MEAL PLANS

Weekly Family Meal Plan Ep:3 – Frugal Meals with Shopping List

11 min read
Weekly Family Meal Plan Ep:3 – Frugal Meals with Shopping List

Are you ready for Episode 3 of our Weekly Family Meal Plan? We’ll dive into the world of frugal meal planning. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Frugal? That sounds like code for bland and boring.” But don’t worry, my fellow SAHMs, because I have scoured the internet for the most delicious and economical meals that won’t leave you feeling like you’ve just eaten a cardboard box.

Let’s be honest. Who has money to spare for fancy ingredients these days? So, here’s our Weekly Family Meal Plan!

We’re talking hearty stews, flavorful stir-fries, and all the carbs your heart desires. But don’t worry. We won’t judge if you sneak in an extra slice of pizza on movie night. And as always, I’ve got your shopping list covered, so grab your pen and let’s start making some tasty, wallet-friendly dishes.

More reading:

What’s Included in this Meal Plan?

Our weekly meal plan has seven dinners, seven lunches, and seven breakfasts, and we will publish a new meal plan every week. Remember, not every meal plan will suit all families – but we will be publishing varieties of meal plans such as:

  • Dairy-Free Meal Plans
  • Gluten-Free Meal Plans
  • Super Frugal Meal Plans (for when money is really really tight)

We also include a full shopping list for your meal plan to make it easy! And if you are looking for budget and healthy snack ideas – we have those for you too!

Day 1: Family Meal Plan

Breakfast 1: Homemade Crumpets

One delightful breakfast pastry that both you and your children are sure to love is homemade crumpets. With the ability to switch out the standard flour for something more nutritious, you can feel good about serving this treat to your family. Not only are they delicious, but they’re also incredibly easy to make. Paired with fresh fruit and a bit of butter!

3ebaa47f2ff69a6146e8388e6311afbe | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Lunch 1: Mandy’s Moist Marinated Chicken

This is my Mummy’s recipe. It is one of our most amazingly moist and tender recipes. Best of all, it is super easy to make! As far as marinades go, it’s pretty healthy too. Thanks, Mum, you’re the best. Love You xo

Mandys Moist Marinated Chicken | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Snack 1: 3-Ingredient Flourless Peanut Butter Mug Cake

Just make sure your family isn’t allergic to nuts! You can substitute it with chocolate or fruits. This 3-Ingredient Flourless Peanut Butter Mug Cake is another one of our must-try recipes. Exhausted? Running late? No worries! You can whip this up in just 5 minutes!

mug cake feat | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Dinner 1: Gluten Free Beef Stroganoff

The team of Fed and Fit shared this recipe, and we absolutely loved it! You can find their recipe below; we hope you’ll find it as scrumptious as we do!

Gluten Free Beef Stroganoff Fed and Fit 2 | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Day 2: Family Meal Plan

Breakfast 2: Slowcooker Sausages in Onion Gravy

Slow Cooker Sausages in Onion Gravy is perhaps one of the easiest frugal recipes on the entire website to make!  You can use any type of sausages, I particularly like using Italian style as it gives it a bit of a kick, but if you are making it for kids, stick to the plainer varieties or honey flavoured (ohhhhh soooo good!).

slow cooker | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Lunch 2: Frugal Bacon and Veggie Slice

Oh nothing better than a piece of Bacon and Veggie slice for lunch, this is an easy to cook recipe that is tasty and filling for the family.  You can also cook it a bit longer – cut it into wedges and serve it for morning tea with a slab of butter.

baconandveggies | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Snack 2: Grilled Apple Sandwich

There’s nothing quite like the taste of a freshly grilled sandwich. And while grilled cheese is a classic, have you ever considered a grilled apple sandwich?

Grilled Apple Sandwich2 | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Dinner 2: Quick Minestrone Soup

I love a hearty and filling Quick Minestrone Soup on a cold winter’s night… with some crusty buttered bread it makes for a wholesome and delicious meal. This recipe is nice and FAST too – just what Mums need!

