Budget-Friendly Meal Plan For Two

Disclosure about LEFTOVERS:

Full disclosure here, if you are trying to shop smart and save money on food, you are gonna HAVE to eat some leftovers. In fact, some of the lunches in this meal plan are just leftovers from dinner the night before.

You’ll also notice I only planned for five dinners. Once again, most of these recipes make at least four servings, so for two night, dinner will be leftovers. We don’t waste food in 2025 y’all!

Leftovers will be your best friend when trying to save money on food, and honestly, save time too. I can’t imagine cooking three separate meals every day, so embrace the leftovers!

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Budget-Friendly Meal Plan Grocery Shopping List:

• 15oz can of black beans GV: $0.86 
• 15oz can of chili beans GV: $0.86
• 2 Bags of frozen mixed vegetables GV: $0.98 each
• 1/2 gallon of 2% milk: $1.65
• 3 large russet potatoes: About $2.49 (depends on weight.)
• 4 lb bag of Frozen Bone-in Chicken Thighs: $7.98
• Bananas: $0.50 per lb (get around 3)
• One loaf of white or whole wheat bread GV: $1.42
• 40 oz jar of peanut butter: $1.94
• 18 oz jar of GV grape jelly: $1.98
• 8 count burrito-sized GV tortillas: $2.08
• 1-8 oz block of cheddar cheese: $2.24 
• 1-8oz block of mozzarella cheese: $ 2.24
• 2- Campbell’s Tomato Soup- $ 1.72 each
• Knorr Chicken Bouillion cubes-8 pack: $1.08
• 14.5 oz can of chili-ready diced tomatoes: $0.96
• 29 oz can of tomato sauce: $1.48
• Box of pasta: $0.98
• GV pasta sauce:$1.67
• Yellow onion: $1.28 per lb
• GV Sour cream 16 oz tub: $1.97
• Jiffy corn bread mix: $0.62
• Taco seasoning pack: $0.47
• Chili seasoning pack: $0.74
• 2-1lb Tubes of Carolina Frozen Ground Turkey: $1.98 each
• 6-pack eggs: $2.86 (hopefully this price comes down soon.)
• Instant oatmeal packets (Flavored GV 10 pack): $1.82
• 2-pack unsalted butter GV: $2.42
• One whole yellow onion: $1.02
• Baby Carrots: $1.32
• Cream of celery soup GV: $0.92
• Knorr Taco Rice Packet: $1.28
• Packet of GV ranch seasoning: $0.54
• One tube of GV Jumbo Buttermilk Biscuits: $1.97

The total of this list before tax comes out to $60 or just under $60. Now, I said we would keep it under $70 in the intro, so if you have a $70 budget, use that extra money to buy a few stock-up items (see my frugal grocery shopping guide for ideas). 

Or, you could use that to buy a little treat. Frugal grocery shopping doesn’t leave much room for fun, so if you want some Oreos, buy the oreos! 

Budget-Friendly Meal Plan:

I have left this plan quite loose, and day-to-day plans feel a bit rigid and honestly kinda scare me. So, I’ve just listed out the different meals and the ingredients to go with them. This way you can mix and match which meals you eat on different days. 

Most of these meals are super simple and don’t require their own recipes, but I have given a few simple instructions on here for your convenience. If you are interested in a full recipe for any one of these meals please feel free to leave me a comment below!

Breakfast:

•  Oatmeal with banana and peanut butter
  • Instant Oatmeal Packet
  • Half a banana
  • Tbsp of peanut butter

• Eggs and Toast with butter:
  • If you plan on having this more than twice, I would purchase a twelve-pack of eggs, as you need to save one for the cornbread mix).
  • Two Eggs
  • One or two pieces of bread
  • 1 Tbsp of butter or however much you like.
  • Optional: Jelly on toast

Lunch:

•  Leftovers from a previous dinner

• Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup
  • I would use the milk to make the Campbell’s soup as it just tastes better.
  • Use the butter to make the grilled cheese, and shred some of your cheddar cheese to put into it.

• PB&J with carrot sticks and ranch:
  • The sandwich is pretty self-explanatory (I hope lol)
  • Mix some of your sour cream with your ranch seasoning packet to dip your carrot sticks in.

Dinner:

• Chicken-Black Bean Quesadillas:
  • Cook and shred one chicken breast and season with your taco seasoning.
  • Drain and rinse your black beans.
  • Shred half of your mozzarella and half of your cheddar.
  • Using a skillet, grease your pan with butter or oil. Lay a tortilla in the pan and to ONE SIDE of the tortilla, add your cheese, beans, and chicken to desired fullness. 
  • Fold the other half of the tortilla onto itself and sear the quesadilla on both sides until the cheese is melted.
  • Serve with sour cream and the Knorr Taco Rice.

• Ground Turkey Pasta:
  • Unthaw frozen ground turkey and cook in a skillet until browned and broken up into small pieces.
  • Add pasta sauce, and bring to a simmer.
  • In a separate pot, bring water and 1 tsp of salt to a boil and cook the pasta according to the box directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and add to your pasta sauce.
  • Drain the pasta and add it to your sauce. Stir to combine.
  • Top with mozzarella cheese and enjoy!

• Baked chicken breast with Roasted Potatoes and mixed veggies:
  • Only use two of the potatoes and one bag of the mixed veggies for this meal. Season the chicken breast with just salt and pepper OR the leftover taco seasoning.

• Chicken Pot Pie:
  • In a skillet, saute half of your onion. Once it begins to brown, add your bag of frozen veggies, can of cream of celery, tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper, and 2 cups of chicken broth (mix hot water and the Knorr chicken bouillon).
  • Bring this to a simmer, then add two of your chicken breasts, cooked and shredded. 
  • Transfer this to a deep pie dish or a 9 by 13 baking pan. Top with Buttermilk Biscuits and bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown. 

• Turkey Chili with cornbread:
  • Sauté the other half of your onion in a large pot. Then, add your ground turkey and cook until browned.
  • To this, add your diced tomatoes, chili beans, tomato sauce, chili seasoning packet, and 1 cup of chicken broth (made from Knorr bouillon).
  • Bring to a boil and then cook on medium-low heat for 30 minutes. 
  • Serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and cornbread (prepared according to the package instructions.) 

It is possible to save money on groceries!

Eating on a budget isn’t easy. Sometimes it means eating the same meals over and over again. But if you are in a pinch and need to save money on groceries, this budget-friendly meal plan is for you!

I have used this exact meal plan time and time again, and I have never gotten sick of it. It gives you enough variety that you won’t even remember it only costs $65.

If you want to learn more about saving money in general, and not just when it comes to food, check out my top tips for saving money in 2025!

 But before you do any of this, SLOW DOWN

Changing your spending habits can be a lot of work and does NOT happen overnight. Remember to be kind to yourself on this journey. Every step forward you make is worth celebrating, and one step closer to your dream life. Thank you all :).