternal-infant wellness educator

birth doula

breastfeeding specialist

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Emily

7/8/2026 21:25:38

Apostolic Pentecostal mama of eight kids here-i think you covered everything in this list! We like to eat Mac and cheese with a can of Rotel added for every two boxes of macaroni and cheese. We eat pinto beans and rice with tony's seasoning or salsa and sour cream (and shredded lettuce if we have it). Meat is reserved for Sunday lunch with family. Sauteed cabbage, vinegar slaw, or coleslaw are excellent and cheap side dishes, just take some extra time if you cut up the cabbage yourself. We eat steamed veggies that were frozen (98 cents a bag at most grocery stores for peas, green beans, or mixed veggies) as a side dish with most casseroles and pastas. We also like to do a pot of rice and serve it with steamed veggies, scrambled eggs, soy sauce, and Sriracha sauce or whatever random sauces in the fridge. Love your blog and testimony of how you got in truth! I shared your testimony with my husband and will with others. Please continue blogging!

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