Simple Super Thrifty Meals That Still Work

 

Having a list of healthy and super thrifty meals on hand while raising my family helped me so much to stick to my extremely low grocery budget.  By using thrifty meals it also allowed me to purchase and serve up more expensive meals like steaks, salmon and shrimp, which we really enjoyed.  Now that I am retired this principle helps me to continue to work with a low spend budget, but because I am no longer feeding multiple mouths on a regular basis I can now improve those meals with better quality ingredients.

 

Macaroni & Cheese 

Early on as a parent I would purchase store brand mac & cheese at 18¢ a box and later as I became a more experienced cook with a bigger budget I switched to making it from scratch.  Now that I’m retired I keep a stock of Annie’s brand mac & cheese on hand simply because I like it.  To make it more of a meal I will often add sliced all beef hotdogs or a can of drained tuna and some peas.  Diced ham or some ground beef is really good too.

 

Soup & Sandwich 

Homemade, or canned soup I would buy on sale, was and is still is a common budget stretching tactic for me.  Nowadays all of my soups are homemade as the ingredients have radically changed over the years.  They are more watery and often contain GMO food in them.  By making my owns soups I saved a ton of money which allows me to better afford low carb breads to make a nice sandwich to go along with.  I no longer buy lunch meats preferring instead to make my own sliced chicken, turkey or beef, as well as tuna, chicken, ham or egg salads, and my very favorite – the grilled cheese.

 

Eggs 

Eggs on toast, a pancake or a waffle, is one of my favorite go-to’s for brunch, lunch and even supper.  I make my own pancakes and waffles from scratch and I keep chickens so I have a steady supply of eggs.  Omelets, quiche (using up leftover meat and veggies), breakfast hash, breakfast burritos, egg scrambles with veggies, sliced hot dogs or diced ham, the list goes on and on.  Eggs continue to be a very versatile and affordable protein option.

 

Dinner Salads 

I really enjoy a good dinner salad.  I take a nice bed of greens and add on a minimum of three items.  Proteins – sliced steak, grilled chicken, tuna, taco meat, sliced egg, etc.  Vegetables – grated carrot, diced tomato or cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, marinated artichokes, etc.  Fats - grated cheese, olives, nuts or seeds and salad dressing.  Packed with flavor, nutrients and fiber these are my warm weather go-to.

 

Casseroles 

Casseroles are a great way to feed a crowd or, for me now, to meal prep and help curb food waste by utilizing leftovers.  Lasagna, pasta bake, taco pie, cottage pie, tuna noodle, tater tot, chicken or beef enchiladas, again the list goes on and on.  I’m not a big casserole consumer, but every now and then a good casserole really hits the spot.

 

Baked Potatoes 

Every once in a while I still enjoy a good ol’ baked potato, especially when it is stuffed with all kinds of delicious goodies.  One of my favorites is to top my potato with steamed broccoli and cheddar cheese.  Taco meat or chili and grated cheese with a bit of sour cream or the loaded baked potato with crumbled bacon or diced ham, grated cheese, sour cream and sliced green onion.  So good!

 

I hope you enjoyed this walk through my list of thrifty meal ideas.  Do any of these meals land on your table at all?  What is your favorite go-to?