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A List of Easy & Delicious Dirt Cheap Recipes for Family Meals ($1 Per Person)
Do you find yourself obsessively checking the price tags at the grocery store? Do you feel a pang of intense anxiety if you add anything additional to your shopping cart that wasn’t on your grocery list? Same, girl. Same.
I actually go as far as to remove grocery items that I picked up from two aisles earlier, after going back and forth in my head trying to justify the prices. It’s no argument, food prices are ridiculously high.
To survive financially in our current economy, cooking cheaper is a must. As such, you’ll be looking for budget meals that utilize low-cost ingredients. To help you with your budget meal plan, here’s a list of delicious, dirt cheap meals that cost $1 per person to make!
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Meal planning is one of my greatest money saving hacks. This is because it’s one of the parts of our budget that we actually have control over. Most of our other usual expenses tend to be fixed, such as bills, mortgage/rent etc.
Your food budget is a variable expense – how much you spend is totally up to you (kinda).
The extremely high prices of grocery items has challenged my meal planning and money saving ventures over the last few months. But, there are still some tried and true meals that are perfect for tight budgets.
Before we get to this list of dirt cheap meals, here are some additional money saving tips to cut your food budget.
Money Saving Tips for Cooking Dirt Cheap Meals
1. Meal Plan
Saving money on your food bill is downright impossible without a meal plan! A meal plan sets you up for success because you already know exactly what meal you’re having every day for the upcoming week.
This takes the guesswork out of things. It takes the uncertainty out of what you’ll have for dinner, lunch or breakfast. This means you’ll be less likely to blow your budget by relying on (unplanned) takeout.
Better yet, meal prepping on a weekend levels up your meal planning game. When you make the time on a weekend to prep your meats and veggies, you’ll be able to whip up your weeknight dinners in no time and with minimal effort!
Not sure how to get started meal planning? This $5 Meal Plan is a gamechanger! It will simplify your meal planning, help you stay on track with your food budget, and can help you save hundreds of dollars every month. Each meal costs about $2 per person (or less!). Try it here (with no strings attached) for FREE (for two weeks).
2. Stick to your List (& your Budget!)
The point of meal planning is to generate a grocery shopping list that includes items that you NEED. How many times have you bought produce that ended up rotting and being tossed in the trash?
By making a shopping list, you can avoid wasting ingredients and you can also save money… but only if you stick to your list!
Some things that will help you stick to your list and budget include:
• Doing your grocery shopping online and choosing the delivery option
• Purchasing generic brands to save money
• Double checking your pantry before adding items to your grocery list
• Swapping ingredients from recipes to cheaper alternatives
3. Use Cashback Apps
Using cashback apps is a no brainer! If you want to save money, cash back apps are a must!
Basically, apps such as Rakuten and TopCashBack will let you do your shopping through their platforms and give you cash back for purchases that you make. The prices are the same, the products are the same and your total is the same. So, this really is a win-win for you!
After a few purchases, your cash back really starts to add up.
How awesome is it to get a Big Fat Check for doing your usual grocery shopping?
Check it out for yourself. Get started with Rakuten to start earning today!
4. Have one Designated Grocery Run
If online grocery shopping is not possible, it helps to have just one designated grocery run. Think about it… every grocery run increases the temptation to buy more and increases the likelihood of going over budget!
When you make your one designated grocery run, develop the mindset to get in, get what you need and get out. Browsing and casually walking through aisles are not advised when you’re trying to save money!
5. Learn How to Make Extra Cash
I always say that saving money can only help you achieve so much when it comes to financial goals. I saved and “penny pinched” for years. The real change didn’t happen until I started making an effort to develop a side hustle.
I tried almost every side hustle out there, but finally settled on starting this blog. This is the one that started to make me life-changing money.
I guess this is just your little reminder to focus some of your efforts on making some extra cash, all while cooking at home and saving money too!
Now that we’ve outlined all the new habits that we’re going to establish, let’s get to the list of easy and delicious dirt cheap meals!
12 Dirt Cheap Meals that Cost $1 per Person
1. Cilantro Lime Rice
This Cilantro Lime Rice from Happy Gut Lucky is simple, budget-friendly and packed with zesty deliciousness! It’s amazing how just a few ingredients can transform a boring bowl of rice into one that is oh-so-full of flavor!
2. Loose Meat Sandwich
Craving a simple meal that is budget-friendly and kid approved? This Loose Meat Sandwich from Little Chef Within is a must!
Ground beef is always the perfect budget ingredient, and combined with the pantry staples in this recipe, this sandwich will quickly become a family favorite!
