This post may contain affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products and services I use and love. Thanks for supporting The Little Frugal House!
Do you want to learn how to make an easy meal plan for two people, that’s also budget friendly? In this post, I’m giving all my best tips for meal planning on a budget for 2 people.
Meal planning is by far the best way to save money on food and eat good meals at home. And it really doesn’t have to be complicated at all!
In fact, my weeks are much simpler and less stressful when I have a meal plan prepared.
Meal Planning on a Budget for 2
If you’ve never tried (or stuck with) meal planning before, have no fear – it is not complicated and it doesn’t take much time at all.
The more you practice meal planning, the easier it gets. And over time, you’ll find the perfect system that works for you.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The easiest place to save money is on food. You can’t change your rent, and you can only reduce your bills so much. But your food budget can change drastically with just a little work!
Meal planning is the best way to save money on food. You’ll know what to eat every night, so you can eat at home and save money.
>>Want to learn my best grocery saving tips? Get my free printable, 10 Ways to Save $100 on Your Grocery Budget to start saving money on groceries today. Get your free PDF printable here.
Budget Meal Planning:
Real quick! I have two apps I love to use to get cash back on groceries that you definitely need to be using!
Sign up for these now to get cash back on groceries and earn free gift cards!
Fetch Rewards – The newest app I’ve been using. Scan your grocery receipts to get points that turn into free gift cards. Sign up here and use code: 33UY1 to get 2000 points when you scan your first receipt.
Ibotta app – I love this app to get cash back grocery shopping! Sign up here and get $5 when you upload your first receipt!
Here’s the steps for budget friendly meal planning:
I’ve got the easy steps to help you learn budget meal planning the easy way, so you can start saving money on groceries right away!
Let’s get right to it!
Step 1: Make a list of your favorite cheap meals
Having a list of your favorite meals on hand will give you a starting point for your menu.
You can type this or just write it down. I suggest listing the meals in different categories like beef, chicken, pork, seafood, meatless, pasta, so you can find meals to make with what you have.
If you need some ideas for this, be sure to grab your free copy of the Quick, Easy & Cheap Meals List.
Step 2: Take inventory of what food you already have
Next, take inventory of the food you already have. Check your fridge, freezer, and pantry for food that needs to be eaten.
Also look for complete meals you can make with food you have on hand, as well as partial meals that you just need one or two more ingredients to complete.
You can go ahead and add these meals to your menu for the week, so you know how many more meals you need to shop for.
Step 3: Shop the sale ads and digital coupons
Next up, look at the sale ads and any digital coupons that match up with sales. You can find most grocery store sale ads on their website.
The first page of the sales ad usually has the very best deals.
Look for any items that will complete partial meals you already have ingredients for, and ingredients for meals on your favorites list.
Download any digital coupons for items you plan to buy.
Step 4: Make your menu for the week
Make your menu for the week based on the food you already have, your favorite meals that have ingredients on sale, and filling in the rest of the days with your favorite cheap meals.
Plan around any events or activities you have going on, so you know if you need a super quick dinner one night or if you know you will be eating out.
Use this free blank meal planner printable.
Step 5: Make your grocery list and budget for the week
Time to make your grocery list and budget. You can make your budget the same every week, or change it up depending on how much you need to buy.
I prefer to budget the same amount each week to make things easy. It’s up to you if you want to include household or personal items in this budget or have a separate budget for those items.
Make your grocery list based on the sale items you found that will complete meals you already have ingredients for, and for ingredients for meals on your favorites list to complete your menu.
You can leave a little room in the budget for any markdowns you may see while shopping.
Step 6: Shop for markdowns
When you are shopping, keep an eye out for any markdowns on foods you know your family will eat.
You can’t plan ahead for markdowns, so it’s great to have a little wiggle room to buy great deals if you see them.
Make sure to only buy markdowns if you know your family will eat that item, and if you can eat it before it expires. Many things can be frozen!
You can add these markdowns to your menu for this week, and push other meals back to next week. Or freeze them for later!
You can see our frugal grocery budget for 2 here.
Here’s what this looks like for me:
Step 1: I make my favorites list.
Things like spaghetti, tacos, chicken alfredo, BBQ chicken, salsa chicken, pork chops, flatbread pizzas.
You can use this free family favorite meal list printable.
List out the meals your family likes to eat at home. This gives you a starting point of what to put on your menu for the week.
Step 2: I check my freezer, fridge, and pantry to see what food I already have.
When I check my freezer, fridge, and pantry, I see I have salsa that needs to be used, pork chops, and some beef in the freezer I can use.
Step 3: I look at the sale ads and download any digital coupons for things I plan to buy.
Pasta noodles, pasta sauce, canned vegetables, and chicken are all on a great sale this week.
I’ll add meals to my menu bases on those sales: Chicken Alfredo, BBQ chicken, Spaghetti, and Salsa chicken.
Step 4: I write my menu for the week.
Sunday: Pork Chops
Monday: Chicken Alredo
Tuesday: Chicken Fajitas
Wednesday: BBQ Chicken
Thursday: Pork Chops (different sauce or seasoning)
Friday: Spaghetti
Saturday: Salsa Chicken
Step 5: I write my grocery list and set my budget.
I make my list of the items I need to finish those meals, as well as the great sales I saw. And I make my budget for the week, if that isn’t already determined.
Step 6: I look around for markdowns while I shop.
While I’m shopping, I look for markdowns and find some great deals on items I know we’ll eat.
I find marked down pork chops I can put in the freezer for next week, bell peppers perfect for fajita night, rolls I can serve with several meals, and salad for a side.
Obviously, this is a made up and pretty perfect scenario, but hopefully it shows you how to use these budget meal planning steps in real life.
You might also enjoy…
