Will you give me a week's (7 days) dinner menu, for the lowest cost possible?!
Will you give me a week's (7 days) dinner menu, for the lowest cost possible?
I need some ideas for some cheap meals that will feed 2 adults and two kids,3 & 4 y/o. Can you help me to budget better? Tell me what to serve each night, for 7 days. And at a budget price. I'm talking generic. We gotta start livivg frugal.
Thanks to anyone who can help!
2 weeks ago
Oh, yeah.
We do eat meats, chicken, beef, pork... But we don't have to have it with every meal.
Answers:
2 weeks ago
Oh, yeah.
We do eat meats, chicken, beef, pork... But we don't have to have it with every meal.
Roast chicken....$6, you get two nights out of it.
Take your pick of two meals out of the following
Chicken on salad ...you can add hard-boiled eggs for more protein, shredded cheese (but a big bag pre-shredded, it's cheaper than a brick by ounce, and will last you all week), bagged salad (1$), and whatever cheap veggies you can find to fill it up. Veggies are cheap this time of year, so you should have no problem with that.
Chicken quesadillas ...tortilla's ($2) with salsa (3), cheese, chicken, black beans, olives, whatever you have on hand (broccoli left over from your salad etc)
Throw some chicken into some cooked whole wheat pasta (it's more expensive than white, but you'll stay full longer and eat less...the price evens out), add steamed frozen veggies, some olive oil, garlic and spices. (you can also make a easy version of fettuccine alfredo by adding a small container of garlic cream cheese ($3) and letting it melt in the pasta, adding milk to make it creamier.
OK, so after you've chosen 2 of those meals you need 5 more.
Homemade hamburgers with roasted potatoes or oven fries (cut up potatoes, drizzle with olive oil, spices and bake in oven at high temp until soft on the inside and crispy on the outside).
Soup and sandwich night! Grilled cheese with tomato soup (meatless) or chicken noodle soup, add an egg or two when cooking, and serve with bologna or ham sandwiches
Kraft dinner with your choice of a meat (ham, tuna, sliced hotdogs or cooked ground beef) and a veggie (peas & carrots, broccoli, corn)
Pork cutlets, browned in a pan, add LF mushroom soup as a sauce and extra mushrooms if you like and serve alongside pierogies ($3/bag that should last 2 dinners) that have been boiled and then broiled on parchment paper until crisp (I brush them with olive oil and season with spices before baking)
Minute steaks with fried mushrooms, onions and baked potato on the side.
store bought pizza ($6) and serve with spaghetti with a plain tomato sauce (pizza-ghetti)
A big baked potato covered in chili, or cheese and broccoli, tuna, or whatever floats your boat is a very cheap and filling meal. And healthy as long as you don't drown it in butter
Canned chili and toast
Like I said, veggies are very cheap this time of year. Always have sliced veggies in your fridge to serve with supper, serve them cold. Kids prefer them that way. They can dip them in salad dressing.
Source(s):
I used to have to feed my family of 4 for $20/week total, including breakfasts, snacks and lunches for school. I baked everything, buns, bread (still do -- the kids love my bread and homemade raisin bread), snacks etc. Some of the meals we used to make back then we still do....I left out the really unhealthy ones like all pasta, chicken & dumplings, etc.
Check out this food network site:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_rm/...
Shopping List
4 (2 lbs.) boneless chicken breasts (sale)
$4.00
4 Tbsp. butter $.50
1 tsp. dried basil leaves $.25
1/4 tsp. dried oregano leaves $.25
1 garlic clove $.15
1/2 cup parmesan cheese $.50
Chicken = $5.65
1 16 oz package frozen broccoli $1.00
1 16 oz package frozen carrots $1.00
1/2 onion $.50
3 more garlic cloves $.45
2 tbs. olive oil $.50
Veggies = $3.45
1 1/2 cups brown rice $.50
2 1/2 cups water pretty much free
2 more Tbsp. butter $.25
1 tsp. salt pretty much free
Rice = $.75
Total Cost = $9.85
Directions
Start the rice first. I use brown rice because it is more nutritious than white rice. Nuke the water in the microwave for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and put the rice, butter and salt in a baking dish. Pour the hot water over top, put the lid on, and put it in the oven.
Next, work on the chicken. Melt 4 Tbsp. butter. Combine the parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, and garlic in a shallow dish. Coat each chicken breast with butter, then with cheese mixture. Place in a baking dish. Put this in the oven, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until no longer pink.
