Cheap Eats: Stretch Your Budget with Thrifty $1 Meals

By the author of

What to Eat When You’re Broke and  How to Prep When You’re Broke

Times are really tight, and the price of food is only going up. If you’re like us, sometimes your week outlasts your groceries. Inflation, shrinkflation, and all the other “flations” are hitting Americans hard, especially those who were already on tight budgets.

One of the best ways I’ve found to stretch the grocery budget is by adding in “Cheap Eats.”  We had a whole roster of such meals when my daughters were younger. The criteria for “Cheap Eats” was that it had to be reasonably filling, quick to make, (cooking utilities add up too), and less than a dollar a serving.

Note: Inflation may have made some of these things a bit more than a dollar, but they’re still the least expensive choices at the store.

Let me preface this with the fact that Cheap Eats aren’t necessarily the healthiest of meals, but when your budget is tightened to this level, you can’t afford fancy organic crackers made from gluten-free grains ground with volcanic stones under the full moon. So, while you want to be as balanced as you can in order to stay healthy, your healthy diet is likely to suffer when times are tough.

My usual Cheap Eats strategy is to have a thrifty breakfast and lunch, and then a nicer meal at supper time. But if times are really bad, you could be looking at Cheap Eats three meals a day for a little while. For the sake of tolerable nutrition, mix it up. Don’t eat ramen three meals a day, every day.

For more ideas on thrifty food, including tons of recipes and shopping lists, check out my book, What to Eat When You’re Broke.

25 Cheap Eats

I consider breakfast to be interchangeable with other meals, so I’ve compiled a single list of our family’s Cheap Eats. Go with the generic or store brand for the best prices.

1. Peanut butter and saltines (or graham crackers)
2. Oatmeal
3. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
4. Bean burrito
5. Macaroni and cheese (from a box – here are some tasty ways to improve that meal)
6. Pasta and canned marinara
7. Canned soup and toast or crackers
8. Canned pasta (Only if found on sale)
9. Egg-fried rice
10. Noodle bowls (ramen, etc.)
11. Apple with peanut butter
12. Eggs and toast
13. Tuna sandwich
14. Baked potato with butter
15. Potato soup
16. Rice, frozen veggies, soy sauce
17. Beans and rice (made with canned beans)
18. Split pea soup
19. Tortilla crust pizzas
20. Pancakes
21. Pasta salad with tuna and mayo
22. Baked beans and weenies
23. Chicken and dumplings
24. Biscuits and gravy
25. Breakfast burritos with eggs and whatever you have on hand

Some thrifty meat choices to add to these ideas above:

• Chicken drumsticks and thighs
• Frozen chicken and rib meat
• Frozen ground turkey tubes
• Last day of sale meat purchases
• Hot dogs
• Canned tuna

I’ve found Aldi’s freezer aisle to be a Godsend for cheap meat, so if you have one of those around, you should check it out!

If you can afford a little more, Walmart’s frozen veggies are $1 for the small bag, give or take. Some broccoli or green peas can add much needed nutrients to the meals above.

How to get your family on board with Cheap Eats

When you change your eating style dramatically, you generally need to have a conversation with your family members. I find you get fewer complaints when you discuss things as opposed to laying down the law. Here are some tips for talking to your kids about the family’s financial problems.

If you have picky eaters in the house this will be a bit more difficult. Try to find at least a handful of things your picky person will eat without complaint that fit into the Cheap Eats category. Here are some more tips on dealing with picky eaters.

Cheap Eats can be a real budget saver when it comes to food or when you’re trying to get through a tight spot. What are your favorite meals that cost less than a dollar a serving? Let’s talk about it in the comments section!

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Previously published on TheFrugalite.com

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