3. Italian Chicken Sausage Pasta
Pasta is always a good option when you’re on a tight budget. Plus, the juicy chicken sausage adds a ton of flavor without putting a strain on your wallet.
This Italian Chicken Sausage Pasta recipe from Happy Gut Lucky is a gamechanger when it comes to delicious, dirt cheap meals!
4. Egg Free Waffles
Waffles is always a huge hit for breakfast in our household. But even more so, our family often loves to have breakfast for dinner too! This Egg Free Waffles recipe from Our Slice of Home features waffles that are a beautiful golden brown, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
Seriously, you’ll forget that you’re even on a budget!
5. Southern Egg Salad
This Southern Egg Salad from SmartyPantsKitchen features a delicious “egg spread” that utilizes a simple list of ingredients. This is an easy dish that is perfect for a tight budget!
Pssst! Did you know you can save more money by meal planning? Meal Planning saves me thousands of dollars every year! Not sure how to get started? Grab a copy of my free Meal Planning e-guide below.
6. Spinach Salad
This Simple Spinach Salad from The Short Order Cook can be whipped up in just a few minutes. Most of the ingredients can be found in your pantry and at the end of it all, you’ll have a delicious and healthy meal!
7. Chicken Broth Rice
This is yet another delicious, but budget-friendly meal option from The Short Order Cook! This Chicken Broth Rice is made using just 3 ingredients, but is buttery, creamy, comforting and absolutely delicious!
8. Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese
If you need a big bowl of comfort without breaking the bank, this Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese from Sunglow Kitchen has got you covered! Remember too that you can always swap out ingredients for cheaper alternatives for even bigger savings!
9. Canned Tuna Pasta
Pasta is already a budget meal but imagine making it even cheaper by using a canned protein! This Canned Tuna Pasta recipe from Ambitious Foodie is simple, easy, healthy, comforting and is a must in a line-up of dirt cheap meals!
Best of all, this can be completed from stove to table, in just 15 minutes.
10. Baked Southern Mac and Cheese
Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food for when you’re on a budget. So, you know we had to include another option on our list! This particular Southern Mac and Cheese from Baking Beauty is rich, creamy, topped with crunchy breadcrumbs and baked to perfection!
11. Pizza Sliders
Pizza Sliders are perfect when you’re looking for a quick meal that is inexpensive and easy to make. This Ultimate Pepperoni Pizza Sliders recipe from Baking Beauty helps you stay on budget without feeling like it!
This recipe features zesty tomato sauce and deliciously gooey cheese. Yum! Remember that you can also add or remove ingredients based on your budget and preference!
12. Cheese Entomatadas
This Cheese Entomatadas recipe from 24Bite is seriously comfort on a bowl, on a budget! It’s similar to a Mexican version of grilled cheese and tomato soup, as it’s a tasty tortilla smothered in tomato sauce. This will surely bring some variation and excitement to your upcoming budget meal plan!
Additional Info on Dirt Cheap Meals and Budget Cooking – FAQs
What is the cheapest meal you can make?
Right now, the cheapest meal you can make is one that can be made using ingredients from your pantry and kitchen garden. If you have all the ingredients at hand, you can whip up something delicious without having to spend a cent.
However, if you do need to stock up on some goods, and you’re trying to come up with the cheapest meals on a budget, these will include meals such as ramen, hot dogs, rice and beans, pasta or even eggs & toast.
There are so many options for meals that will cost you less than a dollar a meal! Sometimes you just need to get creative and think outside the box!
What cheap food can you live on?
When it comes to living on cheap food, you must firstly understand that any extreme struggle meal plan that you choose to follow should be temporary. This is because many dirt cheap meals are not the most balanced and nutritious options.
If you are looking for a temporary budget meal plan, cheap foods include hot dogs, pasta and rice dishes. Meatless meals also help you to cut your budget significantly. However, this means adding protein through other ingredients such as beans.
Related Posts on Dirt Cheap Meals
12 Cheap Crockpot Recipes that Cost $1 per person
12 Cheap Dinner Ideas that Cost $1 per person
The $18 per Week Budget Meal Plan for when Money is Tight
Final Thoughts on Dirt Cheap Meals
Now that you have a list of dirt cheap meals at your disposal, you can actually prioritize saving money without the frustration of blowing your food budget!
Many of these delicious recipes will bring some much-needed flair to your weekly meal line up – you’ll never even feel like you’re eating on a budget!
Do you have any other dirt cheap meals that you swear by? Share with us in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!
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