Minestrone soup new | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Day 3: Family Meal Plan

Breakfast 3: Wholesome Breakfast Skillet

Potatoes, bacon, cheese, and mushrooms – basically, this recipe calls for your leftovers to be reused again for breakfast. HOW FRUGAL CAN YOU GET WITH THAT? If you don’t have one yet, a skillet is always a great thing to have in your kitchen, particularly if you want to cook something as delicious as this Wholesome Breakfast Skillet.

feat 3 | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Lunch 3: Cheap And Simple Chicken Piccata

It’s always smart to have a chicken recipe or two under your belt, which is why we’re fans of this Chicken Piccata. It might sound complicated, but it’s actually just a method for cooking the meat, and serving it with a sauce. You can eat this chicken with just about anything, but we love it with roast vegetables, cauliflower rice or a nice lush salad.

bigstock Chicken Piccata with capern an 29411807 | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Snack 3: Puff Pastry Cheese Sticks

Puff pastries are so versatile, you can make almost anything with it, pies, sausage rolls, mains, desserts and snacks and even make it as a base for pizza or tart, just like this Puff Pastry Cheese Sticks that’s so tasty and delicious.

puffpastry | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Dinner 3: Tuna Mornay

Tuna Mornay is a tremendously frugal dinner and tasty too! You can substitute the tuna for salmon if you aren’t a tuna fan. Best of all, you can feed a family of four for under $10!

bigstock Baked American Tuna Fish Casse 337127269 | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Day 4: Family Meal Plan

Breakfast 4: Hearty Cauliflower Breakfast Waffles

You definitely won’t regret following my suggestion. Especially if you need to cut out on sweets. Remove the idea of sweet waffles from your mind. Admittedly, it’s a bit of a challenge especially when you are used to it. But replace waffles that are smothered with maple syrup, icing sugar and whipped cream with these deliciously hearty cauliflower waffles, and you’ve got a yummy breakfast that’s healthy and delicious.

cauliflower | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Lunch 4: Chicken Casserole with Cheesy Damper Top

Creamy, delicious meal that the whole family will enjoy!

casserole | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Snack 4: Tim Tam Balls

Tim Tam Balls are a decadent combination of cream cheese mixed with various flavours of Tim Tam Biscuits. They make a nice change from Traditional Rum Balls. They are like a Toblerone Cheesecake but in bite size – and you won’t be able to stop at just one!

Tim Tam Balls 3 | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Dinner 4: Cream of Chicken Soup

Here’s another Chicken Soup that is so great to end your cold day with. This is so creamy and a good option if you want to try something other than the Chicken Noodle Soup.

Cream of Chicken Souyp | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Day 5: Family Meal Plan

Breakfast 5: Bacon and Egg Pie

I love how versatile this Bacon and Egg Pie is. You can add as many or as little grated veggies as you like and it’s still super delicious!

bacon and egg pie e1490748487773 | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Lunch 5: Chicken and Vegetable Casserole

Chicken and Vegetable Casserole is that one veggie dish that even the fussy eaters won’t get enough of. This is delicious and truly healthy!

chicken and veggies | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Snack 5: Easy Pineapple Cake 

Three Ingredient Easy Pineapple Cake is a recipe you can literally throw together in one minute flat!! It is delicious hot served with custard for a pudding too! You can change your choice of flour to make it gluten-free!

pineapple cake new | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Dinner 5: Easy Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken Legs

Did you know that 3 ingredients are enough to make a dish that won’t disappoint? Yep, look at this Easy Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken Legs. They’re so juicy and just perfect for dinner!

lemon and yoghurt chicken legs | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Day 6: Family Meal Plan

Breakfast 6: Savoury Muffins

Great for breakfast on the run! Want to make enough savoury muffins to last two school kids a whole month for less than 17c per muffin? Try our Bulk Savoury Muffin Recipe bulked up with fresh vegetables, it is healthy, freezable and will fill empty tummies and lunch boxes. This recipe makes 60 muffins.

bigstock Delicious Freshly Baked Homema 385590764 | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Lunch 6: Quick Fish Coconut Curry

This delicious dish for two is a great way for when you want to spice things up. 

feat 6 | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Snack 6: Frugal Chocolate Mud Cake

I try very hard to keep the recipes awesomely simple and cheap. Our Frugal Chocolate Mud Cake is certainly not as heavy as a mud cake – but heavier than a standard chocolate cake!

Frugal Choc Cake 3 | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Dinner 6: Sausage and Potato One Tray Bake

This easy Sheet Pan Recipe is great for kids on nights you don’t feel like cooking. Best of all – if you have an air fryer – you can cook all these ingredients in the basket for an even faster way to get dinner on the table.

