Who can make the cheapest meal for a family of 4 or 5 people?

[QueenIsabella]

The prices may be somewhat regional. Here in NC, green peppers are $0.69/lb, pretty much year-round. Strawberries are really cheap, too. Peaches are consistently $0.99/lb in the summer, and even Walmart sells donut peaches (my weakness!). But, it was tough to get used to having fewer choices in apples--my kids are real apple snobs, due to their Northeast upbringing (no Macintosh apples--EVER!!!). Apples are pricier than peaches down here!

I don't have a regular source for cheap meats at this time, but I did score whole chicken legs for $0.59/lb in a 10-lb. bag. And pork seems really cheap here, as I mentioned.

 

[klacey1]

I'm in CT and I always think the same thing when people start quoting the prices of groceries. We never see some of the really inexpensive prices that I see people posting....I see "chicken thighs for 69cents a pound" here on the board, but when I go to Stop and Shop I see them at $4.29 a pound, or something equally ridiculous. And yes, if the peppers are on sale 3 for $5 I figure it's a good price.

If you don't live near Aldi's, do you live near Shop-rite? This week's ad had 99 cents/lb family pack chicken thighs (and 99 cents/lb peaches - that I would love) and a bunch of other very specific, very cheap things (the same kinds of things I find at Aldi's - I'd buy the 12-15 big deals and use them a lot each week).

I'm in CT, too. I am very fortunate that there's an Aldi's in my town to stock up on certain things. Shop Rite USED to be my cheap go-to option, but they just built a brand-new one and they seemed to have jacked up the prices in the process

I consider anything under $5/lb "cheap" for lean ground beef (I only buy 93% or above). My go-to cheap meal is a baked potato stuffed with cheese and broccoli.

 

[Minnesota!]

The higher-end butchers here have ground beef at $3.99/lb.... the grocery stores are a lot cheaper. (I still buy the butcher stuff...tastes so much better!). Bone in pork chops there are 2.99/lb. Roasts are $3.50/lb. Potatoes are $2/5lb bag. Grapes at Target at $1.92/bag. Same for salad mixes (my older son will only eat the salad mix for salad...I prefer the spring greens but...whatever). We only eat Granny Smith apples...about $5/bag. Lasts a week.

I make our snacks (banana chocolate bread, ranch crackers, etc.). Saves money that way. Pop up a bunch of popcorn and mix with pretzels, etc. Trail mix for lunches, snacks, etc.

Eating well can be very cheap if you have the resources available and the ability/drive to make it all happen.

I refuse to feed my family crap, but I also really don't want to spend all my money on the good food. So, we shop and cook smart.

 

[pweyl36]

I bought a whole chicken for about 5 dollars. You can add onions and spices. A bag of lettuce for salad and any type of dressing. And depending on the store you could buy a garlic bread. A whole chicken for two of us will go about 3 meals. But we don't eat a whole lot.

If you have chicken left over you could add the extra to beans and make another meal.

I just never understand how people can make a whole chicken feed a family 3x on one chicken.

 

[TwoMisfits]

I just never understand how people can make a whole chicken feed a family 3x on one chicken.

It depends on the size. The grocery store rotisserie ones are under 2lbs - I doubt they are using those. But you can find 4-6lb whole chickens to make yourself in the back of the store. If you have 4-5 eaters, this is probably the size you'll want to do 3 meals with (2 meals with the meat and 1 meal with the carcass and whatever shreds come off in a soup/stew meal)...

And, it depends on the focus of the meal...if you are using the chicken almost as a side/flavoring to a main course, it goes much farther. You won't be able to serve piles of meat 3x, but you can probably make chicken alfredo and chicken fajita tacos (so filling the shells with chicken, onions, peppers, lettuce, salsa, etc) with the meat and then do a stew with the chicken...

 

[jsmla]

It depends on the size. The grocery store rotisserie ones are under 2lbs - I doubt they are using those. But you can find 4-6lb whole chickens to make yourself in the back of the store. If you have 4-5 eaters, this is probably the size you'll want to do 3 meals with (2 meals with the meat and 1 meal with the carcass and whatever shreds come off in a soup/stew meal)...

And, it depends on the focus of the meal...if you are using the chicken almost as a side/flavoring to a main course, it goes much farther. You won't be able to serve piles of meat 3x, but you can probably make chicken alfredo and chicken fajita tacos (so filling the shells with chicken, onions, peppers, lettuce, salsa, etc) with the meat and then do a stew with the chicken...

That's pretty much how I "do" a chicken. It's just DH and I so it will go something like this:

Meal 1
-1/2 breast, 1 thigh-oven roasted w/veggie sides

(Debone rest of chicken. Use bones and skins along with carrot ends, celery, rosemary, etc. to make 2 qts stock.)


