Budget-Friendly Weekly Meal Plan & Grocery List

Planning and preparing meals in advance can make your life easier during the week and save your family budget. With a well-organized cheap meal plan, you can enjoy delicious, balanced meals without overspending.

If you haven't been following a weekly meal plan with a grocery list before, it might be overwhelming to know where to start. To help, we've developed a comprehensive budget meal plan for the week based on an economy grocery list. All recipes are not only delicious but also affordable and easy to prepare.

Weekly Budget Meal Plan

This is not a diet plan for weight loss; it's a carefully curated 7-day family meal plan with a shopping list. We have included the most common and affordable ingredients to help you save money, while still providing balanced meals rich in protein, fat, and carbohydrates.

To maximize savings, don't throw away any leftover ingredients. For instance, if a recipe calls for 3 egg whites and 1 yolk for an omelet, use the remaining 2 yolks to prepare another dish for lunch. Each recipe in this meal plan is designed to minimize food waste and reduce unnecessary expenses.

Most meals in this meal program are quick to prepare. Thanks to our planning, you can cook most dishes in just a few minutes. Even dinners, which require a bit more effort, shouldn't take more than 30 minutes.

Monday

Breakfast - an omelet of 2 eggs with milk, tomato, mushrooms, and coffee with low-fat milk.

Snack - an apple.

Lunch - chicken broth with potatoes, onions, carrots, and boiled eggs. For an even more budget-friendly option, replace chicken fillet with thigh fillet. The soup can last for several days. Serve crispy croutons with the soup.

Dinner - homemade doner with chicken and vegetables. Take pita bread and brush it with sour cream and garlic sauce. Prepare the sauce with 2 tablespoons of low-fat sour cream, 1-2 cloves of chopped garlic, and season with pepper, salt, and herbs to taste. Fry half of the chicken in a pan. Place the chopped chicken breast, cabbage, tomato, cucumber, and Korean carrots on the pita bread. Wrap it up and fry on all sides in a pan or grill. You can also customize the shawarma by using other vegetables available in your fridge.

Tuesday

Breakfast - steamed oatmeal with banana or frozen berries, coffee with low-fat milk.

Snack - an apple.

Lunch - chicken broth with croutons.

Dinner - baked potatoes with mushrooms and chicken. Pour everything with sour cream sauce and sprinkle with cheese on top.

Wednesday

Breakfast - scrambled eggs with croutons and cheese. Dip two slices of bread in a beaten egg mixture with spices, fry on one side for 2 minutes, then turn over and sprinkle with cheese. Fry for another 2 minutes.

Snack - banana.

Lunch - leftover chicken broth. Add a vinaigrette made from boiled beets, carrots, potatoes, sauerkraut, pickled cucumbers, canned green peas, and vegetable oil to your meal.

Dinner - homemade doner with chicken and vegetables, using any remaining ingredients.

Thursday

Breakfast - steamed oatmeal with banana or frozen berries, coffee with low-fat milk.

Snack - an orange or two tangerines.

Lunch - boiled buckwheat, chicken cutlets, and vinaigrette. To make the cutlets, mix 500 grams of minced chicken with a small chopped onion, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons of flour, and 2 tablespoons of ghee. Fry until golden brown, then cover and cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes.

Dinner - potato pancakes with sour cream. Grate potatoes and onions, beat 2 eggs, and mix with salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon of sour cream, and 2 tablespoons of flour. Fry until golden brown and serve with sour cream.

Friday

Breakfast - oatmeal, tea or coffee, and any fruit. For the oatmeal, mix 3 tablespoons of oatmeal, 30 ml of milk, and 2 eggs. Let it swell for 20 minutes, then fry until done. You can stuff the oat pancake with cheese and tomatoes.

Snack - an apple.

Lunch - boiled buckwheat, chicken cutlets, and vinaigrette.

Dinner - zucchini pancakes. Grate zucchini, mix with an egg and a few tablespoons of flour, season to taste, and fry for 5-7 minutes on each side. Serve with sour cream.

Saturday

Breakfast - pancakes with condensed milk or honey, coffee, or tea. To make fluffy pancakes, beat 1 egg with a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Add 250 ml of kefir and 250 g of flour, then stir in ½ teaspoon of baking powder or soda. Fry until golden brown and serve with condensed milk or jam.

Snack - 2 hard-boiled eggs.

Lunch - green beans stewed with vegetables and chicken cutlets.

Dinner - stuffed chicken breast with cabbage and cucumber salad. Rinse the chicken breast, season with salt and spices, and make small cuts. Insert slices of zucchini and tomato into the cuts, secure with toothpicks, and bake for 40 minutes.

Sunday

Breakfast - an omelet made from 3 egg whites and 1 yolk, stuffed with cheese, ham, mushrooms, and tomatoes, served with coffee or tea.

Snack - a smoothie made from frozen berries or any fruit.

Lunch - carbonara pasta. Boil the spaghetti, then transfer to a skillet with heated oil and garlic. Beat 2 yolks with 100 ml of cream, mix with grated cheese, and pour over the spaghetti. Add bacon or ham and cook on low heat for 2 minutes. Season to taste.

Dinner - home-style pizza. Use a ready-made dough or pizza crust, spread with tomato paste, and top with ham, mushrooms, tomatoes, and grated cheese. Bake for 25 minutes.

Cheap Grocery List for the Week

Dairy Products and Eggs

1. Milk - 1000 ml
2. Eggs - 20 pcs.
3. Sour cream - 500 ml
4. Cheese - 300 gr
5. Butter - 200 gr
6. Condensed milk - 250 ml
7. Kefir 1% - 500 ml
8. Cream - 100 ml

Meat and Poultry

1. Chicken fillet - 4 pieces
2. Chicken mince - 500 gr
3. Ham - 200 gr

Fruits, Vegetables and Mushrooms

1. Tomato - 7 pieces
2. Cucumber - 3 pieces
3. Potatoes - 2 kg
4. Carrots - 2 pieces
5. Onions - 2 pieces
6. Cabbage - 1 roach
7. Apple - 3 pieces
8. Banana - 1 pc
9. Beets - 2 pieces
10. Zucchini - 2 pieces
11. Mushrooms - 400 gr
12. Orange - 1 piece
13. Korean carrots - 200 gr

Pantry and Grains

1. Buckwheat - 1 kg
2. Wheat flour - 1 kg
3. Spaghetti - 500 gr
4. Oat flakes - 1 pack
5. Sugar - 1 kg
6. Baking powder - 1 pack.

Bread and Bakery

1. Armenian lavash - 2 sheets
2. Bread
3. Pizza crust - 1 piece

Beverages

1. Coffee
2. Herbal tea

Spices, Herbs and Oils

1. Garlic - 2 heads
2. Ground pepper - 1 pack
3. Italian herbs - 1 pack
4. Sunflower oil

Frozen and Canned Products

1. Frozen berries - 1 pack.
2. Pickled cucumbers - 200 gr
3. Sauerkraut - 200 gr
4. Green peas - 1 can
5. Tomato paste - 1 can

Download the list of economy products for the week

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The cheap grocery list for the week is designed for 1 person. If you're buying food for a family of 2/4/10, simply multiply all the ingredients by the number of family members. However, adjust the amount of cereals and other consumables based on individual needs.

We used the most straightforward and affordable products that can be found in any supermarket. However, to save even more on groceries, use the Costless app. You can track promotions and compare prices at different supermarkets, helping you reduce your weekly grocery bill.