Sausage Tray Bake | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Day 7: Family Meal Plan

Breakfast 7: Pinto Beans With Rice and Sausage

This is one of those frugal recipes that can be made in the slow cooker. Your house will smell amazing if you let this simmer all day!

simplelivingmama.com1 | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Lunch 7: Comforting Chicken Meatballs with Mushroom Gravy

Comforting Chicken Meatballs with Mushroom Gravy is on top of my list of comfort foods. There’s something cosy and satisfying about easy meatballs and rich flavoured mushroom gravy sauce.

feat 4 | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Snack 7: Choc Coconut Muffins

Choc Coconut Muffins are nice, simple and cheap on pocket. Makes for scrummy school lunch snacks or freeze and have them on hand when the multitudes of rug rats roll into your place starving to death! Of course then they might not leave.

apple | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Dinner 7: Easy Beef Chow Mein

I know some beef recipes can be expensive, but this one is not! You know us at SAHM…. we love to save money, but keep the taste. And we made sure this Easy Beef Chow Mein is! So have a go at this delicious recipe!

easy beef chow mein | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Shopping List for Ep: 3: Family Meal Plan

Planning family meals can be daunting, but with a well-organized shopping list, you can make the process less overwhelming. In Episode 3 of our series on Family Meal Planning, we share a shopping list that will make preparing healthy and delicious meals for your family a breeze.

From fresh produce to pantry staples, our list will help you stay organized and ensure you have all the ingredients needed for each meal. With a little planning, you can enjoy stress-free meal times and feel confident that your family is getting the nutrition they need.

Weekly Family Meal Plan Stocks

MeatFruits and VegetablesEggs, Cream, Dairy products / non-dairy productsStaples
6 Chicken Breast5 Lemon5 ButterYeast
 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin6 white onion7 tbsp Peanut Butter2kg bags of flour of choice
1½ cups beef broth5 garlic heads32 EggsSalt and pepper to taste
8 Thin Sausages14 mushrooms2 can sour creamWorcestershire Sauce
1.5 kg Bacon strips and rashers12 stalks of Parsleygluten free taglietelle pastaOlive Oil
3 cups Beef Stock7 Brown Onion2 tbsp Gravy MixGarlic Salt
12 cups Chicken Stock1/2 tsp Mixed Herbs2 cups CreamTuscan Seasoning
1 Tuna in springwater, 425g can7 Carrots14 cup CheeseThai Seasoning
3 Chicken Breast Fillets4 Zucchini1/3 g Penne PastaPortuguese Chicken Seasoning
1000 g Chicken Meat2 tbsp Tomato Paste8 Bread SlicesWhite Sugar
1000 g Chicken Thighs2 Apple3 cups Cheddar CheesePaprika
8 Chicken Legs1 celery stalk4 cups Parmesan CheeseCoconut aminos
500 g White Fish1 Can Crushed Tomato3 Puff PastryDijon mustard
1 kg Sausages (any Sort You Like)1 Red Kidney Beans can3 litres milkGarlic powder
1 lb. smoked sausage13 potatoes1 Can Cream Of Chicken SoupHoney
500 g Beef Mince2 Capsicum400 g Tim TamsConfectioner’s Sugar
1 Red Onion250 g Cream CheeseCinnamon
2 Shallots1 375 Millilitre Evaporated MilkDry White Wine
1 bottles of Capers250 g Crème fraîchePanko Bread Crumbs
3 brocoli head1 cup Greek YoghurtTabasco Sauce
3 Cauliflower heads1/2 cup Heavy CreamBay leaves
2 cups Shredded Coconut1 cup Dark Choc ChipsCoriander Leaves
450 g Crushed Pineapple200 g Rice NoodleTurmeric Powder
1 TomatoGinger heads
1 Tin Coconut MilkCocoa powder
3 Spanish OnionsBicarbonate Of Soda
1 lb. bag Pinto BeansCastor Sugar
2 cups riceFresh Thyme
Coconut Milk CreamOnion powder
Various Frozen VegetablesJalapeno
1 Cabbage headCilantro
Rolled Oats
Cornflour
Curry Powder

Trust us, there will still be leftovers out of these recipes!

Weekly Family Meal Plan Ep:3 – Frugal Meals with Shopping List I Stay at Home Mum

stay at home mum - home logo
About Author

Sahm Community

Stories that have been written by mums, with a raw, honest, heartfelt sometimes tearful emotions put into words. Just so that we as a community know t...Read Morehat as mums you are not alone! Read Less

Ask a Question

Close sidebar