Meal 2
Chicken/Tasso jambalaya-use 1/2 of deboned chicken meat and 2 1/2 cups of the stock.

alt: chicken enchilada casserole or chicken pot pie


Meal 3
Chicken/sausage gumbo-use rest of chicken and stock.

alt: chicken and dumplings, chicken/rice soup, taco soup

All of my meals include substantial starchy/veggie additions which stretch the chicken a great deal.

Meals 2 & 3 each make enough for at least four servings which we have as leftovers for lunch.

 

[neatokimmo]

I'm in CT, too. I am very fortunate that there's an Aldi's in my town to stock up on certain things. Shop Rite USED to be my cheap go-to option, but they just built a brand-new one and they seemed to have jacked up the prices in the process

I consider anything under $5/lb "cheap" for lean ground beef (I only buy 93% or above). My go-to cheap meal is a baked potato stuffed with cheese and broccoli.

Do you have SAMs? I buy the 92 or 93 lean from them by the case. Last time it was $2.79 a pound.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Sam's is currently my main source for less expensive meats. The PP is right--they have the least expensive ground beef by far, and all "types" are cheaper than even the 73% in any regular grocery store. On the down side, the packages are generally 5lbs or so--not so bad for me, I have 4 kids, but that could be a lot for a small household. OTOH, very easy to split up and freeze smaller amounts.

Sam's also has b/s chicken breasts for $1.79/lb--I think that's the everyday pricing. Boston butt is also cheap ($1.49/lb, I think, every day). Again, these would take planning for a smaller family--you could divide up the chicken, I'd probably cook, then portion out the pork.

And we had a surprise, cheapo protein source this week, hopefully--DH just got invited last-minute, to go on a company deep sea fishing trip! He's never been deep-sea fishing (he grew up lake fishing), but he's optimistic--he brought 2 coolers! The company is paying for the entire charter, and they'll even clean the fish when you get back to the dock. Here's hoping we get some wonderful fresh fish.

 

[TwoMisfits]

A nice fall meal for those with an Aldi's this week - a big side to have with grilled cheese or roasted chicken thighs/legs or turkey...

Roasted Butternut squash, apple, and onion
1 medium sized Butter nut squash. (About 4 cups, peeled and diced) - $.99
4 Apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into wedges - $.74 (1/2 of Aldi's 3lb gala bag)
1 onion, peeled and sliced into wedges - $.25 (cheaper if using last week's deal)
2 Tbls. of olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper - $.25
Optional (fresh and dried herbs/spices - some like thyme, some like sage, some like cinnamon - don't use more than one)
400 degrees 40-50 minutes (check and flip at 30 minutes)
This serves 6 as a side, so expect leftovers for 4-5

I'd personally serve with 2 lbs of oven baked bone in-skin on thighs (99 cents/lb or $1.98 - Aldi's has boneless, skinless at $1.29lb this week, so you could use that too, if you'd prefer) prepped with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. I'd premake the side and then cook the chicken and rewarm the side in a turned-off oven while the chicken rests.

Total = $4.21 (I'd probably get fresh thyme and add it to both items - I have this in my garden, so it's free, but if you don't, add $1).

 

[mom+3girls]

Sam's is currently my main source for less expensive meats. The PP is right--they have the least expensive ground beef by far, and all "types" are cheaper than even the 73% in any regular grocery store. On the down side, the packages are generally 5lbs or so--not so bad for me, I have 4 kids, but that could be a lot for a small household. OTOH, very easy to split up and freeze smaller amounts.

Sam's also has b/s chicken breasts for $1.79/lb--I think that's the everyday pricing. Boston butt is also cheap ($1.49/lb, I think, every day). Again, these would take planning for a smaller family--you could divide up the chicken, I'd probably cook, then portion out the pork.

And we had a surprise, cheapo protein source this week, hopefully--DH just got invited last-minute, to go on a company deep sea fishing trip! He's never been deep-sea fishing (he grew up lake fishing), but he's optimistic--he brought 2 coolers! The company is paying for the entire charter, and they'll even clean the fish when you get back to the dock. Here's hoping we get some wonderful fresh fish.

Sam's will cut the meat for you at no cost. I've gotten pork roasts there and had them cut them into 3. So I use one, freeze the other 2 for later. I also buy a big package of the chicken breast at 1.79 a lb and since the breast are so large I cut them open like a butterfly and separate them I then get 2 breast out of one and then I freeze them in packages of 2, 2 works for me because I live alone and if I cook 2 breast I can either have one for dinner and lunch the next day.

Good Luck to your husband on the fishing trip, that is something that I have always wanted to do.