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The Ultimate Cheap Weekly Meal Plan
If only we could find a way to have our stomachs and wallets filled at the same time! As impossible as it may sound, I honestly think that I’ve figured it out with this $19 Ultra Cheap Meal Plan for the Week!
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I mean, eating well…AND saving money! Sounds like a farfetched “take over the world” type scheme right? Sorry for sounding all “Pinky and the Brain”. But I really think I’ve discovered a way to enjoy delicious and satisfying meals, without going broke!
The answer is simply having a cheap meal plan for the week!
Now that I’ve dropped a reference to my favorite childhood cartoon, you know that not only am I trying to live my best life, take care of my family and enjoy nice things…but I’m a millennial as well!
I know how rough it is out there; surviving in a tough economy, cost of living soaring and living paycheck to paycheck. Being a self made success story isn’t the easiest feat nowadays. Affording the basics of life, while attempting to conquer childhood goals such as home ownership and driving a nice vehicle, is difficult.
Added to all that, are the pressures of social media. Now we are just expected to be able to afford fancy vacations, consume Instagram worthy food and flex with luxury overpriced drinking cups. Sigh!
It’s time take a deep breath and get a hold of your life and your expenses. And it starts with food!
A budget friendly, weekly meal plan is a game changer!
I’m not saying that you WILL be able to pay the full cash price for a house in a few years, if you follow this meal plan. However, I am going to be bold enough to say that it’s quite possible that you COULD! Let’s explore!
The Importance of Having a Cheap Meal Plan for the Week
When it comes to expenses, the good news is that we can control what we can. And with faith, resilience and confidence, we’d be able to tackle the realities of life that are beyond our control.
Saving money, living frugally and side hustling to supplement our income! These are the things that we can take care of. And that’s exactly why my wife and I were able to move into our dream home and be debt free at 33!
Yup! With smart financial practices, we were able to have our half million dollar, suburban house completely paid off in our early thirties!
One of our biggest life lessons, that we learned early on, is that:
No matter how much money you make, your expenses and lifestyle would always find a way to grow into that new budget. That’s why making money, saving money AND frugal living, all go hand in hand!
Having a cheap meal plan for the week, made up of food that we actually enjoy, changed our life. And it will change yours too! Here’s why!
Why Have a Cheap Weekly Meal Plan?
1. Food is a Major Expense
After accommodation and transportation, food is the third largest expense that the average person faces. Now considering that housing and transport fees are basically fixed bills, food is the largest expense that you are in full control of.
The average American spends around $80 per week on groceries and $50 per week on eating out. That’s $130 weekly, as a rule of thumb.
If you complete a four year college degree and start working at 22 or 23, you would have spent an average of $67.5K on food by the time you’re 33 years old. Pair that with a spouse and we’re talking $135K for the both of you.
For you social butterflies, those numbers can really get up there. $135K is just average. If food expenses are left unchecked and you eat out a lot, we’re talking $200K – $300K over the course of a 10 year period. Easy.
Imagine if you and your spouse ate on $19 each per week, instead. This would equate to $20K after the same period of time. That’s $115K in savings as compared to the typical amount.
I’m not advising you to strictly follow a cheap weekly meal plan for the rest of your life. I’m just showing you that the savings are real and very possible. You can work your own numbers. You’d be shocked by how much you could be saving by following a meal plan.
My wife and I were able to literally save hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years like this! And that’s why we’d continue to meal plan…weekly and cheaply!
2. Unlimited Money Saving Potential
The more money you make, the more extravagant your lifestyle becomes. You’d socialize more, eat out more, consume more expensive food. It’s normal for this to take place.
You need to keep this in check. Meal plan, budget for food and stick to it! If you make more money, or come into some unexpected extra cash…save it!
Since there are now limitless ways to earn extra income online, make as much extra money as you can while keeping your food budget fixed. That translates to unlimited money savings. Just by meal planning!
Let your extra earnings go towards accomplishing real, significant, tangible goals (like paying off for a house). If left unchecked, you’d eat it away without realizing.
3. Weekly Meal Planning is Perfect
There are a few money saving benefits that come from weekly meal planning, as opposed to longer or shorter periods of time:
1. You are less likely to under-buy.
A week is not that long. You know you need 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 7 dinners. Shopping for ingredients to satisfy this, is easy. Especially with leftovers being utilized.
You can confidently buy a week’s worth of groceries without having to make more than one or two trips to the store.
You definitely do not want to be making too many shopping trips. This can cause you to overspend on attractive looking, unnecessary items.
2. You are less likely to over-buy ingredients.
When you shop for a week, you can gauge your mood and buy ingredients that you know you’d eat. When you shop an entire month in advance, there’s a good chance that a lot of the perishable items would get tossed out without being eaten.
That’s money wasted! Quit fooling yourself with the overpriced keto-bread, kale, asparagus, quinoa and other fad diet foods. If you’re not willing to go on the diet today, you won’t be willing to in three weeks either. Don’t try to plan that far ahead.
3. You can plan your cheap meals to perfection and satisfaction.
Buy ingredients to prepare meals that you’d love to eat during the upcoming week. Don’t think too far ahead. Plan to use ingredients that you already have and just top up on what you need to complete the dish.
Have a plan to utilize leftovers to satisfy meal requirements on other days as well. You’d be sure to save a fortune.
The Ultimate $19 Cheap Meal Plan for the Week
What Can You Expect?
1. Meal ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner for 7 days.
2. The shopping list required to prepare all meals.
3. The prices of all the items needed (based on prices at my neighborhood Walmart).
4. Some bonus meal prep tips.
5. Additional money saving tips.
6. All meals are very easy to prepare.
7. Pantry basics are omitted in the grocery list. These include: salt, pepper, seasonings, oil, condiments. We will assume that you already have these at your disposal.