Finally, prepare the veggies. Chop up the onion and garlic. Put this in a baking dish along with the frozen veggies, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and pour olive oil over top. Stir to coat all the veggies with oil. Put this in the oven, uncovered, with the rice and chicken.
When the chicken is done, everything else should be done too. You may want to stir the veggies halfway through. I'm sure this could be made even more thrifty using thriftier cuts of chicken. While it's all in the oven, you are free to clean up the kitchen, surf thriftyfun.com, or whatever else you need to do.
hope that helps and there are other meals on the site =)
Kraft Dinner with no milk and no butter, if you buy it in a wholesale store, it should work out to about 37 cents per box, You can feed 4 people with the box so if you have dinner 7 days a week, 7 x 37 is 2.59$, including taxes.
well :
turkey sausage and red beans& rice w/cornbread (turkey sausage $2.00 beans and rice 99 cents 2 boxes of cornbread mix $1.00) whole meal under $5
hamburger helper w/ biscuits and corn (h.helper $2 biscuits $1.50 can of corn 99cents) whole meal under $5
hot dogs and baked beans (hot dogs $2, buns $1.50 can of beans $1) another meal under $5
pancakes and eggs breakfast for dinner ( pancake mix $1.50 dozen of eggs $1 syrup $1.50) another meal for under $5
well I didnt think of 7 meals but from what I gave you added to what others give you good luck...I had to do it for years too it can be done and Im sure if you are consciense of it you can do it too
You question is an complicated one. Without knowing what you have to work with or how the local prices are it would be difficult to determine. However, the absolutel cheapest way I know is Ramen noodles, hot dogs, and mac and cheese of course if you have that bare bones of a budget I suggest asking for help from the governemt, i.e. WIC, food stamps, etc, or one of you get a second job. Not sure why you need a budget for only 7 days but whatever those are my suggestions
Veggies feed, fruits clean, grains build, soy silk, olive oil, vinegar, green tea: eat all the veggies, fruits, nuts and cheeses as possible and beans, pasta, rice are also good...if you stay away from meats until weekend and then only go organic, you will be healthy in body and bank...
this is my diet and I lost all the added weight I carried from all the steroids, anitbiotics, and hormones my body stored that we lovingly call love handles...that was what came off...feel great and look much better...and I save money and don't worry about what I eat...
If you don't already have a crockpot, go buy one at your local dollar general store or someplace like that. They usually run around $15 - $30 dollars. It is a very good investment.
You can throw stuff in the crockpot/slowcooker in the morning and it will be ready when you get home. And, it takes inexpensive cuts of meat and really tenderizes them, saving you money by not buying costlier choices of meats.
You can fix breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and even cakes and brownies in crockpots.
How about any of the following:
pot roast and veggies
chicken and stuffing
macaroni and cheese
breakfast casserole
any types of soups
spaghetti or lasagna
beans and rice
enchilidias
mexican casseroles
hot dogs and beans
pigs in a blanket
tatertot casserole
If there is a library nearby, check out books on freezing meals. This lady has recipes that can be cooked and then frozen for later, so you are actually cooking the meal one time, but eating that night and saving half for later, so you save time and money. Does that make sense?
Frozen Assets Readers' Favorites: Cook for a Day: Eat for a Month
Author: Deborah Taylor-Hough
ISBN: 9781891400186
While you are at the library or online, search for some crockpot/slowcooker recipes. There are lots of them out there.
Use generics whenever possible. Many grocery stores have their own versions and they are usually cheaper, and they usually taste just as good as name brands.
And if you search online for 'budget recipes', you will find lots of websites that break down recipes by cost and servings.
Good luck!
as a single mom I always had to make due with what I had and sometimes that wasnt much...you can shop at some of the stores to save money such as the 99cent stores for staples, we have a food outlet here which gives great prices on cheeses and lots of different things are much cheaper there...but make sure if you like it get alot most of the time it is not there again...being a butchers daughter, I learned some great things to save money..you can get the lower cost cuts of meat and cook them slow in a crock pot for long periods of time to get some great meals...chicken thighs are much cheaper than breasts and more moist..get a large roast and cut it down yourself for smaller steaks, which is cheaper, always ask the butcher do they have a counter for older meat which is usually better tasting but doesnt look as good...a brown steak is much more tender and better flavor than a red one...look for close out shelves in the grocers, and if you can buy in bulk, it is much cheaper in the long run...and dont forget the coupon game, my dad came home with $148 worth of grocerys and paid $26 dollars for them, get to know your markets I have to drive to two but save lots that way, the one has low priced produce but high meats and the other has great meats but higher priced produce...so it is a homework type issue that saves lots of money!
