Frugal Meal Planner

HelloFresh is one of the best meal kits we’ve ever tried for a variety of reasons: big portions, affordable prices and straightforward recipes that even the newest home chefs can handle. If you’re vegetarian or pescatarian, HelloFresh has meal options that can accommodate your diet, and all meals are delivered in recyclable packaging. We even put the service’s skills up against one of the original meal kit delivery services, Blue Apron, and found HelloFresh to have more enjoyable meals to make and bigger dishes to devour.Newcomers to HelloFresh can save as much as $248—the equivalent of getting 21 free meals—over the course of eight weekly meal kit deliveries when you use coupon code USATODAY21 at checkout. If you follow the typical model of four meals per box for two people, you’ll save $50.99 on your first box, $20.12 on your next four boxes, $21.26 on your sixth and seventh boxes, and $24.29 on your seventh box for a total savings of $177.02 over eight boxes of meals. All you have to do is visit the website, register your account and select what meal plan you want. Plus, you’ll get three surprise gifts and free shipping on your first delivery.

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Want access to all of our homemaking printables including my master grocery list and a printable version of the frugal meal action plan? Join our homemaking community to get access to the Homemaker’s Resource Library below!My budget is $225 a week. That covers groceries and toiletries. Remember, we are a family of 9. If you have less people in your family, your budget may be lower.You can use leftovers creatively. You can have the same meals twice in one week, or you can use leftover side dish as an accompaniment to your main dish the next night. You can also use leftovers for lunch. Don’t waste your food! For example, we had leftover rice and broccoli from last night’s meal. I simply baked some chicken breasts with McCormick’s chicken seasoning and used our leftover sides again. Easy, peasy, and tasty!Once you have an idea of the frugal meals you want to make, it’s probably a good idea to check the sales at your local grocery store. We shop at the commissary on base, so I use their website to look up sales and load my rewards card.We save so much by meal planning. We do things in a different order. I buy meat that is on sale and freeze a lot of it and then I meal plan for the whole month based on what is in the freezer. That way I don’t have to worry about buying things that fit the meal plan because I already have it. This leaves me free to continue to stock up on meat when I find it at the rock bottom prices. I bought 12 chickens last month, roasted them all in the overn (6 at a time since that was what fit) and then removed the cooked meat and froze it. It makes dinner prep so fast too when the meats already cooked. I just have to reheat and make some sides and we are good to go.

This will be your master list of meals that you can pull from if you’re stumped for ideas. I’ve started keeping all of my shopping lists and my favorite meals list in my Clean and Organized Home Binder.I am still trying to adjust to being empty nesters. Which means learning to make smaller meals. When this doesn’t work I label and freeze. Then I have ready frozen meals when I’m not in the mood to cook or things are hectic

Many other grocery stores also have websites that include their sales, so I encourage you to check out your store’s website, sign up for any rewards cards they may offer and plan ahead.So, I’ve been thinking a lot about what meals I want to plan this summer. We do very basic things for breakfast: cereal, eggs/bacon, yogurt, etc. Lunch is usually leftovers or a grilled cheese or salad.

I regularly share meal planning ideas on this blog but I also have a blog dedicated to meal planning which is well worth checking out (in my obviously non biased opinion ;-))….In case you’re wondering, meal planning is exactly as it sounds – it’s planning your meals in advance which I guarantee will save you both time and money. If you’re interested, you can find out more about why I plan our meals and how I do it by reading this post on my meal planning blog or this one which has everything you need to know about meal planning!. You might also find this post helpful as it’s a round up of my favourite meal planning templates from around the internet but my preferred option for my weekly plan lately is the one that a lovely lady on Fiverr designed for me to match my blog colours. You can share it if you want to….. 😉 Includes suggested modifications and updates to make the recipes gluten free and dairy free, however these are only suggestions and I am not a certified nutritionist, so please do not use without first consulting your physician or dietician.

48 Recipes organized into 4 quarterly meal plans, using leftovers in a creative way so you can cook less and still eat at home MORE…meaning you are saving more money on your food budget. Comparative assessments and other editorial opinions are those of U.S. News and have not been previously reviewed, approved or endorsed by any other entities, such as banks, credit card issuers or travel companies. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired. “Chuck roast tends to be pretty cheap and since it’s fatty and filling, you only need a little to feel full and satiated,” says Vered DeLeeuw, author of HealthyRecipesBlogs.com. Currently, at Kroger, you’ll find a boneless beef chuck roast for $6.99 a pound. “So long as you’re eating 12 ounces of different types of seafood per week, there’s no cause for concern on the mercury front,” London says. “My concern with clients is that they’re not eating enough fish, never that they’re eating too much – only 50% of women of child-bearing age meet the requirement for fish.” Meal ideas: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, naturally. If you like to cook, peanut butter also turns up as a supporting character in a lot of recipes, such as sauces.Steffa Mantilla, who writes about paying off debt, living frugally and building wealth on her blog MoneyTamer.com, suggests going back to basics and making some foods from scratch with flour. “It’s versatile because you can make breads, pancakes, biscuits and more,” Mantilla says.

