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25 Cheap Easy Meals on a Budget

In this post I am sharing 25 Cheap Easy Meals on a Budget for feeding a family.

None of us are immune from going through tough times. These meals will help feed your family when on a tight budget.

I originally shared these budget friendly meal ideas on my Facebook page. It was so popular that I felt it should be shared here on the blog so it can be easily found by others.

What are some of your favorite meals on a tight budget?

Budget Meals

“Every adversity brings new experiences and new lessons.”

~ Lailah Gifty Akita

Cheap Meals for Families and encouragement

Cheap Meals on a Tight Budget

1
Amazing recipe for sausage and rice casserole
Sausage and Rice Casserole
A delicious, creamy and savory sausage and rice casserole that is perfect as the main meal or as a side dish.
Check out this recipe
2
Beautiful one skillet pot pie meal, made with beef and vegetables then topped with biscuits before baking
Biscuit Topped Beef Pot Pie
A delicious and comforting meal of skillet beef pot pie topped with fluffy biscuits.
Check out this recipe
3
Grandmas Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup recipe
Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup
Delicious homemade chicken, vegetable and noodle soup prepared in the slow cooker.
Check out this recipe
4
Fresh summer tomatoes with basil and pasta. This easy recipe cooks up quick for busy family dinners.
Fresh Stewed Tomatoes with Pasta
Fresh stewed tomatoes with pasta and fresh basil, a 10 minute meal.
Check out this recipe
5
Amazing Dorito taco salad with Catalina dressing is the best taco salad for a crowd
Dorito Taco Salad with Catalina
Easy and delicious taco salad with Doritos and Catalina dressing. Perfect for potluck gatherings.
Check out this recipe
6
Awesome taco boats for Cinco de Mayo menu or Taco Tuesday
Easy Ground Beef Taco Boats
Simple and delicious taco boats can be made with beef, pork, chicken or seafood. This family favorite meal is perfect any day of the week, especially taco Tuesdays or Cinco de Mayo.
Check out this recipe
7
Best Ever Creamed Tuna Gravy Recipe
Creamed Tuna on Toast
Old school creamed tuna on toast, a budget friendly meal. This popular comfort food meal has stood the test of time. It was especially favored when going through hard times and money was tight.
Check out this recipe
8
Homemade tomato Sauce is a wood ladle sitting on a wooden cutting board
Easy Marinara Sauce
Simple and easy marinara sauce that is rich in tomato flavor, perfect as a topping for pasta or to use as a dipping sauce.
Check out this recipe
9
Creamy Country Chicken Stew - stove top or slow cooker version
Creamy Country Chicken Stew
Easy to prepare hearty chicken stew
Check out this recipe
10
Easy Old Fashioned Goulash served in a bowl from the Pioneer Woman collection
Old Fashioned American Goulash
Classic old fashioned goulash is a simple comfort food meal made with ground beef, tomatoes and pasta
Check out this recipe
11
Ground Beef Casserole on a white plate with red and white napkins
Ground Beef Casserole
A delicious family meal of cheesy ground beef and pasta casserole
Check out this recipe
12
Best Beef Stroganoff with Ground Beef on a bone china plate
Ground Beef Stroganoff
Family favorite beef stroganoff made with hamburger and served over noodles is a cheap hearty meal to feed a family.
Check out this recipe
13
Baked Chicken Legs
Simple Crispy Baked Chicken Drumsticks
Healthy and delicious oven roasted chicken drumsticks that leave the skin perfectly brown and crispy. A kid friendly favorite.
Check out this recipe
14
Stewed Beef Tips and Rice
A delicious comfort food meal of stewed beef tips in gravy served over rice (or potatoes)
Check out this recipe
15
Classic Stuffed Peppers
Classic stuffed peppers with a meat and rice stuffing baked with a rich tomato sauce
Check out this recipe
16
Simple creamed chipped beef over toasted bread
Creamed Chipped Beef & Toast – S.O.S.
Classic creamed chipped beef and toast is a hearty gravy made with dried beef. It is often referred to as SOS. This vintage recipe may be served over toast, biscuits, potatoes and sometimes pasta.
Check out this recipe
17
Lemon Pepper – Flat Roasted Chicken
Easy oven roasted chicken, flattened spatchcock style
Check out this recipe
18
Cajun Dirty Rice
Cajun Creole style dirty rice recipe is delicious as a side or the main meal.
Check out this recipe
19
Scalloped Tomatoes
A comforting old fashioned recipe of scalloped tomatoes, a baked tomato and bread pudding
Check out this recipe
20
Pork Tenders
Move over chicken, these pork tenders are delicious and kid friendly too. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Check out this recipe
21
Oven Baked BBQ Pork Chops
A super easy budget friendly family meal of BBQ boneless pork chops baked in the oven
Check out this recipe
22
Salmon Croquettes
Classic Southern style salmon patties, seasoned perfectly and delicious.
Check out this recipe
23
Pork Medallions with Gravy
Tender pork medallions in an easy gravy served with rice
Check out this recipe
24
Easy Chicken Pot Pie
Easy chicken pot pie, a comforting meal
Get Recipe
25
Hamburger Soup
Quick and easy ground beef soup with vegetables and pasta
Check out this recipe

Tips for Food Shopping on a Tight Budget

Buy fresh local produce from farmer’s markets when in season. You’ll spend less and get more for your money. If possible, try growing your own vegetables if you have a yard and space for a garden.

Buy the whole chicken and cut it up yourself. Learning to cut up a chicken is easy and you’ll save money. If buying chicken pieces, drumsticks are far less expensive than chicken breasts.

Plan meals for the week and check sales before shopping. By preparing a simple weekly meal plan you’ll shop smarter and only buy what you need to avoid waste.

Save vegetable scraps and freeze them to make hearty homemade stocks. Homemade stocks can be used as the base for nutritious soups and for cooking.

Dried Beans, Rice and Potatoes can help stretch meals when feeding a family on a tight budget. 

Try new foods. There are a lot of very inexpensive leafy greens and vegetables available that are very healthy and nutritious. 

For more budget friendly meal ideas and recipes, check out our recipe index.

Julia - author and publisher of Julia's Simply Southern Food Blog Recipes

About Julia

Hey Y’all! I’m Julia, the cook and writer behind the recipes here at Julia’s Simply Southern. I began my website so that I could share easy to follow recipes that anyone can use to put a home cooked meal on the dinner table. Thanks so much for stopping by!

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Nikki Lee

Thursday 16th of January 2020

Love easy affordable meals especially during the weeknight Thanks for some great ideas!

Julia Jordan

Thursday 16th of January 2020

Thanks, Nikki!