Week-long meal plan for family of four for $60
I am not as poor as I used to be, but I have always LOVED budgeting my way through a grocery store and trying to make the best meals possible for little money. A few days ago, I saw someone else do this and I thought I would try my hand at it. I live in Texas, so this meal plan is based on HEB prices in my neighborhood- may vary compared to where you live, but maybe it will channel some ideas.
Grocery list:
HEB Natural Frozen Ground Turkey ($2.08 x 2)
Cacique Beef Chorizo Sausage ($1.35 x 2)
Country Pride Chicken Leg Quarters (10lbs) ($5.90)
Frozen Premium Seafood Mix with Octopus ($5.22)
Sunup Grade A Large Eggs ($1.53 x 2)
Park Manor Whole Milk (1 gal) ($2.70)
HEB Blueberry Greek Yogurt ($0.60)
Hill Country Fare Wheat Bread ($1.03)
HEB Yellow Corn Tortillas (36 ct) ($1.88)
Big bunch of bananas ($1.22)
Cucumber ($0.72)
Jalapeño peppers ($0.22 x 2)
Fresh southern peaches ($0.30 x 4)
HEB Texas Roots Russet Potato Bag (5lbs) ($2.79)
Hill Country Fare Green Chile Enchilada Sauce ($1.21)
Knorr Shrimp Bouillon Cubes ($1.13)
HEB Long Grain White Rice (2lbs) ($1.86)
HEB Frosted Shredded Wheat Cereal ($2.02)
HEB Garbanzo Bean (16oz) ($1.47)
HEB Instant Oatmeal Brown Sugar ($1.76)
HEB Natural Peanut Butter ($2.08)
HEB Spaghetti Noodles ($1.18)
Hill Country Fare Complete Pancake Mix ($2.08)
Hill Country Fare Original Syrup ($1.66)
Hill Country Fare Tomato Pasta Sauce ($1.53)
Hill Country Fare Walnut Chips ($1.45)
La Costena Slice Pickled Carrots ($1.46)
Q&Q Fideo Vermicelli ($0.50 x 3)
Southern Style Spices Bulk Coconut Curry Powder (4oz) ($1.44)
Sun-Bird Hot and Spicy Mongolian Sauce Mix ($1.31)
HEB Frozen Broccoli Cuts ($1.16)
HEB Frozen Peas and Carrots ($1.16)
Dinners: Designed to be 8 portions so it can act as dinner + lunch the next day
“Chana Masala” with rice and sliced cucumber
Cook the garbanzo beans through, leave about 1 cup of water, and add curry mix (if you happen to have tomato paste or butter/oil and flour, you can add to thicken it up a little… otherwise will be a little soupier, but still tastes fine). Make all of your rice and save half for tomorrow’s fried rice). Serve with rice and thinly sliced cucumber.
Grilled Mongolian chicken with fried rice. Grill or bake the chicken leg quarters through. Make Mongolian sauce according to package instructions. Use half to baste the chicken, save the other half. Cook half bag of peas and carrots, add 4 eggs and scramble. Add yesterday’s remaining rice and extra sauce. Stir fry.
Turkey spaghetti bolognese. Cook frozen ground turkey and season as you’d like. Add in tomato sauce. Serve over cooked spaghetti.
Seafood fideo with broccoli. Cook seafood mix through and sea aside. Cook broccoli and set aside. Make shrimp broth and cook fideo vermicelli in broth (so there is nothing to drain). When it’s 90% cooked, stir in seafood and broccoli.
Egg, chorizo, potato breakfast tacos. Dice potatoes and fry in a pan, then set aside. Fry chorizo in a pan and then add 4 eggs and diced jalapeño. Add potatoes back in and stir through. Serve with warmed corn tortillas.
Migas with green chile sauce. Tear up remaining corn tortillas and fry in a pan until toasty. Add green chili sauce. Make some holes in your migas and crack an egg in each hole. Cover until soft cooked. Serve with pickled carrots.
Breakfast for dinner peach pancakes. Dice peaches, fry in a pan until just soft. Make pancake batter according to instructions. Make pancakes and sprinkle in peaches before flipping. Serve with syrup.
Breakfasts:
Cereal with milk x 2
Wheat toast with peanut butter and sliced bananas x 3
Oatmeal with dollop of Greek yogurt x 1
Oatmeal with walnuts x 1