According to CNBC, the cost of groceries has risen by almost 20% since 2021. But if you’re the one in charge of shopping for your family, that won’t come as a surprise to you at all. It seems like every week, milk, produce and bread prices have increased, forcing many of us to cut back.
So if you’re looking for ways to stretch your spending without having to starve, Reddit users have recently been sharing their go-to affordable yet filling meals. These suggestions might not be gourmet by any means, but they should keep your stomach full until payday. Keep reading to also find a conversation with Caitlin Self, MS, CNS, LDN of Frugal Nutrition, and be sure to upvote the suggestions you’ll take advantage of to have a little more left in your savings at the end of the month!
#1
Grilled cheese and tomato soup is my f*****g jam.
Image source: whatssofunniedoug, Soup_and_sandwich
#2
Baked potato
#3
Fried rice. You can use everything you have left in the fridge.
Image source: Elena_Prefleuri, Trista Chen
#4
Peasant’s pasta otherwise known as Agile e Olio- it’s bloody delicious. Pasta, olive oil, garlic, parmesan cheese.
Image source: Minimalist12345678, wikipedia.org
#5
Buttered toast with cinnamon/sugar sprinkled on top
Image source: ThoseBrightBabyBlues, Chuck_Roast1993
#6
Beans on toast
Beans and sausage on toast if I’m feeling flush and have an extra 20p in my pocket
Image source: DavosLostFingers, wikipedia.org
#7
Throwing leftover anything inside a warmed up flour tortilla. Now it’s a burrito.
Image source: LadyDreamcatcher, Nishant Aneja
#8
The good ole rice and beans
Image source: TheManWhoLovesCulo, Zi’s Food&NatureArt
#9
Spaghetti and tomato sauce.
.98 cents for a pack of spaghetti noodles and 1.18 for a can of hunts spaghetti sauce, feeds about 6. Add a loaf of bread for 1.48 and some butter for .98 cents and some 1.18 garlic powder and you’re set for a meal for a family or easy dinner for a week.
Image source: Musikaravaa, wikipedia.org
#10
ramen and a boiled egg. It’s very japanese.
Image source: Safe_Butterscotch239, Ryutaro Tsukata
#11
Mujadara! It’s literally just crispy fried onions, lentils, and rice, but it’s so damn good! You can keep it simple if you want, but I really like it with some spices like ras el hanout, cumin, and cinnamon. I made a big batch a few days ago and froze most of it in single servings. It’s also a really delicious filling for stuffed flatbread, which I also make in large batches and then freeze.
Image source: NenyaAdfiel, Mujaddara
#12
A peanut butter sandwich with banana mixed in
Image source: wheresmychin, Karolina Grabowska
#13
Two fried eggs and toast. Awesome meal
Image source: massatronics, Krisztina Papp
#14
One I love making is shepherd’s pie (but I think it’s technically cottage pie when you use ground beef). You cook the beef and onions in the same pot, turn it into a bit of a stew/gravy by adding tomato paste, beef broth, and flour. Add salt and pepper, rosemary, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce for flavor, add frozen peas and carrots. Put it all in a casserole dish, top with mashed potatoes, and bake. Always creates a lot of servings, super comforting, inexpensive, and tastes better the next day.
Image source: verytinytim, wikipedia.org
#15
Cheese sandwich. Many years this simple meal sustained me
Image source: AccomplishedWinter41, Pixzolo Photography
#16
Go to aldi and get a pack of hot dogs and buns, it’s like $2 for a weeks worth of meals. Sure you’re probably going to get scurvy but, you won’t starve to death.
Image source: crabbyass2023, Daisy Anderson
#17
Chili is great and filling. Really anything with beans or lentils. Vegetarian meals are generally cheaper since meat can be expensive.
Image source: ar0827
#18
When I was a kid in a family of nine, we had an oatmeal dinner once a week. It was served with brown sugar and sweetened condensed milk. I loved it, and I’m sure it helped with the family budget. I’m sure there are other things that can be added to make it healthier, too. Nowadays, I add toasted nuts and maple syrup. Honey and dried fruit are other good options. Just try to buy on sale when you can.
Image source: trexartist, MART PRODUCTION
#19
Asian poor kid meal. Complete with white rice and choice of fried egg or fried spam.
Image source: KCN2017, makafood
#20
Omlet
Image source: moesdad, Engin Akyurt
#21
Boiled Potatoes with Seasoning
Image source: zipzap21, sq lim
#22
Chicken tortilla soup. Dump in one big can of kidney beans, one small can of black beans, one small can of corn, one large can of petite diced tomatoes, two packs of taco seasoning, four or five boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and chicken broth. Cook all day in the crockpot on low. Shred chicken when done and return to crockpot. We eat it for two days with tortilla chips and cheese. We are a family of four.
Image source: Single-Fox-6532, wsox74
#23
I’ve been known to make what we call dirty mashed potatoes. Brown up some hamburger meat, crumble it up small, with some onions if ya have ’em, add salt and pepper or whatever spices you enjoy. Then, mix the meat in with some mashed potatoes, either instant or real, depending what you have on hand. The offspring love it and eat that up.
Image source: Reinventing_Wheels, Gio Bartlett
#24
Cauliflower can be added to pretty much any kind of dish to bulk it out. For example, with any recipe with ground meat, you can add riced cauliflower to stretch it out, and you will barely notice it if cooked right.
Image source: EnviroTron, Karolina Grabowska
#25
Random charcuterie: bits and pieces of this and that/whatever is in the fridge or cabinet.
Image source: AmnesticSingularity, Karolina Grabowska
#26
Beans on or in a tortilla. You can have it so many different ways that it doesn’t feel like eating the same thing over and over again.
Image source: Wenuwayker, swagginpoop
#27
Rice, runny egg, soy sauce, seaweed and whatever protein I have left over.
Image source: Extreme_Muscle_7024
#28
Cream of mushroom soup with crackers to thicken it up. YUM. Only costs like 50 cents.
Image source: Jazzlike_Grab_7228, Anna Pyshniuk
#29
Sausage and sauerkraut. (Yes, my family is German). It’s cheap, has plenty of protein, is very filling, and lasts quite a while. The trick to the sauerkraut is to rinse it well in cold water first, drain it, and cook it with the sausage. Start with around 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar and a liberal dose of vinegar. I use red wine vinegar, but any type except balsamic should work. Also add a healthy amount of caraway seeds. Add a cup or so of water to the pot, stir, and let it cook on low heat for 30–45 minutes, stirring occasionally
Image source: Unique_Football_8839, mischievous_kea
#30
Try cooking chicken/pork adobo. It’s a really easy Filipino recipe that requires only a few ingredients. This saved my ass in college whenever I felt like my monthly budget was starting to run dry. Some chicken/pork, soy sauce, vinegar, water, oil, garlic, onion, and peppercorn. Optional but wonderful: laurel or bay leaf, chicken/pork broth or bouillon cube, and potato. There are lots of recipes online and different variations. Pair it with rice, and you’re bound to be really full!
Image source: mynameismaria
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