Feeding Your Family for a Week on Just $50? Here’s How You Can Make it Work!
How to Plan Meals for a Week on a $50 Grocery Budget
Have you ever stared at your pantry and thought, How am I going to feed my family for the week with just $50? Trust me, you’re not alone. With rising grocery prices and busy schedules, sticking to a tight budget can feel overwhelming. But I’m here to tell you—it’s possible, and it doesn’t have to be stressful!
Let me walk you through step-by-step how to plan meals for a week on a $50 grocery budget. By the end of this post, you’ll have a full meal plan, a sample shopping list, and the confidence to make it work for your family.
Step 1: Start with a Game Plan
Before you hit the store, it’s all about strategy. First, define your priorities:
- Nutritious meals: We want to fuel our families with good food.
- Affordability: Keeping costs under control is the goal.
- Simplicity: Easy recipes are key for busy days.
Take a few minutes to check store flyers or apps for sales. For example, if chicken thighs are on sale for $1.99/lb, you know they’ll be your main protein this week.
I love flipping through the weekly sales flyers to decide what to stock up on—it’s like a treasure hunt for my kitchen! Since it’s Thanksgiving week here in the US, all my flyers are packed with deals on turkey and ham. If your freezer already has a stash of meat, this is the perfect time to dig it out and use it. If not, keep an eye out for markdowns or discounts on the featured items in the flyer.
Here’s a tip: use those store flyers to create a running price list. That way, you’ll know when something is at rock-bottom prices versus just a minor discount. Typically, the meat highlighted on the front page is your best bet for a great deal. Whether it’s chicken thighs, ground turkey, or holiday hams, this is where you’ll find the most budget-friendly options to anchor your meal plan for the week.
Step 2: Shop Your Pantry First
One of the best budget-friendly tips? Use what you already have! Check your pantry, fridge, and freezer for items like rice, beans, canned goods, or frozen veggies.
For example, I had half a bag of rice, some spices, and a can of black beans in my pantry. That’s already the base for a meal or two!I like to keep extra beans and rice on hand because they are shelf-stable.
Step 3: Build a Simple Meal Plan
Meal planning is where the magic happens. Start with meals your family loves, and use affordable ingredients to create balanced meals. Here’s an example of a weekly meal plan:
Breakfasts (Cost: ~$0.50/serving)
- Oatmeal with sliced bananas ($2.49 for a tub of oats, $0.59/lb for bananas).
- Scrambled eggs with toast ($3/dozen eggs, $1.25 for a loaf of bread).
Lunches (Cost: ~$1/serving)
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches ($3.49 PB, $2 jelly, $1.25 bread).
- Leftovers from dinner (free because they’re already made!).
Dinners (Cost: ~$2/serving)
- Spaghetti with Marinara and Lentils: $1 for pasta, $1 for lentils + $1.50 for sauce = $3.50 for 4 servings.
- Chicken Stir-Fry with Rice: $4 for chicken thighs, $2 for frozen veggies, $0.50 for rice = $6.50 for 4 servings.
- Taco Night: $3 for ground turkey, $1 for tortillas, $2 for toppings (lettuce, salsa) = $6 for 4 servings.
- Vegetable Soup: $2 for carrots/potatoes, $1 for broth, $1 for canned tomatoes = $4 for 4 servings.
- Beans and Rice: $1 for beans and $0.50 for rice (I already had both)= $1.50 for 4 servings.
Snacks
- Air Popped Popcorn: Less than $0.50 for 4 servings
- Chocolate Oatmeal Balls: Around $2.50 for the entire batch (12 servings)
Feel free to adjust based on your family’s preferences!
Beans and rice can feel fancier if you use some of your leftover salsa from taco night! You can also jazz up your vegetable soup with anything that needs to be used up in your fridge or freezer. For example, I already have a frozen veggie mix, an onion, and some garlic I could use in my vegetable soup.
Step 4: Create a $50 Shopping List
Here’s a sample shopping list to get you started:
- Proteins:
- Chicken thighs, 2 lbs: $4
- Ground turkey, 1 lb: $3
- Carbs:
- Rice, 2 lbs: $2
- Pasta, 1 lb: $1
- Bread, 2 loaves: $2
- Popcorn Kernels, 30 oz, $3.76
- Vegetables:
- Frozen mixed veggies, 2 bags: $4
- Carrots, 1 lb: $1
- Potatoes, 5 lbs: $3
- Beans, 1 lb: $1
- Lentils, 1 lb, $1.92
- Fruits:
- Bananas, 3 lbs: $1.77
- Apples, 3 lbs: $3
- Oranges, $4
- Dairy & Pantry Staples:
- Eggs, 1 dozen: $1.69
- Oatmeal, 1 tub: $2.49
- Peanut butter, 2 jars: $4
- Marinara sauce: $1.50′
- Sweets:
- Chocolate Chips: $2.97
- Syrup: $2.36
I checked the prices for these items using Walmart’s app, but if you’ve been stocking up during sales in the past, you might have snagged some items at lower prices. From my experience, Aldi and Walmart are pretty comparable when it comes to grocery prices. Aldi tends to shine with better deals on food, especially produce and staples like bread or milk. Meanwhile, Walmart often has the upper hand on cleaning supplies, toiletries, and personal care items.
Total: $50.45
If you’re shopping at both, it can be helpful to know which store excels in specific categories to maximize your budget. For example, you might grab pantry staples and fresh produce at Aldi, then swing by Walmart for those non-food essentials that fit your budget better. Combining the strengths of both stores can stretch that $50 grocery budget!
Step 5: Cook Once, Eat Twice
To save time and money, cook in larger batches and enjoy leftovers for lunch or dinner. For example, make a big pot of vegetable soup on Monday and serve it again on Wednesday with grilled cheese sandwiches.
Batch cooking keeps your budget in check and reduces food waste. Plus, who doesn’t love a night off from cooking?
Step 6: Bonus Tips for Success
- Stick to the List: Don’t get distracted by impulse buys! Shopping with a list helps you stay on track.
- Shop Smart: Opt for store brands, buy in bulk for staples, and compare prices per ounce.
- Get Creative: When snacks or desserts feel out of reach, think homemade! Popcorn (my absolute favorite) is a super cheap snack, and cookies made from scratch cost just pennies. Since you have oatmeal and peanut butter, see if you have all the ingredients for peanut butter balls.
- Use Your Calculator: If you are really tight with cash at the moment, make sure to add up what you put in your cart as you go.
You’ve Got This!
Meal planning on a $50 grocery budget might seem tough at first, but with a little creativity and planning, it’s absolutely doable. Remember, it’s about nourishing your family, not perfection.
What are your favorite budget-friendly meals? Share them in the comments below—I’d love to hear your ideas! And don’t forget to pin this post so you can refer to it whenever you need a little meal-planning inspiration.
Enjoy this post? Keep reading here: Meal Planning on a Budget: 10 Delicious and Affordable Ideas
