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

[hsmamato2]

I'm basing my answer on the OP.... I say the cheapest meal is a package of ramen noodles for .20, split between a family of 4! If we have a whole dollar for dinner,we each get our own package. Totally kidding of course.

 

[crisi]

Any combination of dried beans - soaked and cooked, tomatoes and/or rice or pasta.

Bean chili,
Casserole
Red beans and rice
Spaghetti
Bean soup
etc.

(You'll want spices as well)

 

[Lvsdisney]

My favorite cheap meal us London broil with roasted potatoes.
London broil usually goes on sale for $2-2.50/ lb (in my area) . I can get potatoes for $2/ 5lb and then a bag of frozen vegetables (usually $1.50 on sale).
No more than $10 for a complete meal.

 

[pearlieq]

Soaked beans??? That's a meal??

Yes, beans & rice (if you read the entire post to which I assume you're referring) is a meal. Across almost every culture. Since about the beginning of agriculture.

When combined, beans & rice provide all the essential amino acids to make a complete protein. It's also full of fiber and micronutrients, filling, and lends itself to endless variation.

Have you never heard of Sir Mix-A-Lot???

 

[TwoMisfits]

Taking the Aldi ad...
Baked Chicken Thighs (69 cent/lb - roughly $3/pack for 4+ lbs) - use 1/2 the pack for family of 4 - salt and pepper and/or any 99 cent jarred sauce to flavor - $2.50 total
Roasted Cabbage (1/2 of 89 cent cabbage) and salt/pepper/olive oil - $.50
Roasted Garlic Dill Red Potatoes (1/2 of 5 lb $1.69 bag) - salt/pepper/dried dill/garlic/olive oil - $.85 + $.60 = $1.45
Total Cost for family of 4-5 = $4.45

Another option
Scrambled Eggs (dozen for 69 cents) - use sausage fat from below to cook - salt/pepper - $.69
Mild Sausage (19oz for $2.49) - $2.49
Fruit Salad (Red Grapes, Peaches, Plums - 1lb of grapes, 1 peach, 2 plums) - a touch of sweetness or juice if needed = $.89+$.29+$.58+$.10 (for juice or sweetner) = $1.86
Total Cost for family of 4-5 = $5.04

I could do more, but using the weekly shopping ad and the money losers to make meals is a way to really come out ahead...

 

[jsmla]

Taking the Aldi ad...
Baked Chicken Thighs (69 cent/lb - roughly $3/pack for 4+ lbs) - use 1/2 the pack for family of 4 - salt and pepper and/or any 99 cent jarred sauce to flavor - $2.50 total
Roasted Cabbage (1/2 of 89 cent cabbage) and salt/pepper/olive oil - $.50
Roasted Garlic Dill Red Potatoes (1/2 of 5 lb $1.69 bag) - salt/pepper/dried dill/garlic - $.85 + $.60 = $1.45
Total Cost for family of 4-5 = $4.45

Another option
Scrambled Eggs (dozen for 69 cents) - use sausage fat from below to cook - salt/pepper - $.69
Mild Sausage (19oz for $2.49) - $2.49
Fruit Salad (Red Grapes, Peaches, Plums - 1lb of grapes, 1 peach, 2 plums) - a touch of sweetness or juice if needed = $.89+$.29+$.58+$.10 (for juice or sweetner) = $1.86
Total Cost for family of 4-5 = $5.04

I could do more, but using the weekly shopping ad and the money losers to make meals is a way to really come out ahead...

I really wish we had an Aldi down here, loving those prices!

 

[TwoMisfits]

I really wish we had an Aldi down here, loving those prices!

They have very good money losers each week if you know how to put it together - I'll try to do the same with my Safeway ad...

 

[TwoMisfits]

Safeway Ad...
Pan-Cooked Honey Mustard Boneless Skinless Perdue Chicken Thighs (BOGO this week, so $1.99/lb for 1.5 lbs plus 1/3 of honey mustard salad dressing bottle of $1.50 and salt/pepper/olive oil) - $3.50
Spinach Salad - Spinach (99 cents/lb - 1 lb) with Red Onion (99 cents/lb - use 1/2 lb) and Sliced Apples (99 cents/lb or bogo 3lb red delicious bags which end up at 85 cents/lb - use 1/2 lb - 1 apple) and Honey Mustard dressing (use some of $1.50/bottle) and salt/pepper = $.99+ $.50+$.50+$.50 = $2.49
Baguette $1.49
Total for 4-5 = $7.48

