We’ve got 20+ inexpensive meal ideas to help save you money. Whether you’re going through a rough patch in life or simply want or need to save money, we hope these will help!
We love food here at Urban Bliss Life, and we strongly believe that food is a basic human right.
But millions across the world face food insecurity, and it breaks our heart. It’s an epidemic that reaches across all countries, all ethnicities, all communities. And it can happen to anyone, at any time.
Food insecurity affects millions who work full-time and just can’t make ends meet. We know so many who have been laid off or affected by government shutdowns, who are suddenly unable to feed their families like they used to.
Food insecurity affects families, seniors, veterans, and children.
If you are facing food insecurity, we encourage you to reach out and seek assistance. There are so many wonderful resources in the US, including the Oregon Food Bank in our home state. They work closely with 21 regional food banks with more than 1,200 free food programs around the state.
In addition to ongoing fundraising efforts for the Oregon Food Bank, we wanted to put together a simple resource to help you come up with inexpensive, easy meal ideas for when times are tough.
We hope you find this list of ideas helpful. Please feel free to share this with your friends and family, and anyone who might find this information useful.
Working together with all of you and our local communities, we hope to be able to lighten the load for those experiencing food insecurity.
Table of Contents
About these meal ideas
The meals mentioned here are easy, unfussy, inexpensive dinner ideas using a combination of:
- pantry/shelf-stable foods
- bulk foods you might buy at a Costco or Sam’s Club
- freezer foods
- fresh food items that you can use in several different recipes and last a long time.
I prefer to also buy fresh foods in bulk. Many of these you can store some in the pantry or refrigerator, and freeze the rest for many more months.
Inexpensive ingredients to buy
Here’s a list of inexpensive ingredients that are nourishing and versatile. The fresh food items are ones that I personally rely on for last-minute cheap meals, because they last a while and can be used in SO many different dishes. Keep these in stock when possible.
Pantry items
- Canned or dry beans
- Canned chicken
- Canned vegetables
- Canned tuna
- Ramen noodles – I have found the cheapest option in our area is to buy a huge pack of 48 packets from Costco for $15 (approx. $0.32 each!)
- Pasta
- Rice
- Canned or boxed stock or broth
- Basic spices: salt, pepper, paprika
- Dried herbs: parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano
- Taco seasoning (or make a big batch of our homemade taco seasoning to last for a long time)
Freezer foods
- Frozen vegetables
- Frozen fruit
- Bread – We buy bread when it’s on sale and/or in bulk on sale. Keep one in the refrigerator and the other loaves in the freezer until you’re ready to use them.
- Cheese – The most economical way to buy cheese is to buy a block and freeze it. Then grate or shred as needed.
- Stock or broth – The foundation for so many inexpensive meals! Use our easy recipe for homemade chicken stock.
Fresh foods to buy
- Garlic
- Onions
- Green onions – I sometimes find a bunch for under $0.50.
- Rotisserie chicken – I buy a whole rotisserie chicken from Costco currently for $5.46. The meat can be used in up to 4 different meals, and the bones I make a nourishing homemade chicken stock with.
- Eggs – While they were out of control expensive for a hot minute there, prices have since come back down. I can find a carton of eggs at Trader Joe’s for around $4. Eggs are packed with protein and super versatile. And, they can last up to 5 weeks in the refrigerator from the time of purchase!
- Ground turkey – As far as meat goes, other than rotisserie chicken, ground turkey is another staple inexpensive meat. It’s usually far less expensive than ground beef or pork. Buy these in bulk at Costco or Sam’s Club, or when they’re on sale at your local grocery store.
Join our fundraiser to fight hunger
No one should ever go hungry. If you are able to, please join our Urban Bliss Life fundraising team. Donations go directly to the Oregon Food Bank to help end hunger in our state.
20+ inexpensive meal ideas
Here’s a list of 20+ inexpensive dinner ideas. For many of these, simply add salt and pepper to taste. Or a seasoning blend like poultry seasoning or pizza seasoning can bump up the flavor factor. For some, a drizzle of olive oil can do wonders to elevate the dish.
- Minestrone soup – canned tomato sauce + canned broth/stock + canned or frozen vegetables + canned beans
- Tuna salad sandwich – canned tuna + chopped celery + bread
- Vegetarian nachos – tortilla chips + canned beans + canned tomatoes or refrigerated salsa
- Chili – canned beans + canned diced tomatoes + canned tomato paste + your fave toppings
- Tuna Mac and cheese – boxed mac and cheese + canned tuna
- Veggie curry – canned coconut milk + canned sweet potatoes + canned chickpeas + jarred ginger/garlic paste
- Salsa chicken – frozen bulk chicken, rotisserie chicken, or even canned chicken + jar of salsa + taco seasoning
- Nourishing ramen – ramen noodles + hard-boiled egg + frozen bulk chicken, rotisserie chicken, or even canned chicken +
- Chicken Gnocchi – package of gnocchi + canned/frozen spinach + canned/carton broth + canned chicken + canned evaporated milk + pountry seasoning
- Wonton soup – chicken broth + frozen dumplings + green onions
- Breakfast smoothies – frozen fruit + carton almond milk
- Ground turkey teriyaki – ground turkey meat + soy sauce + frozen vegetables + rice
- BBQ chicken – chicken thighs + BBQ sauce
- Spaghetti with meat sauce – pasta + jarred pasta sauce
- Corn chowder – frozen corn + stock/broth + can of evaporated milk + potatoes + dried herbs
- Garlic parmesan pasta – pasta + olive oil + garlic + frozen spinach + parmesan cheese
- Paprika chicken – chicken thighs + ground paprika + garlic powder + onion powder
- Salsa eggs – scrambled eggs + jar of salsa
- Black bean burritos – canned black beans + canned enchilada sauce + rice + canned diced tomatoes + taco seasoning + tortilla wraps
- Veggie egg bites – eggs + frozen or canned vegetables + cheese
- Chickpea stew – canned chickpeas + canned tomatoes + broth + garlic
- Shakshuka – eggs + canned diced tomatoes + onion + garlic + ground cumin & paprika + dried parsley
- Chili mac – macaroni pasta + canned tomatoes + canned beans + broth/stock + cheese
Marlynn’s Tip
Freezer Tips
Your freezer is your best friend! Buying frozen packaged ingredients that last a long time is a cost effective way to meal plan. But so is buying fresh ingredients that you can freeze for many months to come. Some of my favorite foods to either make or buy and freeze:
- Bread
- Cheese
- Fresh ginger
- Chicken stock
- Seafood
- Meatballs
- Ground turkey
- Chicken
- Vegetables, mainly carrots, celery, spinach, broccoli, bell peppers.
- Fruits: all berries, plus citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, limes,
- Cookies (can’t forget dessert!)
- Pizza dough
- Pasta and pizza sauces
More inexpensive dinner ideas
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