VanBeber says you may get more bang for your buck by purchasing canned tomatoes. “I think the either diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes are good to have on hand,” she says.Frozen vegetables are an especially a good idea if not many fresh vegetables are in season, says Dana White, a sports dietitian and clinical associate professor of athletic training and sports medicine at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut.

Look for produce that’s in season. VanBeber suggests paying attention to seasonal produce, such as summer vegetables and fall fruits. After all, the food will be fresh and generally cheaper.

The most recent consumer price index report, released on Dec. 13, shows that the food index increased from October to November by 0.5% and 10.6% over the previous year. As for the cost of food at home, that has increased 12% since last year. If you were getting your food at restaurants, those prices went up 8.5% over the last year.

You’re probably thinking, “Wait, is fish cheap? I didn’t get the memo.” Fish is generally not a food that’s considered inexpensive, but if you can find it on sale, you should grab it, according to Jaclyn London, a registered dietitian in New York City. Consider canned fruits and vegetables. Canned foods are almost always cheaper than the fresh produce. They may not look as mouthwatering, but the food is still tasty and healthy. Potatoes are full of nutrients, providing 3% of your daily nutritional value of vitamin C and more potassium than a medium-sized banana – if you eat the skin, according to the National Potato Council. Potatoes offer nutrient-dense, complex carbohydrates, and a medium-sized potato has about 3 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber (7% of your daily fiber requirements).”My mom taught me a long time ago to put a head of iceberg lettuce in each hand. Feel them for weight. Buy the heavier one. You get more for your money,” VanBeber says.

“They are very high in fiber and protein,” she says. “I recommend buying the bag and not the can, just because they are so easy to cook. They take 10 to 15 minutes to cook.”

“Frozen blueberries are a convenient and cost-effective way to help you eat nutritiously. They’re frozen at the peak of freshness, locking in their healthy goodness. Just like fresh blueberries, frozen blueberries are a good source of fiber and contain only 80 calories per cup,” Burgess says.

Dry beans are the cheapest, but VanBeber says many people aren’t comfortable with their knowledge and culinary skills to cook them. If that’s you, she suggests canned beans.

At the time of this writing, Walmart was selling Envy apples for $1.37 each, if that gives you an idea of how much money you’ll likely spend buying apples.

Climbing food prices can make grocery shopping especially challenging right now. If you want to keep to any reasonable budget, you may have to make some hard choices.(Getty Images)Meal ideas: “A can of beans can be added to a grain like brown rice or quinoa and made into a warm dish or a salad,” VanBeber says. “Canned beans are good in soups, and I like to add them to a tortilla wrap.”

“(Bananas) get a bad rap for being high in sugar, but natural sugar in fruit is not a major concern for health,” says Jenn LaVardera, a registered dietitian and wellness specialist in Southampton, New York. “Bananas contain vitamin C, manganese, vitamin B6 and potassium as well as antioxidants that support health. They also pack heart-healthy fiber. Typically under a dollar per pound, they are the best deal in the produce department,” LaVardera says.Climbing food prices can make grocery shopping especially challenging right now. If you want to keep to any reasonable budget, you may have to make some hard choices or buy alternative foods when shopping.

How cheap are oats? Prices vary depending on where you shop and the type of oats you buy: steel-cut, rolled or instant oats. A 42-ounce container of old fashioned whole grain oats currently goes for $3.98 at Walmart.Meal ideas: Mash or bake them. Turn them into hash browns or add them to a shepherd’s pie. There are a variety of fulfilling potato recipes you can add to breakfast, lunch and dinner. “But flavored varieties are great if you don’t want to cook or prep – super portable and great for taking with you to the office or mixing into leftover veggies or adding to greens,” she says. Buying a whole chicken is still economical, argues VanBeber, and she says that as a bonus, it’s easy to roast. It also will help if you can find chicken on sale at your local supermarket.Flour is also fairly cheap. According to the BLS, the average price of flour is about 52 cents a pound. A lot of grocery stores sell 5-pound bags, coming in at around $2.60 a bag.

