The short answer: the cheapest meals are planned ones: build dinners around low-cost staples, cook once and eat twice, and shop with a list and a set grocery amount. Meal planning on a budget shows how.
- Recipes priced per serving: meal prep on a budget and cheap vegan meals.
- Plan it: easy meal plans on a budget.
- Shop it: grocery budget and grocery lists.
Our picks for cheap meals
Starter pickPrintables
Meal Planner & Grocery List
Weekly meals, a grocery list sorted by aisle, and pantry and freezer inventories so you shop once and waste less.
Printables
Budget Planner Printable
Twelve undated pages you can print every month: budget, bills, spending, savings and debt.
Save 33%Bundles
Family Life Admin Bundle
Baby logs, chore charts, pet records, meal plans and family recipes in one tidy set.
Browse cheap meals by topic
Guides (7)
- Meal Planning on a Budget: A Simple Weekly System That Saves Money Start hereA step-by-step weekly meal planning system for families on a budget: shop your pantry, plan around sales, cook once and eat twice,…
- Cheap Meal Ideas100 cheap meal ideas under $2 a serving with Nov 2026 prices, cost tables, protein, swaps and freezer notes. Budget meals, lunches…
- Cheap Vegan MealsCheap vegan meals from 22¢ to $1.82 a serving at 2026 Walmart prices: 40 priced recipes, protein per serving, protein per dollar a…
- Cost of Thanksgiving DinnerCompare measured Thanksgiving grocery baskets, a clearly labeled planning model and catering costs. Build your own total for food,…
- Host Christmas dinner on a budgetHow to host Christmas dinner on a budget: set a per-guest number, pick a menu, shop smart, share dishes and follow a three-week ti…
- Kitchen remodel costKitchen remodel cost in 2026: $26,992 average (Angi), small/mid/major tiers, 30+ sourced cost lines from cabinets to permits, plus…
- Meal Prep on a BudgetMeal prep on a budget with 40 cheap recipes under $2 a serving, priced today, plus a 2-hour Sunday plan, a $29 family dinner week …
Ideas and how-tos (2)
- Budget friendly mealsHow to make budget friendly meals with 12 practical rules, staple prices, 30 dinners under about $3 a serving, and a one-week plan…
- Cheap dinner ideasCheap dinner ideas in 5 groups: 6 bean and rice, 6 egg, 6 pasta, 6 soup and 6 sheet-pan meals, plus the shopping habits that keep …
How to use this page
Pages here are either recipes chosen for price or guides to spending less on food, including holidays such as Thanksgiving on a budget. To see where food fits in the rest of your money, our budgeting printables include a monthly budget with room for groceries.