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Table of Contents
CHEAP MEALS FOR WHEN YOU ARE BROKE.
Whether you are a stay-at-home, a student, or a retiree looking for ways to reduce your grocery bill, or are you just looking for ideas on cheap meals when you are broke?
There are simple, easy, and tasty frugal recipes that are inexpensive to make. The best part is that you can use food items you already have in your kitchen cupboards. Think pasta, tinned beans, rice, and frozen vegetables.
From budget breakfast meals to lunchtime staples and supper favourites like mac n cheese, beef stew, and hearty soups, budget meals do not have to be boring and tasteless. You know that cheap/budget meals can be very tasty and healthy.
So many of us, myself included, are looking for ways to save money on our food costs. There are plenty of meals to cook when times are hard. Think middle to end of the month or if you want to cook budget meals all the time to save money.
Being creative when cooking budget meals will help you come up with new meal ideas so you dont eat the same meals over and over again. I do tend to cook a big meal and eat it for two days. This saves me time because I dont have to cook every day.
I also do batch cooking and freeze portions for later dates during the month.
I do my big monthly shop at the end of the month, and before I go shopping, I go through my cupboards, fridge, and freezer. If you do this, you will know what you have and what you need to buy when planning your budget meals.
Purchasing unnecessary food items can lead to you spending more money and wastefulness.
Plan, plan, and plan your budget meals. Make budget-friendly meals with staple ingredients that you already have in your kitchen cupboards. Let’s find out some of the most common ingredients that you can use in your recipes.
CUPBOARD STAPES.
Let’s find out more about some of the most common cupboard kitchen staples that will help you with cooking budget meals.
Pasta, l always stock on pasta
Rice
Buckwheat
Egg noodles
Ramen noodles
Oats
Cooking oil
Olive oil
Sesame seed oil
Yeast dry
A variety of lentils
Peanut butter
Marmite, a bread spread South Africans love or hate
Soy sauce
Salt & pepper This is something I buy the biggest items available
Dried spices like garlic, cumin, coriander, mixed herbs, cinnamon, chilli flakes, Italian herbs, mixed spices and coriander seeds.
Packet soups: I find these very handy to add to stews or use as gravy.
Panko breadcrumbs
Bread: I buy about 6 loaves of bread and freeze loaves to use later
Cake flour
Bread flour
Self-raising flour
I keep all my flour in the fridge or freezer, as well as my rice and pasta/lasagna sheets.
Keeping flour, pasta and rice in the fridge/freezer helps it stay good and keeps the weevils out.
For spices that I do not use often, I also put them in the freezer and take them out before the time to get room-temperature spices.
FRUIT AND VEGETABLE STAPES.
I don’t know about you, but I use certain fruits and vegetables more in my meals than others. My kids like some veggies and fruits over others, so I tend to buy more of the fruits and veggies they enjoy eating. Doing so leads to less waste and unwanted purchases.
Apples
Bananas
Carrots
Baby marrows
Onions
Frozen peas
Brocolli
Cauliflower
Spring onions
Variety of peppers ( red, green and yellow)
Lettuce
Garlic
Fresh ginger
Chillies a variety
Celery
Corn canned/frozen
Mixed frozen vegetables
CANNED FOOD STAPES.
Tinned foods really help when it comes to planning budget meals. When buying tinned foods, please check out the expiry date!
Canned tomatoes: I buy a variety of canned tomatoes, some with herbs and spices and some plain ones.
Tomato paste, likewise plain or with spices/herbs
Tomato sauce
Tinned or soup in pouches again, I buy a large variety
Canned beans, a variety
Canned tuna
Canned salmon
Canned beans buy a variety, and I always try to buy tinned beans with less salt and sugar added.
Canned vegetables
Stocks: Buy a variety of stocks. If you have time and want to save more money, you can make your own stocks. This will also require fewer added ingredients.
BAKING STAPES.
