Under 40 Dollars a Week Meal Plan on a Budget

Okay y’all, times are tough out there. I know what it’s like to be at the end of the month and the end of your grocery budget. During those times, it can feel so hopeless to try and figure out how are you going to feed your family. Feeding your family on a tight budget can be hard but it is NOT impossible! 

When my husband and I were first married over 4 years ago, we were college students who were absolutely broke. I had to put together a cheap meal plan to feed the two of us every week. They definitely weren’t always the healthiest meals. Luckily, I studied Health Education and Promotion in college and I got to take some nutrition classes that helped me understand how to put together a healthy meal plan. I still had to do it on a budget, but you can definitely eat healthy on a tight food budget!

If you need help making a cheap weekly meal plan, I have some cheap (and yummy) meal ideas for you to try out when you have just 40 dollars left in your grocery budget. (You can also check out this article on how to create a meal plan for your family!)

These numbers are based on prices from my local Walmart. The prices in your area or the store you choose may vary. These prices are based on generic brands. Additionally, these recipes should be enough to feed a family of 2-4 individuals. Hopefully you have leftovers too because I love having leftovers for lunch the next day. Alright, here we go – here is a 7-day meal plan with my favorite budget-friendly meals and the cost breakdown!

Monday – Fajitas

Fajitas are a definitely a go-to in our house. They are easy and fast to throw together on a busy night. They are also a well-balanced meal with carbs, protein, and healthy fats. Here is a recipe that I use and love from Chocolate with Grace. For this recipe you will need:

  • Chicken breast – $9.74 (3lbs, frozen)
  • Flour tortillas – $1.98
  • Bell pepper – $0.78
  • Onion – $0.62
  • Salsa – $2.36
  • Fajita seasoning – $0.62

Tuesday – Vegetarian burrito bowls 

Meat can be a super expensive part of your weekly budget so it can be helpful to find non-meat protein sources. Beans are a very affordable protein source. If you have extra chicken leftover from fajitas yesterday you can also use that in this dinner. Just throw together rice, beans (black or pinto), salsa, sour cream, and cheese in a bowl. You can add anything else you have on hand like tortilla chips or avocado.

  • White rice – $0.92
  • Black beans or pinto beans – $0.82
  • Salsa (from fajita recipe)
  • Sour cream – $1.88
  • Cheese – $2.22

Wednesday – Protein Pasta

Here’s another meat-free dinner that is still high in protein! Cottage cheese has definitely been having its moment on social media because it’s so versatile and such a good protein source. This is one of my family’s favorite meals and it’s one of our cheap meals that we love. My family loves this recipe from Kuch Pak Raha Hai. I blend the cottage cheese and pasta sauce in my blender to get it smooth. It is so creamy and delicious. I actually don’t enjoy plain pasta sauce anymore now that I’ve had it this way!

  • Pasta – $0.98
  • Pasta sauce – $1.62
  • Cottage cheese – $1.98

Thursday – Breakfast for dinner

Breakfast for dinner is a great way to change things up in your weekly meal planning. There are a lot of things you can do for breakfast for dinner! You can do cereal, oatmeal, grits, waffles, French toast…the possibilities are endless! It’s also one of the most simple meals you can make. One of our family’s favorites is pancakes and eggs. Pancake mix and eggs are some of our pantry staples so we always have them on hand! Pancakes are so versatile – you can top them with peanut butter, syrup, or jam.

  • Pancake mix – $1.98
  • Eggs – $1.56

Friday – Enchiladas

Enchiladas are one of our favorite dinner options too! This one is awesome because you already have a lot of the ingredients and food items on hand from previous recipes. This is one of my best tips on saving a lot of money: use the ingredients you purchased for other dinners! This also reduces food waste. Enchiladas also make great freezer meals. You can meal prep ahead of time and just pull them out of the freezer when you need easy meals.

  • Flour tortillas (from fajitas recipe)
  • Chicken (from fajitas recipe)
  • Salsa (from fajitas recipe)
  • Cheese (from vegetarian burrito bowls recipe)
  • Enchilada sauce – $0.98 

Saturday – White chicken chili

White chicken chili is one of my go-to slow cooker meals. Just throw frozen chicken, chicken broth, 2 cans of white beans (Great Northern, cannellini, Navy, etc.), corn, and some spices into a slow cooker. Check out this recipe from the Magical Slow Cooker that we love. It takes about 4 hours on High or 8 hours on Low. Oh, and you add sour cream at the end that makes it so creamy and delicious!

  • Chicken (from fajita recipe)
  • Chicken broth – $1.00
  • White beans (2) – $0.82
  • Corn – $0.64
  • Sour cream (from burrito bowl recipe)

Sunday – Baked potatoes

I love super easy, low effort meals on Sundays. Baked potatoes are one of the simplest, most filling dinner recipes I make. It’s also one of the most cheap dinner ideas. I love baked potatoes with chili and cheese. You can also keep it simple with butter and sour cream.

  • 5 lb bag of potatoes – $2.67
  • Chili – $1.78
  • Cheese (from burrito bowl recipe)

Here is your shopping list:

  • Chicken breast – $9.74 (3lbs, frozen)
  • Flour tortillas – $1.98
  • Bell pepper – $0.78
  • Onion – $0.62
  • Salsa – $2.36
  • Fajita seasoning – $0.62
  • White rice – $0.92
  • Black beans or pinto beans – $0.82
  • Sour cream – $1.88
  • Cheese – $2.22
  • Pasta – $0.98
  • Pasta sauce – $1.62
  • Cottage cheese – $1.98
  • Pancake mix – $1.98
  • Eggs – $1.56
  • Enchilada sauce – $0.98 
  • Chicken broth – $1.00
  • White beans (2) – $0.82
  • Corn – $0.64
  • 5 lb bag of potatoes – $2.67
  • Chili – $1.78
  • TOTAL – $38.77

There you are – I just planned your dinners for the entire week on a small budget! I hope this helps you with your grocery shopping and you can make a grocery list based on the ingredients I’ve listed. Also check out this article on how to create a meal plan for your family. Meal planning has been a game changer for my family in helping us stay within our grocery budget and reduce food waste. You can also get a free meal planning template in the box below. 

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