Looking for a free printable PDF sample of the Frugal Meal Planner? Fill out the form below to grab the first quarter budget friendly meal plan and recipes, and make sure to grab the full version for grocery lists and more!

Meal planning for the week ahead, doesn’t have to be impossible!
In fact, we stick to a very simple meal plan each week that includes cooking on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and eating leftovers the following day.
On Sunday night, we might do something simple like sandwiches or frozen pizza.
I’m going to show you what a typical week of recipes looks like.
Don’t forget to grab my free printable recipes (the ones in this post are included), and monthly meal planning calendar.
7 Day Budget Dinner Plan Example
Monday: Simple Parmesan Chicken
The first recipe in the video is simple Parmesan chicken.
You can get the full recipe for this delicious Parmesan Chicken here.
- This is super easy. It’s really delicious, and even the kids eat at least the spaghetti.
- I have another recipe for ranch chicken. I make it very similar, except I dip them in milk, and then I dip them in the Parmesan with the bread crumbs and also a packet of ranch, like the ranch salad dressing mix. It’s so good.
- We usually eat frozen broccoli on the side. We eat frozen veggies on the side of our meals often because it’s super easy and affordable.
- We measure things out, too, which make them last a lot longer!
- We always double the recipe, so this will be for the next day too!
- It just makes it so much easier because I get tired of cooking. This way on the second day I won’t have to cook, and we’ll still have dinner.
Tuesday: Left Overs
Wednesday: Meatloaf
On Wednesday we are doing meatloaf.
You can get the full recipe for this delicious meatloaf here.
- I used to scoff at meatloaf when I was a kid, but I think it’s actually really delicious.
- This recipe is really good. We serve it with mashed potatoes and green beans.
- I used almond flour because we had some left over, but I would usually use breadcrumbs as a more frugal option.
- Our kids don’t always eat this, so me and my husband will eat it and I’ll just freeze the other half.
- Then, in a couple weeks, when it’s time for meatloaf again, we’ll already have it mixed, and I’ll just have to defrost and throw it in the oven.
- When everything is read to go, it’s the perfect meal! Simple, comfort food, and we’ll have plenty for the next night.
Thursday: Left Overs
Friday: White Corn Tortilla Tacos
Friday is taco night!
You can get the full recipe for this easy taco recipe here.
- We just do a really simple taco recipe.
- I have a goal this spring/summer to start trying to grow my own cilantro and basil because we use a lot of it.
- This meal is one of our favorites, and we serve it with a side of frozen corn.
Saturday: Left Overs
Sunday: Frozen Pizza, Sandwiches, or something easy!
I hope you guys really enjoyed this easy week of budget dinner ideas.
I hope it gave you some inspiration and some motivation to get your grocery budget under control and get some easy recipes going in the kitchen.
Even really simple recipes will get your family fed and keep you on budget so you can pay off debt fast, or save money for your goals.
Make sure you grab your free, printable recipes and meal planner by filling out the form below. It will help you stick to your grocery budget so much better if you plan ahead.
You can watch me prep this easy week of frugal meals on YouTube. Make sure to subscribe while you’re over there!