Meal ideas: Mantilla suggests adding frozen vegetables to pasta for additional bulk and added nutritional value. And thanks to the versatility of pastas, you can pair the dish with a variety of inexpensive ingredients, including chuck roast and spinach.

You may understandably raise an eyebrow at calling chicken “cheap.” While inflation has made almost all food prices climb, poultry has been particularly hit hard. Chicken prices have gone up 12% in the last year, but on the plus side, in the last month, they have come down 0.8%.Not all mushrooms are cheap. If you buy gourmet mushrooms, like oyster or shiitake, you might find them pricey. But you can buy white mushrooms or whole brown mushrooms for about $2 to $5.

Meal ideas: It’s easy to fix a hamburger and brown rice in a skillet and throw in some frozen vegetables. Brown rice also goes well in burritos or alongside just about any protein.

Meal ideas: Spinach works in just about any meal. LaVardera suggests spinach omelets, spinach with whole grain pasta and spinach in a quesadilla. If you’re not a fan of the taste of cooked spinach, make yourself a cost-effective spinach salad.Think about buying pulses. That’s not a word you hear often, but pulses are the edible seeds of plants in the legume family. In other words, pulses are foods like dry beans, dry beans, chickpeas and lentils. Granted, not everybody is going to be excited by the idea of eating pulses, but if that’s your jam, your body and wallet are going to thank you. Not only are they relatively cheap, they are full of fiber and protein.

Meal ideas: There’s always hamburgers, but VanBeber suggests making spaghetti sauce. Just a pound of beef would go a long way. She also suggests using ground beef or ground chuck in tacos, pizza or maybe a beef and grain bowl.How much you’ll spend on brown rice depends on where you shop and what sort of deals you can find, but you can generally purchase several pounds of brown rice for a few dollars.

In a sea of kale and red-leaf lettuces, don’t overlook iceberg. “Iceberg lettuce is not recommended a lot these days, because the darker green lettuces and greens are recommended due to those having more nutritious compounds,” VanBeber says.Think about staying away from heavily processed foods. Yes, it’s tough to do with all of the heavily processed, often utterly delicious, foods out there, begging for our attention. But if you want to eat cheap but healthy foods, Dyckman says that “packaged baked goods, chips and other snack foods may be inexpensive, but they provide little nutritional value.” Alas, think corn, not corn chips.

“Then you can spread it with whatever sandwich toppings you want,” VanBeber says. “I like to put hummus or guacamole on top of a corn tortilla, and then add other vegetables or even some of those canned beans. Also, you can make your own tortilla chips with corn tortillas. This is a way to control how much fat and sodium is in the chip.”You can’t go wrong with beans, according to Anne VanBeber, a professor of nutritional sciences at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. It’s worth noting that VanBeber has been talking to students in one of her classes about how to plan a delicious and healthy meal for four people for under $10. Even at today’s prices, “it really can be done,” she says. “Eggs are rich in nutrients that support brain health, like choline and lutein,” Dyckman says, adding: “They last for three to five weeks in the fridge, so you don’t have to worry about them going bad.” VanBeber says she likes to have corn tortillas on hand, adding that they are a whole grain product. Whole grains are far healthier than refined grains, and VanBeber adds, “Wheat flours are not always a whole grain unless they say 100% whole wheat. Corn tortillas are also half the calories, usually, of wheat tortillas.”“I love creating a mushroom meat blend by cooking together 1 pound of finely chopped mushrooms with 1 pound of ground meat. Not only does this bulk up those more expensive ingredients, it also provides extra nutrients like B vitamins, vitamin D and potassium without adding extra calories or fat,” Burgess says.

“Legumes are one of the foods that we really should be eating every day. They provide protein, fiber, and help to enhance the microbiome, which means it helps keep our gut healthy, and this helps build the immune system,” VanBeber says. “Right now, a can of black beans is 78 cents at Walmart and 79 cents at Kroger.”Meal ideas: “Iceberg lettuce does have some nutritional value, and it adds a lot of crispy texture to a salad or sandwich. It’s also great for lettuce wraps,” VanBeber says.Meal ideas: Mantilla suggests making homemade pot pies, as opposed to the processed kind in the frozen foods section. “Pot pie dough is inexpensive to make and can be filled with whatever vegetables you have around the house,” she says.

As for how much you pay, it depends what brand you buy. You can certainly find jars for $4 or $5 or more, but if you don’t want to go to a warehouse store, Kroger has a generic 16-ounce jar of peanut butter for $1.84.