8. All prices are exclusive of sales taxes.
9. Prices may vary slightly, based on your location.
The Weekly Grocery Shopping List
Sandwich Bread (20oz Loaf) – $1.42
Idaho Potatoes (5lb Bag) – $2.68
Elbow Pasta (16oz Box) – $1.12
Spaghetti (16oz Box) – $1.12
Brown Rice (32oz Bag) – $1.37
Spaghetti Sauce (24oz Can) – $1.42
Large Eggs (12ct ) – $2.47
Milk (64fl oz Jug) – $2.08
Mixed Vegetables (12oz Bag) – $1.08
Chicken Drumsticks (4lb Bag) – $4.68
TOTAL = $19.44
Breakfast Ideas for the Week
1st Day: Toast and scrambled egg.
2nd Day: Tater tots and sunny side up egg.
3rd Day: French toast.
4th Day: Chicken salad sandwich.
5th Day: Toast and scrambled egg.
6th Day: Hash browns and poached egg.
7th Day: French toast.
Lunch Ideas for the Week
1st Day: Egg fried rice.
2nd Day: Tater tots and grilled chicken.
3rd Day: Pasta salad and oven barbecue chicken.
4th Day: Chicken salad sandwich.
5th Day: Potato casserole and pan seared chicken.
6th Day: Spaghetti and pasta sauce with chicken.
7th Day: Pasta casserole.
Dinner Ideas for the Week
1st Day: Egg fried rice.
2nd Day: Pasta salad and oven barbecue chicken.
3rd Day: Spaghetti and pasta sauce with chicken.
4th Day: Potato salad and grilled chicken.
5th Day: Potato casserole and pan seared chicken.
6th Day: Chicken salad sandwich.
7th Day: Pasta casserole.
Bonus Meal Ideas
With the ingredients that you have, there are tons of options to prepare various dishes. Mix and match so you never get tired of eating the same thing.
You can create all of the following dishes with the $19 grocery list:
Eggs: scrambled, poached, sunny side up, hard boiled, egg salad, panini, grilled chicken omelet, etc.
Chicken: baked, barbecue, fried, grilled, pan seared, smoked, chicken salad, etc.
Rice: steamed rice, stir fried rice, egg fried rice, etc.
Pasta: pasta salad, pasta pie, pasta casserole, stir fried pasta, etc.
Potato: baked potato, seasoned wedges, tater tots, potato salad, potato casserole, hash browns, etc.
For some basic instructions on how to go about preparing some of the above dishes, check out The Dollar Tree Meal Plan!
How to Make the Most of Your Cheap Meal Plan for the Week
1. Determine your weekly budget and plan enjoyable meals
If you have more or less than $19, that’s fine. Plan your meals around ideas that you’d enjoy eating, while also maximizing saving money.
This way your stomach and your wallet would be full. And you’d have a positive attitude about it.
2. Meal Plan
Ensure that leftovers from one day are consumed another day. Or the ingredients are utilized in the preparation of another meal.
A lunch idea on one day can also cover dinner of the same day. Dinner today can be boxed and taken for lunch tomorrow. Think along this line!
3. Meal Prep
Prepare raw ingredients or wash and season meats during your free time. This way cooking would be a breeze. If you can, cook as much food as possible and refrigerate it.
You’d be less likely to order takeout during busy days. Food such as pasta salad, potato salad and chicken salad can even be made in advance and kept in the fridge.
4. Be Confident in Your Cooking and Get Creative
Check out recipes online and don’t be afraid to experiment with the ingredients that you have. Try new cooking techniques and be adventurous if it means saving money.
5. Keep Your Food Exciting
Mix and match sides and proteins. Don’t let your food be boring or monotonous. There are enough recipes possible so that you never have to repeat meals if you don’t want to.
6. Don’t Spend on Unnecessary Items
Prioritize using items that you already have and cook around what you own.
Don’t insist on adding a ton of different spices and seasonings. It’s not worth the extra money. Only add them to your food if already have available in your pantry.
Frequently Asked Questions for Budget Friendly Weekly Meal Plan
FAQ: How to make a cheap meal plan for a week?
Making a cheap meal plan for a week starts with figuring out your exact budget. Once you have this, you can come up with meal ideas that fit into that price point.
Stick with recipes that you are most likely to enjoy and you are comfortable enough to prepare.
FAQ: How to eat for $20 a week?
Eating with $20 a week is quite simple. Come up with a meal plan for breakfasts, lunches and dinners that you would enjoy, and fall into your overall budget. Be sure to meal prep and efficiently utilize leftovers.
You can follow the meal ideas in this post for a solid weekly meal plan that comes in under $20.
FAQ: How to plan a low cost meal?
Planning a low cost meal begins with knowing what you have. Check out your pantry and try to build a recipe from those base ingredients. Buy only the additional items that you need. The fewer and cheaper, the better!
Simple rice, pasta or potato based recipes are always a winner when it comes to low cost meals.
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Final Thoughts on the $19 Weekly Meal Plan
Know your budget and have an idea of the types of recipes that you like to eat. If you like rice, pick from those options that we listed. Pasta or potatoes…we’ve got you covered as well. If you’re not picky, just have a go at a different combination each week.
Your budget food doesn’t need to be boring at all! With all the money that you’d be saving, while you savor every morsel of food, it’d be hard not to be excited by this limitless meal plan.
Do you have any other tips for saving money with a cheap weekly meal plan? Do you have any recipes that you would like to share? Be sure to let us know in the comments section!
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