Are you trying to feed your family for less without cooking boring meals every week?
With food prices and just about everything else constantly on the rise, it can feel difficult to meal plan affordable dinners that everyone will actually eat.
However, I do have some Money Saving Tips to share and the following collection of easy and cheap family recipes will definitely help make things a little bit easier!
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How Can Using Budget Friendly Recipes Help Save Money?
- Cooking your own meals from scratch can be a big money saver.
- Reduces reliance on takeaway meals that are often expensive.
- Planning out your meals in advance can save you on your grocery shop.
- Homemade budget meals can still be tasty and filling reducing snacking.
Tips for Saving Money On Meals
Swap Meat Products
Chicken mince is much cheaper than beef mince at the moment and is an easy swap in lots of recipes, like the Lasagne recipe included below.
Bulk Out Meals With Lentils Or Veg
By bulking out meals with lentils and veg can be a great way to reduce how much meat you need to use in recipes and therefore keep your bills down.
Use Frozen Veg & Herbs
Not only will using frozen veg and herb portions save you time, it also cuts down on food waste by only using what you need.
Plan Your Meals In Advance
Doing a meal plan each week and oner shop cuts down on unnecessary trips to the supermarket where you inevitably end up spending money on impulse purchases.
Budget Family Meal Ideas
Chicken Lasagne
Make this family favourite Lasagne Recipe budget friendly by swapping out the minced beef for chicken mince which is currently almost half the price!
Sausage Pie
Sausage prices vary widely but generally pound for pound are cheaper than say chicken fillets or minced beef.
And made into this Sausage Pie they make a really filling comforting family meal as an alternative to Cottage or Shepherd's Pie.
Baked Chorizo Cheese Risotto
With only a small amount of meat this risotto, you still get the all flavours of smoky chorizo and a really filling meal without the expense of a big portion of meat.
Slow Cooker Beef Casserole
Slow cookers are a great way of cooking budget cuts of meat. Meaning you can enjoy the tastiest family recipes for a lot less money. This Beef Casserole is a brilliant example of that.
🥦 Hidden Veg Hub 🥦
Struggling to get veggies into your kids?
I have lots of info on Hidden Veg in my Hub.
Hidden Veg Dinner, Lunchbox and Snack Recipes
Tips and advice for feeding kids and help with fussy eaters
One Pot Hidden Veg Gnocchi
This easy Hidden Veg Gnocchi recipe is really filling and super nutritious with three different hidden veggies in it making it perfect for picky eaters!
Slow Cooker Sausage & Lentil Casserole
Bulking out meals with lentils means using less meat and therefore keeping the expense down whilst still proving a really filling family dinner!
Smoky Bean Chilli
Chilli is always a brilliant family meal at this time of year!
And by replacing the meat with beans that are a fraction of the cost of meat and full of protein, you can keep the cost right down without losing taste!
Easy Sausage Meat Ragu
By replacing beef that is typically used to make a ragu, with sausage meat, you can still enjoy this rich and comforting ragu just without the expense!
Chickpea Curry
Warm, comforting and filling you can't beat a home cooked curry!
Rice and chickpeas are relatively inexpensive in comparison to a typical curry ingredients like chicken.
And when you add in all the curry spices, you'll still have a wonderfully flavoursome meal at a fraction of the price.
Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese
Mac & Cheese is in my onion the king of comfort food! And made in the slow cooker it's perfect for busy families.
Chicken Mince Bolognese
Swap beef mince for chicken which is cheaper and make this tasty Chicken Bolognese. It's also packed with veggies, brilliant for a healthy and filling dinner for the whole family.
Absolutely! Shop bought snacks for kids can really add to the expense of your food shop so if you can make homemade snacks, then great. We've a huge collection of Snack Recipes For Kids that you might like.
Yes. Making double the recipe when you cook not only saves money, but it also saves you time! Have a look at these Family Batch Cook Recipes
More Family Dinner Ideas
I hope some of these money saving tips and cheap recipes are useful and if you have any comments or helpful tips yourself, then please leave them below!
Or tag us in your photos. We love seeing what you have been making!
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