Meal ideas: Oatmeal, oatmeal cookies and oatmeal bars are just a few budget-friendly ideas. You could also make oat bread or use oats in a homemade granola recipe, or even search the internet for some oat-based dinner recipes, like a broccoli-cheddar oatmeal bake.“Apples are an affordable, nutritious fruit to purchase year-round. They’re rich in soluble fiber and immune-supporting vitamin C,” Burgess says, adding that she likes Envy apples the best. Oats are healthy, “hearty and with added spices can be delicious,” Novotny says. “They’re a great source of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Whole oats have been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels, which helps to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Plus, the fiber helps to slow glucose absorption, which is helpful for diabetics,” she adds. Exactly how much you’ll pay for a dozen eggs depends on where you shop and where you live, and whether they are cheap may depend on how you define cheap.

Brown rice is a cost-effective pantry staple. “This item is quick to make and can be added to many meals,” says Daniela Novotny, a registered dietitian and biomedical instructor at Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. “It’s also high in fiber and has important minerals, such as magnesium and manganese. If someone has celiac disease, rice is a great non-gluten option. It can help with appetite control due to the fiber content and may help with lowering cholesterol levels.” Complex meals with a lot of spices or sauces can get pricey. When it comes to buying flavor enhancers, pick out condiments that are versatile — like salt, soy sauce, or olive oil — and can be used on multiple foods. When your weekly budget is $60 — and that’s what mine is for my two-month-long “cash diet” — you have to be strategic when it comes to shopping for food.Of course, you don’t have to strip your meals down to the absolute bare minimum. While I’m content with plain pasta and eggs, that’s not to say you can’t make tasty meals on a budget. There are a lot of food blogs devoted to eating well on the cheap, such as Budget Bytes, Stone Soup, and BrokeAss Gourmet.

Yes, this is incredibly minimal, and Week Two will definitely feature more vegetables, but my groceries got me through the week, I never felt hungry, and I truly don’t mind no-frills meals.The average family wastes about 20% of their groceries, so chances are, you’re over-purchasing in some way. Set a realistic goal, like cutting your bill by 25% or a specific dollar amount, that makes sense for your spending habits.

I created this printable meal planning binder to help you organize your recipes and create monthly meal plans so you can decrease your food budget fast!Make sure to use the right card for protection benefits. Most consumers pay attention only to cash back or rewards, but there is more to consider. Some cards offer better perks than others. For example, many cards offer an extended warranty, but some Citi cards, like the Citi Premier® Card or Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®*, offer not one, but two years of additional warranty. So if you’re about to buy a home appliance, for example, your item can be covered for the next 36 months with a combination of the manufacturer warranty and extended warranty from your credit card.

Even frugal people want new things from time to time. So if you replace consumer goods because, like most people, you want something new and trendy, maybe opting for the highest quality items isn’t the best idea — with or without coupons.We at Bankrate always remind readers that the only foolproof way to benefit from your credit card is to pay it off every month to avoid interest. No cash back can overcome credit card purchase APRs that have recently climbed to 19 percent interest. But since life can interfere with the best of intentions, here are a few tips for the holiday season whether you do or don’t carry a balance.

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Consolidate your debt with a 0 percent introductory APR card. Some 0 percent intro APR cards have long-term offers of up to 21 months. Use this time to transfer and pay off (or at least pay down) your current high-interest cards. You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey. At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict , this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here’s an explanation for . The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.*The information about the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.

Don’t you ever get bored with your clothes, electronics or any other consumer goods? Do you really need them to serve you for years to come? If you’re like most people, your answers are “yes” and “no.”Look for a new card with a lower APR. Most low-APR cards are issued by credit unions, but some of them allow anyone to join. Also, check our write-up to find a low-APR card from a major bank.

There is some good news, especially for consumers who shop online. Adobe analysts predict that “discounts will hit record highs (upwards of 32 percent) this holiday season, as retailers contend with oversupply and a softening consumer spending environment.”However, the record 2022 inflation might test even the most considerate gift givers. Holiday shopping will look different this year with inflation at 40-year highs, a Bankrate survey shows. “Consumers are still spending, but they’re being especially thoughtful about where each dollar goes,” says Bankrate.com senior industry analyst Ted Rossman. In other words, frugal is good, while cheap (in relation to a person) is bad. You wouldn’t criticize a frugal consumer for not spending freely. A frugal person knows their way around money. A cheap person, on the other hand, is seen as stingy, dumb (penny-wise, dollar-stupid), often inconsiderate of the needs of others and, in general, no fun to be around. Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions.They will, however, try to be smart and strategic about their gifts, buying them at the right time and leveraging all the tools in their arsenal — such as coupons, cash back rewards and special offers — to keep their costs under control.“It is common for people to replace products even though they are functioning well,” found researchers from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. “Research shows that 31 percent of washing machines, 66 percent of vacuum cleaners, 56 percent of TVs and 69 percent of smartphones are replaced for other reasons than being broken ‘beyond’ repair. Also in the fashion industry, many clothes are worn for a shorter amount of time than they actually could.”

