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Thanksgiving 2025 

 

    
Pick Your Budget with Examples

 

Enjoy!

💗 Jo 

 

New Page Available

 I added a resource page - I hope it helps! It can be found here:

https://www.bankbalanceblues.com/p/resources.html  

 Or you can click on the resource link in the top navigation bar!

 💗 Jo

 

$5.00 Meal Plan - Pick Your Budget

 This is the final meal plan in this series - the $5.00 per person per day plan. That equals $70.00 for the whole week! So without further ado…

Day One: 
B - Egg Bake - to be eaten five times this week

To make: dump the full 28oz bag of hashbrowns into a lightly oiled (use a paper towel or napkin to spread and coat the dish)  9x13 baking dish. Fry your breakfast sausage and 3 minced garlic cloves; put in your baking dish when cooked. Gently stir to mix together. In a bowl crack your 18 eggs, add your salt, pepper, 1 cup milk and 1 cup of cheese. Whisk it thoroughly then add it to your baking dish. Bake this at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the eggs start to set. Remove and add the final cup of cheese. Return it to the oven for another 20-30 minutes. It's done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Note: if you don't have a toothpick you can use a thin knife, fork, skewer, or even an uncooked spaghetti noodle.

L - fried Bologna Sandwich with potatoes on top - to be eaten five times this week

To make: cut 4 slits (about every quarter) in your bologna - this helps prevent it from bubbling up and not getting fried completely. Fry it on both sides to your desired doneness. You can put this on 2pcs bread or toast with margarine, ketchup and/or mustard. Remember: if you want ketchup and mustard you may be able to get a few packets from a deli or convenience store that sells food. Put a small handful of potato chips on top of your bologna before putting on the top piece of bread/toast. Serve with your canned vegetables on the side - you get three cans for the five days so divide accordingly.

D - Manicotti - eaten twice this week

To Make: Boil manicotti according to the box. Defrost your spinach and squeeze as much water out of it as possible - you want this as dry. When the manicotti is done, stuff them with about two cups of mozzarella cheese with the spinach mixed in. Put them in a baking dish and cover them with your spaghetti sauce. You can put a little cheese on top if you desire but the remaining cheese will be used for another dish this week so don’t use much. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese is nicely melted. Cook the garlic toast according to the box. You can eat as many pieces of the toast as you desire or eat only one for each person and you can enjoy a piece with most dinner meals this week.
 

Day Two: 
B - Egg Bake
L - fried Bologna Sandwich with potatoes
D - French Bread Pizza from Brooke at Southern Frugal Momma - eaten twice this week

To make: slice the french loaf in half lengthwise. Add as much pizza sauce as you desire to pieces of the french loaf. Dice the two packages of ham and add it to the bread and finally top with the final two cups of mozzarella cheese. Put the bread onto a cookie sheet and put into a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown. You can add a can of pineapple for a Hawaiian style pizza if you desire or take it off the shopping list below.

Day Three: 
B - Egg Bake
L - fried Bologna Sandwich with potatoes
D - Turkey Rice Goulash from Julia Pacheco eaten twice this week

To make: cook your rice per the instructions (so information says to cook 1 ⅓ cups as rice triples but I have always heard it doubles - so I would just cook the entire bag - but you do as you like. The rice needs to be done before you start cooking this meal. Cook your half pound of ground turkey in a frying pan until thoroughly cooked. Then add all your seasonings (1 tsp each - garlic powder, onion powder, salt, 2 tsp Italian seasoning and ½ tsp black pepper), the drained can of mixed veg and the diced tomatoes. Cook this on the stovetop for 5 minutes before adding all the rice. Cook it for three more minutes and it's ready to serve.

Day Four: 
B - Egg Bake
L - fried Bologna Sandwich with potatoes
D - BBQ Biscuits - eaten only one

To make: cook your other ½ pound of ground turkey, 1 cup onions and 4 minced garlic cloves in a frying pan on the stovetop till cooked through. Add your drained can of potatoes and all your seasonings - ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp chili powder, ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper. Allow this to warm - 2 to 3 minutes. Add ½ cup or more (if desired) BBQ sauce and stir well before removing from the heat and adding 1 cup cheddar cheese. Again mix well. Oil your baking dish before pressing and flattening your package of biscuits into the bottom. Pour your turkey mixture over top and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or the biscuits are cooked and golden brown.

