13 Affordable Meal Ideas for Families Who Want to Save Money

It is 5:40, three people are hungry, and the plan for dinner lives only in your head.

Anyone who feeds a family knows this moment. When time is short and everyone is tired, it is very easy to reach for the most expensive option, whether that is takeout, a pricey convenience meal, or a quick stop for something at the store. The meals that have saved my own family the most money share a few features. They stretch ingredients, they let everyone pick part of the meal, and they turn into something else the next day.

These thirteen ideas follow those rules. Most take thirty to forty-five minutes, many make leftovers, and several let the kids help. Prices vary, and every family has its own tastes and needs, so adjust each one to fit your table.

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1. Taco night lets everyone build their own plate, and beans can stretch a small amount of meat.

Set out tortillas or taco shells, and a few fillings: seasoned beans, a little cooked ground meat if you like, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, salsa, and any other toppings you have. Everyone builds their own.

Mixing beans with a small amount of meat is an easy way to stretch it. You can also make a fully bean-based filling that the family enjoys.

Leftover fillings work well the next day as a burrito bowl or a quesadilla.

Try a build-your-own taco night this week, and mix beans into the filling to make it go further.

2. A pasta bake with hidden vegetables makes a pan of food that goes a long way.

Cook a box of pasta, and mix it with tomato sauce, cooked vegetables, and cheese. Finely chopped spinach, grated zucchini, or carrots blend in easily, even for picky eaters. Top with a little more cheese, and bake until bubbly.

A single dish can feed a family and leave leftovers for lunch. It also freezes well in portions.

If your children are curious, let them stir the sauce or sprinkle the cheese.

Make a pasta bake this week, and stir in one vegetable that your family does not usually notice.

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3. Homemade pizza night on flatbreads or dough costs much less than delivery.

Buy or make simple dough, or use flatbreads, pita, or tortillas as a base. Spread on sauce, add cheese, and let everyone choose toppings, such as vegetables, leftover meat, or pineapple.

Bake until the cheese melts and the edges are golden. Kids tend to love making their own, and it turns dinner into an activity.

A homemade pizza is also a good way to use up small amounts of vegetables and cheese.

Plan a pizza night with a short list of toppings, and let each person assemble their own.

“A family dinner does not have to be expensive to be a good one.”

4. Soup and sandwiches are an easy, warm meal that uses simple ingredients.

A pot of soup can be made from broth, vegetables, beans, or leftover chicken. Serve it with grilled cheese, egg salad, or peanut butter sandwiches, depending on your family’s needs and tastes.

Soup is a great place to hide extra vegetables, and the leftovers often taste even better the next day.

Make a double batch and freeze half for a day when no one has the energy to cook.

Make a big pot of soup this week, and serve it with a simple sandwich on the side.

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5. A baked potato bar feeds a crowd for very little.

Bake a potato for each person, and set out toppings: steamed broccoli, cheese, beans, chili, sour cream or yogurt, and chopped green onions. Everyone makes their own.

Potatoes are usually one of the less expensive vegetables, and a bar makes dinner feel special.

Leftover potatoes can be fried the next morning as hash with eggs.

Plan a potato bar night, and choose three toppings that you already have at home.

6. Rice bowls let you mix and match whatever you have.

Cook a big pot of rice, and set out toppings. Beans, leftover chicken or meat, roasted vegetables, a fried egg, cheese, salsa, or a simple sauce can all go on top.

Bowls are flexible for different tastes. One person can have extra vegetables, another can add more protein.

Because you can use whatever is on hand, rice bowls are a good fridge-clearing meal.

Make a rice bowl night, and let each person pick three toppings from what is in the fridge.

7. Sheet-pan sausage and vegetables takes minutes to prep and almost nothing to clean.

Slice sausage, such as smoked or cooked sausage, and toss it on a pan with chopped potatoes, peppers, onions, or other vegetables. Add oil and seasoning, and roast until everything is tender and hot.

A pack of sausage can go a long way when combined with plenty of vegetables.

For a vegetarian version, use chickpeas or tofu instead.

Try one sheet-pan dinner this week, and add extra vegetables so the meat goes further.

8. Breakfast for dinner is cheap, quick, and often a hit with kids.

Scrambled eggs, pancakes, French toast, oatmeal, or a veggie omelet can all make a fun dinner. Serve fruit on the side.

Eggs are an inexpensive protein, and the whole meal can be ready in twenty minutes.

Let the kids help flip pancakes or crack eggs. It makes the meal feel like a family event.

Choose a night for breakfast for dinner, and ask your kids to pick the menu.

9. A slow cooker or big-pot meal turns inexpensive cuts and vegetables into several dinners.

Stews, chili, pulled chicken, and bean dishes work well in a slow cooker or a large pot. Put in your ingredients in the morning, or simmer on the stove in the afternoon, and dinner is ready when you are.

Inexpensive cuts of meat become tender with long, slow cooking, and vegetables and beans stretch the meal.

Cook a big batch, and use the leftovers for a second dinner or freeze them in portions.

Pick one big-pot recipe, and cook it this weekend to cover two meals in the week ahead.

10. Stir-fry night with rice uses small amounts of protein and lots of vegetables.

Chop vegetables, and cook them quickly in a hot pan with a bit of oil. Add a small amount of chicken, tofu, or egg, and a simple sauce made from soy sauce, garlic, and a little honey or sugar.

Serve over rice or noodles. Frozen vegetables work well and cut down on prep.

Kids can help by washing vegetables or measuring sauce ingredients.

Plan a stir-fry night, and use a bag of frozen vegetables to keep prep short.

11. Bean and cheese quesadillas are ready in minutes and cost very little.

Spread a layer of refried or mashed beans and some shredded cheese on a tortilla, fold it over, and cook it in a pan until it is golden on both sides. Cut it into wedges, and serve with salsa, sour cream, or a simple salad.

Quesadillas are a good way to use up small amounts of leftover vegetables, chicken, or rice. Everyone can choose their own filling, which helps with picky eaters.

They are also quick enough for a night when the plan has fallen apart.

Plan one quesadilla night this week, and set out two or three fillings so each person can choose.

12. A snack-plate dinner uses small amounts of many foods and needs no cooking.

On a night when no one feels like cooking, set out a platter with crackers, cheese, fruit, sliced vegetables, hummus, hard-boiled eggs, and any leftovers. It is more like a picnic than a plain meal.

Kids often enjoy picking and choosing. Adults can add a little something extra, like olives or cold cuts.

It is a way to use odds and ends, and it costs far less than takeout.

Plan one snack-plate dinner for a busy night, and include at least two vegetables.

13. A leftover remix night turns last week’s meals into something new.

Once a week, gather the leftovers and decide how to remix them. Rice and beans become burritos. Roasted vegetables go into an omelet. Chicken goes into a quesadilla or a soup.

Let your family help decide. Kids can be surprisingly creative when they get to pick.

This night clears the fridge and often saves you from cooking a brand new meal.

Choose a night this week as a remix night, and challenge the family to make something new from what is left.

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