Crustless Sauteed Greens and Cheese Quiche - 1/2 dozen eggs at $1.99/dozen for $.99, Kale and Spinach - 3/4 lbs for $.75 (Saute and drain before using), Whole milk ($.75 - could be free if you like packaged cookies this week), Borden cheddar (1/2 of bag - $1.00) salt/pepper = $3.50
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls $.99
Orange Julius Smoothies - 1lb Banana $.48, 1/3 of OJ container (Florida Natural $3) for $1, Vanilla Greek Yogurt ($.79), Splash of Milk ($.25), Sweetner (Sugar works for $.10) and Ice - Can swap sweetner and greek yogurt and some ice for vanilla ice cream, but not in ad, so I didn't use it = $2.62
Total for 4-5 = $7.11

One extra -
Chicken Alfredo with Sauteed Greens on Top...and Sliced Apples on side
Pasta Box 1lb = $.79
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs = $1.99
Classico Alfredo Sauce = $1.66 (I do this scratch, but I'm thinking easy)
1 lb spinach or kale = 99 cents
Olive oil/salt/pepper/parm cheese = $.50
Sliced Apples 1 lb = $.99

Total = $5.92 (so in line with Aldi...

 

[LilyWDW]

Add to this list, pull a little bit of meat off the chicken and make some chicken enchaladas. Just get some cheese, a red onion, some tortillas and a can of enchalada sauce. I just did all this with a chicken I baked. However we are only 3 in our family

I am actually doing this in a couple weeks. I was able to get whole chickens for .59 per lb last month and grabbed 2 for the freezer. I will roast one of those and eat the dark meat as "normal" and then will use the breast meat to make the enchiladas. Only mine will be in a sour cream sauce as I can't have tomatoes. The filling will be chicken, onion, and corn. Since it is just me, that plus a can of black beans will easily make 5 meals (2 enchiladas per meal).

I really wish we had an Aldi down here, loving those prices!

I always used to stay away from Aldi until my cousin started to talk so highly about it. Now, at least half my grocery list is bought there! There are a few things I don't like there (their chocolate syrup tastes odd to me) and a few things I can't have (their "cream of..." soups use soy), but overall it is a great place to shop.

 

[Missy1961]

I was actually not aware that we are in the midst of a economic downturn? Is this the same one as before? Does that make me sound like a jerk?

Locally, I can make spaghetti and salad for dinner pretty cheap. Boxes of pasta and jars of sauce go on sale for about $1/each and I can usually get some lettuce or some frozen veggies for about a dollar a bag.. We tend to have dressing on hand. Garlic bread at Aldi is under $2, so we would have very carb heavy meal, but it would come in around $5 and be pretty filling. Depending on how much everyone ate, we may have enough left over for more meals.

The best way, IMO, to stretch your grocery dollar is by using store loss leaders to comprise what you eat for the week. For instance, our local grocery store has whole chickens on sale for .68/lb. If I was looking to stretch my grocery dollars hard, we'd be eating a lot of chicken this week. I'd buy two or three, serve one as a roast chicken and then use the other two to comprise different recipes from soup to casseroles.

Well, for me, I was downsized from my job of 30 years two years ago. Since then, I've only been able to get temp jobs - it's really hard to get long term employment when you're older. So yeah, the economy isn't great.

And I agree with shopping loss leaders. We're lucky - we have plenty of supermarkets within 2 miles, so it's easy to comparison shop. We also have a Costco not too far either, so we can get good deals on food.

I also try to make as much as I can from scratch. When I'm working, I'll make stuff on the weekends and freeze it for weeknight dinners. I can make a huge pot of spaghetti sauce on a Saturday afternoon, and we can eat quick pasta dinners for about 3 months (or longer, if we don't eat pasta every week). I know starches aren't good for everyone, but there are so many things you can use instead of pasta. I love zucchini that has been turned into "noodles" with tomato sauce.

 

[jsmla]

Soaked beans??? That's a meal??

MG

Yup

Chili with Kidney Beans, Pinto Beans and Ground Turkey



Hoppin' John (spicy black eyed peas and rice)



Hummus (made with dried chickpeas)



Black Beans, Cuban Style



I could go on

 

[wendow]

I was actually not aware that we are in the midst of a economic downturn? Is this the same one as before? Does that make me sound like a jerk?

I don't know if there is a true economic downturn but I think not everyone has seen a lot of economic growth either. My dh hasn't had a raise in many years, yet almost everything has increased in cost, especially our health insurance and groceries. Fuel cost seems like the only thing that has dropped in price but we only gas up once very 3 weeks. So, we are feeling more of a need to cut back. Cutting grocery costs is my first 'go-to' place to cut. Certainly does not make you sound like a jerk as everyone's situation is different.