Day Five: 
B - Egg Bake
L - fried Bologna Sandwich with potatoes
D - Manicotti

Day Six: 
B - Pancakes with syrup - eaten twice this week

To make: simply mix the batter according to the back of the box. You can have as many as you desire as long as you have enough for tomorrow.

Note: you can whip your syrup to make it go further or add about 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water that has been heated on the stovetop to dissolve all the sugar crystals, add it to your syrup when cooled and mix.

L - Soup and Salad - eaten twice this week

To make: you will be using a complete large salad kit so you will need to divide it between the two days. As for the soup, you will get one can for today and one for tomorrow.

D - French Bread Pizza

Day Seven: 
B - Pancakes with syrup
L - Soup and Salad
D - Turkey Rice Goulash 


Shopping List

Dollar Tree
16oz bottle vegetable oil ($1.25) 
24oz can spaghetti sauce ($1.25) 
40 sq ft roll of aluminum foil ($1.75) 
Optional: 1-20oz can pineapple slices ($1.50) (you’ll need to dice these)
2oz black pepper ($1.25) 
1- 17 to 18oz bottle of BBQ sauce ($1.25) 
1-2.25oz jar of cayenne pepper ($1.25) 
1-16oz box of complete pancake mix ($1.25) 

Walmart
1-28oz bag o’brein style hashbrowns with peppers and onions ($3.42)
1-10oz bag frozen chopped spinach ($1.24)
1 box of 8 count garlic Texas toast ($1.97)
1lb roll frozen turkey breakfast sausage ($1.98)
1lb roll frozen ground turkey ($1.98)
1 whole garlic bulb  (.72¢)
1 fresh whole onion (.72¢)
1-12oz container ‘to go’ milk ($1.17)
18 count fresh eggs ($2.92)
1-16oz bag shredded cheddar cheese ($3.48)
1-16oz bag shredded mozzarella cheese ($3.48)
1-12oz package Bologna - 10ct ($1.68)
2-2oz packages Buddig ham (83¢ea)
1-7.5oz package refrigerator biscuits 10ct (.97¢)
1-16oz package margarine sticks ($1.24)
3 cans of any vegetables cost .76¢ or less
1-15oz can mixed vegetables (.96¢)
1-14.5oz can Italian style petite diced tomatoes (.96¢)
1-15oz can diced potatoes (.96¢)
1-15oz can pizza sauce (.97¢)
1-13oz party size bag of plain potato chips ($2.96)
1-8oz box of manicotti noodles ($1.84)
1-16oz bag of white rice (.92¢)
1-20oz. loaf of bread - 22pcs ($1.42)
1-14oz loaf of french bread ($1.47)
3.4oz jar of garlic powder (3.4oz - $1.24)
3.25oz jar of onion powder (3.25oz - $1.24)
.95oz bottle of Italian seasoning (.95oz - $1.24)
26oz carton of salt (26oz - .76¢)
1- 24oz bottle pancake syrup ($2.36ea)
1- Large complete kit with toppings and dressing 11.35 to 14.55oz ($3.97)
2 cans of condensed soup  ($1.25ea or less)

Total: $68.67 - that leaves you $1.33 which you could use to purchase a 14oz bottle of ketchup (.98¢) or an 8oz bottle of mustard (.68¢) for your bologna sandwich if you wish or you could choose an additional can of vegetables.

Leftover food to add to your pantry:
Possibly fresh garlic
Possibly fresh onion 
    Both of which can be diced or minced and frozen for later use 
Margarine sticks
Pizza sauce
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Italian seasoning
Salt
Black pepper
Cayenne pepper
Vegetable oil
Possibly pancake mix
Possibly BBQ sauce
Aluminum foil
Possibly ketchup or mustard

Well that completes this Pick Your Budget series - I hope you have enjoyed it! I am planning to make this whole series available for download towards the end of the month - so check back then, please.

