Low-cost meals

This is taken from the book, Happily Frugal: a wise money management workbook. In chapter 12, I teach about feeding a family frugally. Check out that book here and get your copy today.

Here is a list of low budget foods. I hope this helps you have more to eat on a tight budget.
 
BEVERAGES

• Water from the tap if it’s safe or use store brand bottled water bought in large cases
• Tea from bags or loose tea
• Powdered lemonade
• Hot chocolate
• Coffee, homemade
• Homemade iced coffee 
• Fruit smoothies from homegrown berries

 
BREAKFAST

• Eggs 
• Oatmeal from steel cut oats or packaged instant oatmeal
• Cream of wheat
• Pancakes
• Waffles
• French toast
• Biscuits and gravy
• Breakfast potato dish
• Sides
  • Toast and butter, jelly, or jam
  • Biscuits
  • Hash browns  
  • Muffins
  • Bagels  
  • Hard boiled eggs

 
SNACKS

• Yogurt
• Apples
• Bananas
• Blueberries
• Grapes  
• Strawberries
• Carrots dipped in ranch
• Cucumbers dipped in ranch
• Celery and peanut butter
• Apple cinnamon chips
• Dill pickles
• Sliced tomato, salted
• Some peppers can be eaten as a snack
• Popcorn
• Potato chips
• Tortilla chips and dip
• Nachos and cheese  
• Quesadillas
• Pretzels
• Nuts such as honey roasted peanuts
• Trail mix
• Crackers and peanut butter
• Cheese and crackers
• Graham crackers
• Fruit and grain bars
• Granola bars
• Toast with jelly or jam or preserves
• Bread and butter
• Hard boiled eggs
• Pizza rolls
• Pin rolls
  

 
LUNCH (higher carb meals)
Casseroles, sandwiches, subs, pizza, pasta

• Pot pies
• Chicken and dumplings casserole
• Casserole dish of potatoes, carrots, chicken, and cream of soup
• Pantry dump casserole – canned veggies, canned cream of soups, topped with biscuit mix
• Peanut butter sandwich
• Grilled cheese  
• Chicken patty sandwiches
• Turkey dogs or hot dogs
• BLT (bacon, lettuce, and tomato on bread with mayo)
• Tuna sandwich
• Lunch meat sandwich 
• Sloppy joes
• Burgers
• Pizza
• Macaroni and cheese
• Goulash  
• Chili mac 
• Spanish rice casserole
• Tuna noodles
• Cheesy potato and green beans casserole
• Chicken and broccoli alfredo
• Spaghetti (leave out the meat to save money)
• Chili Sgetti (angel noodles, red kidney beans, diced tomatoes, sauce)
• Ravioli
• Any pastas that don’t require meat or expensive cheese

 
DINNER (lower carb meals)
Salads, soups, stews, chili, stir fry, tacos, burritos, fajitas, wraps, chicken, fish 

• Salad
• Tomato soup
• Potato and broccoli soup
• Chicken noodle soup
• Chicken and veggies soup
• Veggie soup
• Veggie stew (potatoes, carrots, green beans, corn)
• Chicken and dumplings 
• Cabbage rolls with turkey sausage
• Chili
• Chicken stir fry (chicken, veggies, peppers)
• Stuffed green peppers
• Potatoes and hash
• Tacos
• Burritos
• Veggie fajitas (peppers, tomatoes, sauce, in a wrap)
• Chicken fajitas
• Turkey wrap
• Fried chicken
• Chicken strips
• Baked chicken (lots of recipes that fit a low budget)
• Country fried chicken topped with white gravy
• Chicken nuggets
• Filet of fish

 
SIDE DISHES

• All things potato
  • Mashed potatoes 
  • Baked potatoes
  • Fries
  • Potato wedges
  • Hash browns
  • Tater tots
  • Scalloped potatoes
  • Baked sweet potatoes
  • Sweet potato fries
  • Yams
• Carrots
• Peas
• Green beans
• Corn
• Broccoli
• Brussel sprouts 
• Fried squash
• Butternut squash fries
• Roasted butternut squash
• Fried tomatoes
• Baked or fried apples
• Applesauce
• Baked beans
• Rice: white, brown, or Spanish rice (all are very cheap)
• Packages of flavored rice
• Fried rice with vegetables
• Stuffing
• Cornbread
• Deviled eggs
• Onion rings
• Coleslaw
• Macaroni salad
• Potato salad
• Rolls
• Garlic bread
• Bread and butter
• Fish sticks  

 
DESSERT  

• Ice cream
• Frozen yogurt
• Frozen pudding
• Hot or cold pudding
• Popcorn
• Cake – homemade cake even from a box is very affordable
• Dump cake
• Cupcakes  
• Homemade funnel cake
• Churros
• Bread pudding 
• Brownies    
• Gelatin dessert   
• Cookies
• Pie
• Apple crumble  
• Blueberry buckle
• Buckeyes
• Peanut butter fudge
• Puppy chow
• Smores
• Smores in a pan
• Rice Krispie treats
• Potato candy
• Caramel apples
  

What are some low-cost meals you have in your family? Comment below.

We all have times that money is extra tight and the food budget is crunched. Here is a list of extremely low budget foods.
 

• Water from the tap
• Anything from the garden
• Eggs
• Steel cut oats
• Pancakes
• Biscuits
• Homemade bread 

 

• Sandwiches
  • Peanut butter  
  • Grilled cheese  
  • Tuna  
  • Egg salad
  • Mayo, lettuce, and tomato  
• Pantry dump casserole
• Veggie stew (potatoes, carrots, cabbage, 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

 

• Potatoes any way you like them
• Green beans
• Corn 
• Cornbread
• Stuffing
• Beans
• Rice (white, brown, Spanish, packets of flavored rice)

I hope this is helpful to you. If you would benefit from more ways to save money, invest in a copy of Happily Frugal. Get your copy today.