$20 Grocery Budget To Feed Your Family When You are Broke

$20 Grocery Budget To Feed Your Family When You are Broke

I have been there myself. I’ve got $20 left in the bank a few days until payday and there’s nothing left in the pantry! 

What the hell am I going to feed my family?! Here are some ideas on cheap eats when you’re on a grocery budget to fill the tummies of hungry kids when money is running low. Pick and choose the items that your family likes to eat (if you bought them all, of course, it would add up to more than $20). But some staples are relatively cheap!

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1. Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes

This is where I would steer clear of the big supermarkets that can charge upwards of $5/kg for potatoes. If you shop at a local grocer or market, you can easily pick up potatoes for $1/kg. It doesn’t matter if they are covered in dirt. In fact, the ones that are dirty tend to last longer. And if you are taking the skin off always, who cares about getting your hands dirty! Plus, don’t discount sweet potato. It is pretty cheap too and a superfood.

And don’t discount growing potatoes at home! It is really good fun and really easy!

Here are some quick, easy, and cheap recipes when you’re on a grocery budget using potatoes and sweet potatoes as the hero ingredients:

• 10 Delicious Variations on Loaded Baked Potatoes
• Fully Loaded Baked Potatoes
• Crispy Smashed Potatoes
• Barbecue Chicken Loaded Sweet Potatoes
• Baked Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Rice and Chickpeas
• Sweet Potato Vegan Wraps

2. Frozen Vegetables

I’m a firm believer in buying frozen vegetables if you have small children. Yes, fresh is lovely and all, but if you are a busy mum and a slightly forgetful one (like me), the bottom drawer of the fridge is where vegetables go to die! And that is wasting money! Aldi has a good range of cheap frozen vegetables, and the generic brands from the supermarkets vary in taste.

Try a few to see which ones suit your family especially when you’re on a grocery budget. Just remember to seal the bag well after use so that the remaining frozen vegetables don’t get freezer burn, which tastes nasty (but won’t hurt you!).

• Vegetable and Ham Noodle Cups
• Vegetable and Lentil Soup
• Filling Veggie Bake
• White Bean Salad Lunch Bowl
• Cheesy Potato and Zucchini Fritters
• Pea and Corn Fritters
• Pick N Mix Fritters
• Veggie Filled Bolognaise Sauce

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3. Canned Tomatoes

If you have canned tomatoes in your pantry, you always have a meal (OMG can’t believe I’m quoting my mother here!). Whether you are making a bolognese sauce, a casserole or a stew, canned tomatoes add great taste and bulk to everything you make! In fact, if you have the above three ingredients, you can make a very tasty meal that won’t cost a bomb! I’ve seen tinned tomatoes for as cheap as 70c, so when you do see tins for this price, grab as many as you can!

Try these when you’re on a tight grocery budget. Yum!

• Spaghetti Bolognaise
• Tomato and Coconut Chicken Curry
• Tomato and Basil-Glazed Pork Chops
• Can of Tomato Soup Spaghetti Bolognaise
• Fresh Heirloom Tomato and Spanish Onion Pizza

4. Lentils

Before you say ‘gross’ and ‘my kids won’t eat them’, I have snuck them into sauces and never had a complaint – and I truly believe I have the fussiest eaters on the planet. Lentils make a great substitute for mince in a lot of meals and give a real nutty flavour to foods. Buy generic brands to save even more money or pick them up cheap at Aldi or Costco. An even cheaper version is to buy them in their dried form, but you need to soak them overnight before using them.

Here are some great recipes when you’re on a grocery budget using Lentils as the hero ingredient:

• Lentil and Pumpkin Lasanga
• Lentil Rissoles
• Vegetarian Lentil Meatloaf
• Sweet Potato and Lentil Sausage Rolls

5. Rolled Oats

Rolled oats have become a lot more expensive in the last few years, but they are still a great filling food for breakfast. Not only that, you can use rolled oats in your rissoles or casseroles to ‘bulk it up’. If you make some breakfast smoothies, adding a few teaspoons of rolled oats to the mixture give it some substance – and they are terrific for reducing your cholesterol if you are over 40.

A good breakfast of porridge in the morning is guaranteed to get little legs moving until morning tea!

Try these when you’re on a tight grocery budget:

• Banana Oat Bites
• Filling Breakfast Smoothie with Rolled Oats
• Honey Oat Slice
• Banana Raspberry Coconut Baked Oats
• Banana and Oat Smoothie
• Chocolate Coconut Overnight Oats

6. Mince

If cash is tight, you can buy bulk 3-star mince for only a few dollars a kilogram. It might have a bit more fat in it than the more expensive stuff, but just cook it up, and skim off the fat – easy! And mince doens’t just mean beef mince. Try chicken mince or turkey mince – in fact, turkey mince is really low in fat and it absorbs all the flavours you cook it with, plus it is sooo cheap!

Here are some great recipes when you’re on a grocery budget you may not have thought of that use mince!

Beef Mince:

• Savoury Mince Scrolls
• Mince and Noodle Stir Fry
• Hidden Veggie Porcupine Meatballs
• Homemade Sausage Rolls
• Frugal Old Fashioned Pastie Slab

Chicken Mince:

• Chicken Mince Puff Pastry Bites
• Chicken Pot Pie
• Chicken Rissoles
• Chicken & Spinach Meatloaf

7. Rice Noodles

For only 89c, you can pick up enough rice noodles to feed your family, especially when mixed with some mixed vegetables and a tomato-based sauce. Rice noodles are much cheaper than other varieties. For the very best price, try your local Asian supermarket!

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

This recipe of Chicken Noodle Soup is for people who are health-conscious because this is gluten-free and dairy-free. This is perfect as a reliever for sick people but this can also be served any time of the day alongside the main dish.

Click here for the recipe!

Beef Chow Mein

You might find this expensive because of the presence of the beef but then, the thing is, it’s not. Nonetheless, this Beef Chow Mein recipe is delicious and will make the tummies of 4 people happy!

Click here for the recipe!

Salted Peanut Pork Larb

If you’re fond of herbs or have a herb garden, you can try this recipe. Although this uses 13 ingredients in total, this is fairly easy and quick to make. This can also serve 4 people.

Click here for the recipe!

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Seek Help to Feed Your Family

So, if you’re in a bind grocery budget and don’t see a way to feed your family for a longer period of time, where can you go to get help? Seek out your local food bank. Many areas have them where you can pick up a box full of staples for your household.

The quantity of the box will usually depend on your current situation, but they will never send anyone away without something. So, if you need bread, milk, cereal for the kids, etc., give your local food bank a call or a visit. Most local charities will be able to tell you where the nearest one is located.

Your limited grocery budget shouldn’t deprive you of eating tasty meals!