some of the meals I used to make and the kids and now my husband loves are these:
....add a can of chile to premade mac and cheese and sometimes if I had the money I would add about 1/2 cup os sour cream which makes it even better serve with green beans and crackers or tortilla chips., add some fruit and you have a quick filling meal
next: Pocket dinners are a God send...which can be different every night and the family loves them till this day..we also take them camping ..get heavy duty foil (has to be heavey duty or double fold your foil) and make boats by placing them over a bowl of some sort...low and flat is best...I would buy a 1/2 lb of each (depending on what we were in the mood for but with us seafood was always a treat) shrimp(the bags of shrimp are cheaper), scallops(the big ones cut up), salmon, whatever was on sale at the time..or sometimes I get the cheap cuts of pork, beef and chicken-(if you get the bags of frozen breasts it is cheaper)... which you can add all 3 meats or separate...chop into bite size pieces...this meal is very versatile...if someone doesnt like something just dont add it. great for pickey eaters ....at least three kinds of fresh veggies my last one had mushrooms, fresh green beans, onion, brocli and summer squash, which are always cheap in season...cut everything into bite size pieces and put one or more pats of butter in each bottom, add the veggies and meats, add spices, sometimes I ad a shot of wine to it or gravy or use a packet of taco mix or fahita mix..for a mexican flair... then I close up by rolling the tops and crimping the ends and you can put these on the grill if it is too hot inside or in the oven if it is cool...cook them around 20 min each depending on the meat...when they are ready put the whole boat on a plate, unwrap, be careful lots of steam in these...and add a fork some fruit and you have a great meal for very little money..I have use hundreds of different combos and the best part is no dishes!...if alot is left from the meals, put it all in one dish and use it for a cassarole the next day putting a can of cheese or mushroom soup over it and baking for 20 min or so...a whole new meal...
then also: a box of some kind of pasta, such as three cheese pasta by rice a roni or rice a roni itself..butter a cassarole dish, put raw pasta and the water milk and packet in the cassarole dish(not cooked)stir...add meat, any kind..again I add shelled shrimp and scallops(our favorites) stir...then add a good layer of parmasan cheese and bake for 35 min at 350...never have to put away leftovers on that one either!
a great snack for the kids is 1 cup peanut butter-1 cup NON instant nonfat dry milk..has to be non instant...1 cup honey(if you use different kinds it gives it different flavors..such a clover compared to orange(which the kids like the most) add together...roll into balls and you can have fun with the kids here by putting different kinds of things to roll them in, one of the cake decorating sets is good for this...and then put in fridge...this has the best array of calcium, protien and carbs for the kids and they love them.
next : another meal we love is lots of steamed veggies with different kinds of dips which if you put a packet of dry onion soup or dry ranch dressing with a pint of sour cream they are wonderful..kids love to dip things...end it with strawberries in chocolate dip...
next: pork chops or (any kind of cut of pork) browned first in alittle oil then put in a cassarole dish or electric frying pan a can of cream of mushroom soup (not with water) baked on top of them (if you have a electric frying pan it works best) but does well in oven at 350 for 45 min. cut tater sliced in it to and make sure all is covered in soup..add a bit of water if need be...
next: plain ol mac and cheese with hot dogs or better yet some sort of sausage like kavasa or polish in it ..serve with a veggie and fruit and you have a whole meal.
next: take tater tots and cover in bottom of oiled cassarole dish and put a layer of cheese or 1/2 can of cheese soup over them then a can of chile spread out over them and a layer of green beans or corn, another layer of cheese.and bake for 35 min at 350....again..you can be so versitle here. a can of beef barley soup instead of chile and corn or squash instead of beans but keep the cheese..this makes a whole different meal but just as good, the tater tots turn into a layer of taters that captures all the flavors....serve with jello layered with fruit to make it really special.
we would also have a sandwhich night, meatloaf is always good, turkey burger is cheaper than hamburger...kids like the can of bisquits around hot dogs baked some with cheese on them or bacon around the dog then the bisquit...a quick and easy meal....once in awhile a meal of a tomatoe scooped out and a combo of chopped artichoke hearts, tuna or salmon, onion and sweet pickles with a dab of mayo mixed together in the middle is good...and dont forget the breakfast omelette meal...good any time of day..hope it helps...