The $18 Per Week Budget Meal Plan (Cheap Grocery List for Two or More) (2024)

We’ve all been there – digging through our wallets searching for an extra dollar, trying to find ways to reduce our expenses for the upcoming week (and shedding a few tears in the process).

As a budget obsessed mom and wife, I’ve analysed our personal spending (and saving) habits time and time again. It may not come as a big surprise that a major percentage of our monthly income is spent on food.

Now, if only we could find a way to come up with a cheap grocery list and lower our food bill each week (and by extension, each month) then we could probably reduce our money burdens and financial strain, right?!

Have you ever heard the term eat little, and live long? I’ve heard many people use this exact phrase when encouraging people to adopt a more frugal way of life.

And I’m about to show you how to eat little, live long and lower your grocery bill in the process! You’re welcome. 😉

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When things are generally good, my grocery budget is usually set at $200 per month. But as I mentioned before, we all have those tough times where we’re STRUGGLING to make ends meet.

If you could ease the financial strain by spending little on food, then why not, right?

This food budget in particular costs $18 – give or take a little. They are based on prices from different grocery stores and Amazon Pantry.

I’ve linked to these very products on the Walmart website so that you can see for yourself that these prices are legit.

Bear in mind that the prices listed here are the prices obtained on the date that this post was published and can be changed by Walmart at any point in time.

If prices are changed and become way off, feel free to leave a comment below and let me know! 🙂

Of course you can stick you your usual in-store shopping trips if you wish.

This $18 per week grocery plan has pulled through for me on numerous occasions in the past and I swear by it!

The best part? There’s no need to clip coupons or spend hours searching the ends of the earth for deals and discounts. As a busy mom, that’s a win in my book!

Related Reads:

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15 Genius Budget Grocery Shopping Tricks to Cut your Grocery Bill in Half

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How We Saved $24 000 in 7 Months on One Income

12 $1 Per Person Recipes for when Money is Tight

17 Super Cheap Air Fryer Recipes that are Easy and Delicious

12 Cheap School Lunch Ideas for Kids

Money Saving Tips for Budget Grocery Shopping

You can read the $18 per week Grocery Meal Plan 61482 times but it will never work if you don’t have the willpower and self control that is necessary. Be sure to remember the following when you go grocery shopping this week!

• Walk with your grocery list and stick to it!

• Do not go grocery shopping when you’re hungry. Grab a quick bite before you head out.

• Make only one trip to the grocery store if you can help it. If possible, order online and pickup soon after. This prevents spending on unnecessary items.

Pssst! Did you know you can save more money by meal planning? Meal Planning saves me thousands of dollars every year! Not sure how to get started? Grab a copy of my free Meal Planning e-guide below.

The $18 per week Budget Meal Plan & Cheap Grocery List

I understand that prices may vary from place to place but hey, everyone has access to Amazon Prime!

These grocery items are based on current prices via Walmart/Amazon (with free shipping – how easy is that?!)

Your Cheap Grocery List

1 dozen eggs – $0.99 (Walmart)

Muffin Mix – $0.92 (Amazon)

Wheat Sandwich Bread – $0.84 (Walmart)

Creamy Peanut Butter 18 oz – $1.58 (Walmart)

16 0z Rigatoni/Shells (or similar pasta) – $0.84 (Walmart)

Chicken Drumsticks, 5 lbs – $4.76 (Walmart)

Mayonnaise – $1.98 (Walmart)

12 oz pack of Crinkle Cut Carrots – $0.84 (Walmart)

Canned Beans – $0.54 (Walmart)

Long Grain Enriched Rice – $0.64 (Walmart)

Spaghetti – $1.08 (Walmart)

Pasta Sauce – $0.84 (Walmart)

2 apples – $0.47 x 2 = $0.94 (Walmart)

3 count Microwave Popcorn – $1.28 (Walmart)

Celery, Green onions, cilantro – Grown at Home

TOTAL – $18.07

Breakfasts

Day 1: Toast & Scrambled Eggs

Day 2: Peanut Butter Sandwich

Day 3: Muffins

Day 4: Chicken Salad Sandwich

Day 5: Toast & Hard Boiled Eggs

Day 6: Peanut Butter Sandwich

Day 7: Muffins

In our household, we either make and take sandwiches to work for lunch or leftover dinner from the evening below. We save so much money doing this and we don’t waste food!

Because of this, you’ll find that many of our dinner ideas and lunch ideas will be similar. Also, note that the amount of leftovers and stretching you can do per meal will obviously depend on how many adults and children in your household.

This plan works well for my husband, 2 little kiddos and myself. I find it’s easy to make this work for our family. Heck, when you’re broke, you learn to make it work.

Lunches

Day 1: Peanut butter Sandwich

Day 2: Pasta Salad with Shredded Chicken (from drumsticks)

Day 3: Beans with rice

Day 4: Baked Chicken drumsticks, leftover rice, steamed carrots

Day 5: Peanut Butter Sandwich

Day 6: Egg fried rice

Day 7: Veggie Spaghetti Marinara

Dinners

Day 1: Pasta Salad with Shredded Chicken

Day 2: Beans with rice

Day 3: Baked chicken breast, leftover rice, steamed vegetables

Day 4: Chicken Soup

Day 5: Egg Fried Rice

Day 6: Veggie Spaghetti Marinara

Day 7: Leftovers

Snacks

Day 1: Apples

Day 2: Carrots

Day 3: Popcorn

Day 4: Apples

Day 5: Muffins

Day 6: Popcorn

Day 7: Popcorn

Final Thoughts on the $18 per Week Meal Plan

So there you go, guys! See how possible it is to create a budget meal plan with a cheap grocery list and have a few nice meals each week without spending A LOT of money?

You can even try to find other meals to make, utilizing these same ingredients, if you want to mix things up a bit.

The main lesson to be learnt here is that you can be innovative and find creative ways to pinch your pennies and save money. Saving money on food is a pretty good place to start!

Do you have any other cheap and frugal meals that you swear by? Share with us in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!

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The $18 per Week Meal Plan