Check special offers from your credit cards. Most cardholders routinely overlook special offers from your cards. So this holiday season, when any help is welcome, try to check if these offers can save you a little with your shopping. There are Amex Offers, Chase Offers, Citi Merchant Offers and BankAmeriDeals among others. All you need to do is log on to your credit card account, choose the deal you like and use your card to make a purchase. Also, if you have several cards from the same issuer, they can differ so check each of them.We all know a quality pair of shoes is likely to serve you for years, while cheap shoes may find their way to a trash bin in just a few months. The same holds true for most consumer goods, even when we’re dealing with big-name brands. It’s not a secret that the quality of clothing items sold at a brand’s outlet is often subpar compared to the brand’s flagship stores. Of course, there are exceptions to everything, but these exceptions only reinforce the rule. When you’re broke, it’s not like you have a lot of choices. A low-quality shirt is better than no shirt, and a beat-up clunker is better than no car at all, especially when your job and livelihood depend on being able to drive. At Bankrate, we have a mission to demystify the credit cards industry — regardless or where you are in your journey — and make it one you can navigate with confidence. Our team is full of a diverse range of experts from credit card pros to data analysts and, most importantly, people who shop for credit cards just like you. With this combination of expertise and perspectives, we keep close tabs on the credit card industry year-round to:

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Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers.

No matter where we stand on the frugal versus cheap debate, cheap gift-givers are the worst. If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of a cheap, inconsiderate, ridiculous gift, you know that the gift itself is not the worst part. The worst is faking a smile and giving the donor a warm thank you.

Chase Freedom Flex℠ cardholders: Until Dec. 31, 2022, use your card at Walmart and PayPal for 5 percent cash back. Remember, most online vendors allow you to use PayPal checkout online, as do some physical stores.Discounts for computers will be the most impressive, up to 32 percent, according to Adobe, and you can expect discounts on electronics at up to 27 percent, toys at up to 22 percent, apparel at up to 19 percent, appliances at up to 18 percent, and furniture and bedding at up to 11 percent.At Bankrate, we focus on the points consumers care about most: rewards, welcome offers and bonuses, APR, and overall customer experience. Any issuers discussed on our site are vetted based on the value they provide to consumers at each of these levels. At each step of the way, we fact-check ourselves to prioritize accuracy so we can continue to be here for your every next.

Adobe predicted the biggest discounts between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, but shoppers may find the best discounts on household appliances in December. Discover it® Cash Back cardholders: Use your card at Amazon.com and grocery stores for 5 percent cash back (up to the quarterly maximum when you activate). The conclusion seems clear. A frugal person will try to buy quality stuff, but probably wait for a genuine sale and find a coupon or use cash back (or both) to offset some of the costs. A cheap consumer just buys whatever they can find at the lowest price possible.The app will aggregate a grocery list that also shows you the price of ingredients if you shop at one of the stores utilized in the app. This app is free with ads (lots of ads) but costs of $9.99 for the full version.

Tap to add full recipes or ingredients to your shopping list, which you can cook with the help of some 1,000 step-by-step cooking videos, complete with cooking instructions.

When you pick a recipe, it shows up on the grocery list with the necessary ingredients. It also offers substitutes for items that you may not have on hand, but will still work for that particular meal.For many people, it can be hard to get started with a meal plan. Instead of letting that hold you back, try one of the apps on this list to give you a shove in the right direction.

You don’t need to be a techie wiz to make menu planning a little bit easier. But did you know there are many tools available on the internet that will help you with your weekly menu plan?

While there’s no weekly or monthly calendar for meal planning, you can make collections of recipes. I tested it out, making a collection for one week, and saved all of my meals right there.Paprika Recipe Manager is a mobile app and meal planning tool that helps you to organize your recipe collection and plan your meals based on those recipes you can build shopping lists.

There’s no shortage of inspiration in this app. Seasonal collections featured on the home screen ensure you’re using the freshest in-season ingredients.