 

[crisi]

I don't know if there is a true economic downturn but I think not everyone has seen a lot of economic growth either. My dh hasn't had a raise in many years, yet almost everything has increased in cost, especially our health insurance and groceries. Fuel cost seems like the only thing that has dropped in price but we only gas up once very 3 weeks. So, we are feeling more of a need to cut back. Cutting grocery costs is my first 'go-to' place to cut. Certainly does not make you sound like a jerk as everyone's situation is different.

Good news overall. (Although obviously not everyone yet - this will start to create wage pressure) http://money.cnn.com/2016/09/13/news/economy/median-income-census/index.html

 

[TwoMisfits]

I admit, the way I plan is that I look at the produce loss-leaders and deals 1st...then I look at the protein ones (since while I have some frozen protein saved, my family won't eat frozen or canned produce, save a few select items, so those produce items matter most for my budget)...
This week, produce loss leaders and deals for vegs at my Safeway were pre-prepped Fajita Mix ($1.24/lb, which came out cheaper than buying the peppers as is), pre-prepped Brussel Sprouts ($1.99/lb), pre-prepped Yellow Squash/Zucchini ($.99/lb), Green Beans ($.99/lb), Broccoli Heads ($1.49/lb), and Organic Baby Carrots ($1.43/lb). The same for fruit were Gala Apples ($2.99/3lbs), Bananas (personal deal $.38/lb), Strawberries ($2.50/lb), Grapes ($1.99/lb), Peaches ($1.29/lb), and Bosc Pears ($1.49/lb). So, having just come back from vacation with no produce built up, I bought all of them and used proteins out of my freezer for our meals.

Yesterday, I made a Beef Fajita Stir Fry for 4 with 1 lb of London Broil ($3.50/lb in freezer from old meat deal - I sliced it thin and it worked great), 1 lb of Fajita Mix - Red/Green Peppers with Red/White Onions ($1.24/lb), 1 lb of Yellow Suqash/Zucchini ($1/lb), 2 Taco Bell Fajita Seasoning Mixes (50 cents each = $1), and 1/4 block of Cojita Cheese I shredded (got on a super deal at Safeway closeout for $1.24 for the block for $.31 total) - I added olive oil, salt, and pepper and had leftover for 1 for lunch = $7.05 and we also had Green Grapes (1/2 lb or $1) for a meal cost of $8.05 for beef with my lunch paid for today. (Edited to add - My youngest 2 settled for PB/fruit preserves with bananas since they don't do fajitas and stir frys yet, and PBJ is the backup meal if you don't wanna eat the main one - gotta love how cheap little kids can be - thus, why my meal was only for 4)...

 

[HeatherC]

Spaghetti Squash Bake...

Cut in half a spaghetti squash and remove seeds. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper...
Place on cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil face down.

Roast until done...I do 400 degrees until it is browned.

While I'm doing this I also roast any other veggies I have lying around. I usually have broccoli, mushrooms, carrots and onions.

When it is cooked scoop out squash into 9x13 dish. Add other veggies and some shredded mozzarella and Parmesan along with a jar of marinara. Just like you would make a baked ziti. Bake until cheese melts.

So yummy and so healthy...and very cheap!


Hamburger Soup...I basically brown a lb of ground beef or even 1/2 lb and put in crockpot with some beef broth, jar of spaghetti sauce and whatever veggies you like...celery, carrots, corn, onion, etc..cook all day and 30 minutes before you eat add 3/4 cup small pasta. Makes a ton and is also healthy and cheap.


Pork Roasts are usually cheap too if you get sick of Chicken. I sprinkle with salt and pepper and garlic powder. I pour a little Kitchen Bouquet Seasoning/ browning stuff over it and cook it in a 9x13 pan with a can of sauerkraut. Can also add small pieces of potatoes too. I usually buy one of these roasts for under $5 at Walmart. Feeds our family of five with three teens and leftovers for lunch too.

English Muffin Pizzas are cheap and easy too. Our local Market Basket has English Muffins on sale two for $1 a lot.

 

[kymom99]

I love these threads because it gives me a reason to reflect on what I am doing right, as well as where I can improve.

I'll share a few more budget ideas I have.

