When looking for ways to save money, reducing your grocery bill is a good place to start.
Cooking at home and shopping smart are two very important money saving tips for families.
By purchasing inexpensive frugal foods, you can speed less of food while still eating good and healthy meals.
In this blog post, I’m going to share with you 50 frugal meals you can make when you’re broke.
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Frugal Food Tips
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Frugal Foods to Buy
Before we jump into our frugal meals let’s start with identifying some frugal foods. Here is a list of 50 Frugal Foods you can buy that will help you create these dishes.
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50 Frugal Meals to Make When You’re Broke
Here is a listing of cheap meals you can make when money is tight. You’ll find frugal recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Meals on this list are frugal and most of them are healthy as well. Use this to keep track of the recipes that your family likes.
Frugal Breakfast Meals
1 – Fried Egg Grilled Cheese Sandwich – Great Grub Delicious Treats
2 – Potato Hash with a Fried Egg – Cooking NY Times
3 – French Toast – All Recipes
Frugal Lunch Meals
4 – Peanut Butter Apple Wraps – Ready Set Eat
5 – Tuna Melts – All Recipes
6 – Fried Bologna Sandwiches (Southern Style) – Genius Kitchen
7 – Egg Salad for Sandwiches – All Recipes
8 – Tomato Soup – Inspired Taste
Frugal Dinner Meals
9 – Barbecue Beef Stew – Living On A Dime
10 – BBQ Pork Sandwiches – Natasha’s Kitchen
11 – Bean & Cheese Freezer Burritos – Graceful LIttle Honey Bee
12 – Beef Stroganoff – Hip Foodie Mom
13 – Black Bean Burgers – Food Network
14 – Budget Shepherd’s Pie – Diva’s On A Dime
15 – Chicken Broccoli Alfredo – Damn Delicious
16 – Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole – The Pinning Mama
17 – Chicken Carbonara – My Incredible Recipes
18 – Chicken Lo Mein – Popsugar
19 – Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs – She Wears Many Hats
20 – Cole Slaw – Shugary Sweets
21 – Corn Bread – High Heels & Grills
22 – Cream of Carrot Soup – Four Hats & Frugal
23 – Creole White Beans with Chicken – Budget Bytes
24 – Frito Chili Pie – Pioneer Woman
Related Post: Kitchen Gadgets for Fast & Healthy Eating
25 – Garlic Bread – Food Marriage
26 – Green Salad – Babble
27 – Hamburger Steak – Four Hats & Frugal
28 – Homemade Pizzas – Yummy Addiction
29 – Homemade Pizza Sauce– Cherish Bliss
30 – Instant Pot Chili – The Free Range Life
31 – Jambalaya – Budget Bytes
32 – Kielbasa and Potato Skillet – Mom Needs Chocolate
33 – Kielbasa Hash – The Two Bite Club
34 – Louisiana Red Beans & Rice – Budget Bytes
35 – Mexican Taco Bake – Kraft Recipes
36 – Oven Fries – Taste of Home
37 – Pan Roasted Corn – Ready Set Eat
38 – Penne Rosa with Chicken – Oh So Delicioso
39 – Pork Fried Rice – The Woks of Life
40 – Ravioli Lasagna – Mrs Happy Homemaker
41 – Salsa – Pioneer Woman
42 – Sloppy Joes – Pioneer Woman
43 – Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings – All Recipes
44 – Spicy Green Beans – Domestic Superhero
45 – Taco Soup – I Heart Nap Time
46 – Tater Tot Bake – All Recipes
47 – Texas Toast Pizza – Crafty Morning
48 – Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps – Skinny Taste
49 – White Chicken Enchiladas – Recipe Tin Eats
50 – {Zucchini} Poorman’s Crab Cakes – The Free Range Life
It’s time to start saving money and eating healthy.
Leave a comment and share some of the frugal meals that your family enjoys.
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I love some of these ideas! They sound yummy and I love how they don’t break the bank. I can’t wait to try some
Thanks Maddie!
These meals look amazing. I’m definitely going to look into using recipes like this more often ?
Hey Lucy! There are some really great recipes out there that are very inexpensive to make.
Such a helpful list! and that pasta looks delicious!
Thanks Jubilee!
As a student I can say I’m broke almost all the time. This is going to become my cookbook 😀
Hey Blue! I remember my time as a student well. I wish I knew about these dishes. Lol
This sure is a pin worthy post. Great collection of recipes and for each meal time too! Thanks for this.
Thanks Sunrita!
Wow this is so comprehensive and has sorted me out for the rest of the year! Love frugal food even when money isn’t tight as it celebrates ingredients with simplicity. I’m enjoying reading through all of these.
I’m glad you are enjoying the list. There are so many good frugal recipes out there it was hard to choose just 50.
Totally saving this for the school year!
Hey Sydney! Glad I could help.
I’m always looking for inexpensive meals to make, thanks for all the recipes.
You’re welcome Samantha!
Frugal or not..these are great options. thanks!
Thanks Vaishali! I totally agree.
Haha I love the premise of this post! I think we could all stand to cut down our food budget a little bit.
You are so right Emily! And it’s good to see that you can eat great dishes on a budget.
Such a great list of recipes for when you’re broke! I am broke way too often. Thanks for this!
You’re welcome Nadalie!
This was a good read! I love the breakfast list. I get stuck with the same go-to’s and then get bored!
I know how you feel Vanessa. Check out the 50 Frugal Meals Post and get a few ideas on how to mix it up.
Hi, thank you for this. As a vegetarian and that doesn’t eat eggs, a mom to 2 make young adults, do you have a list that would be as comprehensive as the one you posted?
Thank you
Shawn,
Hi!
I am new to your site and I am really glad I read about these menus on a very strict budget. It is just my husband and I now and sometimes the money for groceries just doesn’t go far enough. With these recipes, not only will our food money go further but we will also be able to eat all 3 meals a day. This is doubly important for us as we are Type 2 diabetics and need to eat at least 3 meals a day but preferably, 6 small meals a day. With the simplicity of the ingredients and preparation of the meals time consumption for making them is lowered quite a bit also. Thank you so much for sharing them with us. I look forward to finish reading these articles and future ones as well.
Hi Georgia,
Welcome to the site. I’m glad you found this article helpful. Make sure you check out our 50 Frugal Foods post as well as get your free copy of our 25 Frugal Food tips. Once you get the 25 frugal food tips you’ll be on our mailing list where you’ll get lots of other freebies to help you save money.
Shawn 🙂
Great list of recipe. Thank you so much. I would like to recommended Tomato Soup Recipe to easily made it.
Thank you for the recipe!
I am a Senior leaving on a Pension and these meals will surely be on my List and help me to save on Groceries as I have most of this always in the fridge too. They are healthy and will fill me and my Husband up nicely and even have leftovers. Yeah
Hi there , I am a Senior and My Husband and I are living on a Pension so Budget is tight, this will surely help and give us healthy and good recipes to eat , most of the ingredients I always have on hand too. They look so Yummy and Love the Chicken Carbonara recipe looks yummy and will even have some leftovers too YEAH , what more can you ask. Thank You
Hey Sonia, It’s good to hear these recipes are helpful. I like that they are made from simple ingredients as well. Come back and let us know how you like the recipes.
Shawn
Forgot to mention a I am new to your site as well and have type 2 diabetes and these recipes will help us too. Great
Welcome to the family!
These recipes are so inspiring! Thank you so much for sharing them ;I can’t wait to try them.
You’re welcome. I’d love to know how you like them.
This is such a great list. Its really well laid out too. Sometimes blogs are messy in the lay out but I found this really great,
Thanks Ruth!