Sugar granulated
Castor sugar
Icing sugar
Bicarb of soda
Baking powder
Honey
Syrup
Vanilla extract
A variety of flours
Yeast
Tinned caramel
Tinned condensed milk
Tennis biscuits
Marie biscuits
Salti cracks
Milk: I buy boxed milk.
FRIDGE STAPLES.
Eggs, I buy the biggest tray.
Cheeses: Again, I buy a variety of cheeses and freeze them. Grated cheese freezes better. Always make sure the type of cheese you buy is freezer-safe.
Butter: I wrap my butter in tin foil, then place it in a freezer bag and store it in the freezer.
Sour cream cheese
Cream cheese
Bacon: I buy 2kgs of bacon, portion it, and freeze portions for later use
Frozen boxed fish, a variety a Friday night meal with chips and salad
For Mincemeat, I buy 2kgs and portion it in 500-gram portions to use in cooking. To make your mincemeat, you can portion it in 250 grams and add soya when you cook the mincemeat.
Pork chops, this is another Friday night meal.
Burger patties: I buy 16 patties. You can also make your own burger patties.
Skinless chicken breast: I use these to make chicken schnitzel and chicken nuggets. You can also buy chicken breasts with bone and skin on and remove the bone and skin yourself. The bone can be used to make chicken stock and in soups.
Boerewors, a South African meat
Chicken Vienna, my daughter loves these with vegetables
Tenderized steak can be used to make beef schnitzel or beef stews.
TIPS TO MAKE CHEAP MEALS.
I have a few mom friends who ask me how they can save money on cooking. The first thing I always tell them is that they must plan, plan, and plan. Planning is the first step on the road to budget meals.
After you have planned, then, you know what groceries you need to buy for the month. There may be a few items you may need to buy here and there, but if you plan ahead, then this way, you should not need to have a big shop twice during the month.
When cooking lunch and supper meals, I often use garlic, bacon, pasta, cheese, fresh ginger, frozen green peas, milk, and powdered soups.
For breakfast, I have boiled eggs with toast and sliced tomato. I put oats with milk, cinnamon, and a small amount of clove powder in the fridge overnight and cooked them in the morning. You may need to add a bit more milk or water if you prefer.
TIPS TO MAKE YOUR MEALS MORE ECONOMICAL.
Okay, so I mentioned planning. Do your best to plan ahead for the whole month so you know what to buy for the month.
Try not to buy pre-cut fruit and vegetables. This is normally more expensive. Plus, it doesn’t take that much time to cut up fruit and vegetables. If you have children, you can ask them to help you cut up your fruit and vegetables.
Substitute cheaper alternatives in place of priced ingredients. You can use dried ingredients instead of fresh ingredients.
Opt for store-name brands instead of brand names. Many times, store-name brands are the same as brand names.
Buy fruit and vegetables that are in season; out-of-season products cost more.
Before you go shopping, have a look at what food items are on sale at the supermarkets and buy items that are on sale. Plan your meals accordingly.
Cook large batches of food, such as two dishes of mac n cheese, lasagna, beef stew, chicken pasta, and lentil curry. I like cooking and freezing portions because this saves food and time.
Freeze extra portions to eat later.
CHEAP MEALS FOR WHEN YOU ARE BROKE.
CHEAP BREAKFAST MEALS.
Scrambled eggs with onion, garlic and cheese.
Scrambled egg on toast with herbs dried or fresh.
Tinned tuna with boiled eggs.
Scrambled egg sarmies
Oats with cinnamon
Toast with mayo and grated cheese
Tinned bean on toast with fried egg
Baked bean with boiled egg and toast
French toast with butter or syrup (put on whatever you like)
BUDGET LUNCH MEALS.
Pizza, there are so many ideas for toppings, such as:
Cheese and bacon
Chicken, feta and spinach
Bacon, cheese and small cut-up pieces of meat
Three cheese with tomato
Mozerella cheese with basil and tomatoes
Mincemeat, cheese, tomato and basil
Crushed garlic, cheese and tomatoes
Tuna, feta, tomatoes
Seafood mix
Meaty pizza with cheese
Those you see with pizza—there are so many ideas you can play with to see what you enjoy and which toppings are the cheapest for your pocket.