I bought a bag of prepared pizza crusts, 10 in the bag for 3.25 at jungle jims. These are individual size but not really tiny. A good size. We have pizza sauce that we canned but a jar from the grocery is pretty cheap. A bag of Italian blend cheese can be had for 1.88 from a good sale. you can add whatever you have around. I will dice bell peppers and freeze them when I have some that are nearing the end of their life. Our garden didn't do well for peppers this year but I think Aldi has them 79 cents for a pack which is probably 2 or 3. Add some onion, a little chicken, whatever you have around. Crumble up a couple slices of bacon. You could make a variety and have everyone share or each person tops their own. You could make pizzas for about $1 each.

Cheese coneys (chili dogs) are popular around here. About $2 each from a restaurant. I buy hot dogs on sale for $1 and freeze them. A can of chili is $3 at the most. Buns are $1. Cheese $1.88. That is less than $1 each and the chili is the restaurant brand.

We all know pasta is cheap. We make our own pasta sauce but even so it probably costs us about $1 a jar. A box of pasta is $1 on sale. A bag of frozen meatballs is $2 on sale. $4 for dinner even if I buy frozen meatballs. I will look for a loaf of fresh bread in the managers special section but even if I don't find it there, I can get a loaf of Italian bread for $1.49. Sometimes for a treat I will sprinkle some cheese on the slices and toast it in the oven with a little butter and garlic salt. We eat like kings! I could throw in a salad but often I'm the only one who will eat it.

Our Kroger has a produce section with managers special items. They bag up various fruits such as apples with a few spots or bruises for 99 cents. Or onions and such. It all still looks fine, just not perfect. my kid will eat a sliced apple with a spoon of peanut butter for dipping as a side dish.

 

[tiggerluver12]

1 box of kraft macaroni and cheese
1 can of tuna packed in water
1 can cream of mushroom soup

make macaroni and cheese according to package directions, dump in drained tuna and cream of mushroom soup. Stir together and serve.

 

[crisi]

Dinner tonight is pretty cheap.

We had t-bone steaks a few nights ago (not cheap) and I hung onto the bones. Turned it into broth. Added an onion, a few potatoes and a few carrots. Served with a loaf of bread - homemade its around $.35 a loaf.

 

[MataHari22]

Made this recipe tonight, and it's very inexpensive. I served it with leftover jasmine rice and sautéed spinach and garlic.

I added fresh chopped coriander and used home made chicken stock instead of water and also subbed curry powder for all the spices. I made it in my crockpot, which was super easy. I didn't soak the peas over night, I just rinsed them, and added everything in the crockpot.

I got the butternut squash from the Amish stand and it was $1. Split peas were .89¢. I don't remember, he much the package of spinach was. $2.99, I think.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2013/10/01/ethiopian-yellow-split-pea-butternut-stew/

I took a photo of it in the crockpot when it was ready.

 

[neatokimmo]

I love these threads because it gives me a reason to reflect on what I am doing right, as well as where I can improve.

I'll share a few more budget ideas I have.

I bought a bag of prepared pizza crusts, 10 in the bag for 3.25 at jungle jims. These are individual size but not really tiny. A good size. We have pizza sauce that we canned but a jar from the grocery is pretty cheap. A bag of Italian blend cheese can be had for 1.88 from a good sale. you can add whatever you have around. I will dice bell peppers and freeze them when I have some that are nearing the end of their life. Our garden didn't do well for peppers this year but I think Aldi has them 79 cents for a pack which is probably 2 or 3. Add some onion, a little chicken, whatever you have around. Crumble up a couple slices of bacon. You could make a variety and have everyone share or each person tops their own. You could make pizzas for about $1 each.

Cheese coneys (chili dogs) are popular around here. About $2 each from a restaurant. I buy hot dogs on sale for $1 and freeze them. A can of chili is $3 at the most. Buns are $1. Cheese $1.88. That is less than $1 each and the chili is the restaurant brand.

We all know pasta is cheap. We make our own pasta sauce but even so it probably costs us about $1 a jar. A box of pasta is $1 on sale. A bag of frozen meatballs is $2 on sale. $4 for dinner even if I buy frozen meatballs. I will look for a loaf of fresh bread in the managers special section but even if I don't find it there, I can get a loaf of Italian bread for $1.49. Sometimes for a treat I will sprinkle some cheese on the slices and toast it in the oven with a little butter and garlic salt. We eat like kings! I could throw in a salad but often I'm the only one who will eat it.

Our Kroger has a produce section with managers special items. They bag up various fruits such as apples with a few spots or bruises for 99 cents. Or onions and such. It all still looks fine, just not perfect. my kid will eat a sliced apple with a spoon of peanut butter for dipping as a side dish.

Tortilla shells make good pizza crusts in a pinch.