How i make dinner for 5 for under $5

[28yroldgranny]

Someone asked me once in a post and this was my reply. I figured I could also post it on here.  SInce DH got laid off over a year ago I have had to cut our food budget HUGE!  Here are some ideas.

My biggest thing is using my coupons like crazy and then going form there. 

•  I buy clearance rolls for Tuna salad so we are eating it on a different type of bread so it doesn't feel like plain old tuna salad.   
• I make lots of things that can  be split in half and frozen so if it cost me $7 it is now $3.50.  The casseroles like that, that i like are Tater Tot Bake, Chicken confetti spaghetti, baked ziti, etc. 
• I make macaroni and cheese with cut up cheese bratwursts in them and add some extra cheese , garlic powder and salt and pepper to it, to make it a little different.  I slice up several brats (freeze the others for another batch of this) and brown them in a pan to caramelize the cheese.  I also use the rope sausage which I can sometimes get on sale with a coupon for a dollar or less.  My kids love this. 
• Breakfast of course.  But I break them up.  One day I make french toast and eggs. One day I make pancakes. One is eggs, biscuits, bacon and gravy,  Egg sandwhiches on toast with hasbrowns. 
• Of course there is hot dogs and make and cheese. 
•  Hamburger helper is always less then $4. 
• I shop at Aldi's and my walmart has this taco seasoned turkey meat that is $1 a roll.  I can make a biscuit based Taco cup ( press the biscuit in the muffing pan.  Cook the taco meat and add sour cream to the mixture.  Place spoonful of meat in cup and top with cheese and bake till biscuit is done.  that is about $2 with the cheese and sourcream because I always have them on hand.  Still only $1.39 without it.   I can also do this with ground beef or turkey mixed with brown sugar and bbq suace.  Top  with cheese.
• Flatbread tacos.  Roll out grands size biscuits and cook them on each side in a frying pan with a tiny amount of oil and serve cooked taco meat on top for a more filling taco.  Could also be considered a taco pizza.   
• Ramen is of course really cheap and there are a million recipes out there for it.
• Grilled cheese and soup is less then $5 because I buy my american cheese in a block and slice it at work so I save about $8. 
• Leftover nights are a must to bring down your average because you can't have ground turkey every meal, lol.
• If I have leftover spaghetti and sauce I saute up a slice rope sausage and some fresh veggies, add italian seasoning and garlic. Mix it in with the pasta and sauce. Top with cheese and bake. I LOVE this.  Sometimes it makes enough to split so now the spaghetti was 3 meals.  The veggies and 1 rope sausage really bulk it up. 
• Pizza with dough you make yourself.  I get my pepperoni and pasta sauce at Aldi's so that is about $3 but I will have extra pepperoni for other things.  I make the dough in the bread machine. I always have yeast and flour around so it is only pennies.  You can also use bisquick as a deep dish pizza dough. It's different but I like it.
• Speaking of bisquick , if you have it, there is normally a recipe for cheeseburger bake on it that should be less then $5.
• I am usually including a side that cost $1 or less on these meals. 
• 1 $3 bag of potatoes can make at least 3 side dishes.

I know I have more but this is all I can come up with right now.  Sales, aldi's or similar and coupons really help out.  But my husband is so proud of me for doing it.  I  hope it gives some people some ideas.

[bozziboop]

Nov. 21, 2009 at 6:55 PM

WAY TO GO MOMMA!

these are some great ideas...i do some/most of the things you do too...but i also learned how to can my own tomatoes, and salsa, green beans, jelly/jam. my mom and MIL and great grandma taught me.