You can also save money by making your own pizza bases instead of buying store-bought ones. You can also make a batch of pizza bases and freeze them for later use.
I always put a tomato base on my pizza with some fresh herbs. If you dont like herbs, you can leave them out. If you dont like a tomato base, you can use barbecue.
Now, let’s find out what other budget meals you can cook/make to save money when you are on a very tight budget.
Mincemeat with tinned tomatoes, onions, peppers and chillies (optional). You can eat the mincemeat dish with rice or pasta. I make a big batch of the mincemeat and use half to make a lasagne dish.
Cheese sauce is another staple in my meal planning. I use it in mac n cheese, lasagna, on top of pasta, and with chicken pasta.
When cooking my cheese sauce, I like to add crushed garlic and strong English Mustard. I also add more than one type of cheese, but I very seldom use feta cheese.
Fish and chips with salad. My family and I have this for lunch or supper. Chopped tomatoes, thinly sliced onions, cabbage, and gherkins are mixed in with mayo, English mustard, salt, and pepper. You can add a little bit of vinegar if you want to.
Meatballs cooked in tomatoes. You can make extra meatballs and save some for another meal. My kids love eating the meatballs with cheese in the centre. You can have the meatballs on a sub or, yes, with pasta.
BUDGET SUPPER MEALS.
Easy chicken nuggets with panko crumbs. My kids love this with vegetables and chips.
Cottage pie topped with mashed potatoes (you can add some grated cheese or bread crumbs if you want)
Corned beef slowed cook in the slow cooker with potatoes, carrots, bay leaves, cardamon, cloves (whole)
Chicken or beef schnitzel with rice or chips. For vegetables, I make cauliflower and broccoli; you can steam or boil them. Add cheese sauce or mushroom sauce.
Ramen or egg noodle bowl with veggies. My son loves this dish. Chop up some carrots, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, garlic, ginger, and green peas. Put the veggies in water and slowly bring to a boil, then add your noodles. You can add soy sauce or sesame seed oil if you want to.
You can also add some cut-up chicken, fish, and beef meat to the ramen or egg noodles. If you have broth or stock, you can boil the vegetables in broth instead of water.
Pastry pockets are a nice way to use puff pastry. I use store-bought puff pastry. You can fill your pastry pockets with mincemeat, chicken with mushrooms and feta cheese, or beef with vegetables.
The slow-cooked corned beef dish can also be a supper dish, which you can use again. Make corned beef hashbrowns or corned beef sarmies with pickles and cheese.
Creamy, cheesy broccoli, cauliflower bake.
Chicken curry with onions, garlic, ginger, chillies, cumin, coriander, cinnamon bark, carrots, green peppers, potatoes, and tinned tomatoes. Serve with long-grain rice and salad. You can make a very big portion of the chicken curry and freeze portions for later. Be careful. I have found that sometimes the carrots and potatoes don’t stay well when frozen.
You can make so many different curries, such as beef curry, chicken curry, fish curry, vegetable curry, and lentil curry.
Soya stew with vegetables, garlic, ginger and onion is a good supper meal. Have the soya with mashed potatoes, pasta or rice.
Tuna pasta bake is another cheap supper meal. I use cheese sauce, mix it all together, and then bake the dish in the oven.
CONCLUSION: CHEAP MEALS FOR WHEN YOU ARE BROKE.
I know food is very expensive, but in South Africa, it is.
What are your go-to budget meals when you are broke? What meals do you cook when times are tough, or what meals do you plan for the month?
Are you also looking for ways to save money on food costs and cook cheap, hearty, healthy meals for your family?
Planning your meals in advance is one of the best ways to start your journey of cooking cheaper meals. Plan around what you already have in your kitchen cupboard and fridge/freezer. Look at what specials will be on promotion when you plan your monthly shopping.
Make a detailed list of the food items you need to buy.
I hope you have found this post helpful and informative.
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