Cooking on a budget doesn’t mean you have to opt for unhealthy options, pasta and ramen noodles every night. Planning out your meals and shopping for the ingredients to make them once a week, is my #1 tip for cooking on a budget. Plan out the meals that you will be making for the week and write down all of the ingredients that you will be needing.

Remember to buy in bulk and don’t stray away from your grocery list. It is so easy to go to the store without a plan and just start grabbing unnecessary items. Here are two examples of a lunch and dinner item that I made for the week that will end up being less than $6.00 a day. 

Lunch: Frozen Burritos

• 2 lbs of ground chuck- $8.58
• Refried beans- $1.49
• 10 Tortilla Shells- $2.89
• Shredded Cheese- $3.49
• Total + Tax = $17.60
• Made 10 lunches- $1.76 per lunch

Dinner- Olive Garden Copycat Tuscana Zuppa Soup

• Kale- $.99 
• Chicken Broth- $2.89
• Heavy Whipping Cream- $2.89
• Bacon Bits- $1.99
• 2 Potatoes – .46 & .42
• Onion- $1.30
• Sausage- $3.19
• Total + tax = $15.11
• Makes 4 servings = $3.77 per meal