💗 Jo

Thanksgiving 2025

 Thanksgiving is right around the corner! So I thought I would help you come up with a budget-friendly option for Thanksgiving dinner. Whether you're feeding one person or 10 people this menu plan is adjustable, hence pick your budget. Of course due to your budget constraints this may not be a traditional Thanksgiving dinner exactly.

Let's start with a list of prices so we can start mixing and matching based on what we need for our family size and our budget. All prices are from Walmart unless otherwise stated.

Sides
Green bean casserole costs $3.47 for two cans 14.5oz green beans ($1.52 - .76¢ ea), 1-10 1/2oz can of cream of mushroom soup (.70¢), and a bag of crispy fried onions purchased from the Dollar Tree (2.8oz bag for $1.25.)

15.5oz can of candied yam ($1.57) can just be warmed up or you can add things like brown sugar, butter or margarine, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, marshmallows, etc.

6oz box turkey stuffing (.97¢) can be made with water or chicken stock/bouillon

14oz can cranberry sauce ($1.66)

15oz can of corn (.76¢) maybe add some butter/margarine

Box of mac and cheese (.58¢) often made with milk and butter/margarine

12count Brown and serve dinner rolls ($1.38) served with butter/margarine


Potatoes & Gravy
Package instant mashed potato pouch $1.00 (makes 4-½ cup servings) made with water

9oz box of instant mashed potatoes $1.26 (makes 12-½ cup servings) made with water

5lb bag of russet potatoes $3.84 can be made simply with butter/margarine and milk or add other things like garlic powder, sour cream, salt, pepper, etc.

Package turkey gravy mix .67¢ each (it makes 1 cup) made with water

Or you could choose to purchase 2lb bag flour from the Dollar Tree for $1.25 and make 
homemade gravy from the turkey drippings. (Sorry but I won’t be explaining how to make gravy.)


Meat/Main 
Turkey pot pie $1.00 ea 

9oz package of turkey lunch meat for $3.57 

whole turkey for .77¢/lb with the average weight being 14 ½ pounds costing $11.17 (from Aldi’s) 

or you could do a rotisserie flavored turkey tenderloin 24oz for $7.69 (again from Aldi’s.)


Dessert
8oz whipped cream ($1.98)

8” pumpkin pie ($5.23) 

or the 4” mini pumpkin pies for .84¢ each.


Prices of Things Mentioned
32oz brown sugar ($2.22)
16oz margarine ($1.24)
16oz salted or unsalted dairy free butter ($3.48)
16oz sweet cream salted butter ($3.67)
Half gallon milk ($1.64)
8oz sour cream ($1.24)
3.4oz garlic powder ($1.24)
2.5oz ground cinnamon ($1.32)
1.5oz ground nutmeg ($2.46)
26oz iodized salt (.76¢)
2oz ground black pepper ($1.25) purchased at the Dollar Tree
10oz bag mini marshmallows (.97¢)
14.5oz chicken broth (.82¢)

Although I have tried to think of all the things you might need, I don’t know your family traditions so don’t forget to add those prices also. It's also a good idea to check the backs of boxes and pouches to see what they suggest you need.


Note: for bone-in turkey the suggestion is to budget 1 to 1 ½ pounds per person and ½ to 3/4lb for bone-less.


Okay now let’s look at what and how we could put together for our Thanksgiving dinner…

The cheapest possible option would be one or two turkey pot pies per person ($1-2.00)

Now let’s say hubby and I plan to have a pot pie each but we both want mashed potatoes and gravy. Now the cost would be $3.67.

Oh and it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie with whipped cream. Now our cost is $7.33

What if we are planning to have a third person for dinner… pot pies may not be the way to go so I would opt for the turkey lunch meat and make pinwheels out of them. You could stuff them with the stuffing made with water and maybe cover them with gravy (2packets.) I would also serve green bean casserole and 3 mini pumpkin pies without whipped cream. The total cost would be $11.87.

Now let’s look at the cost of a full on Thanksgiving dinner for nine people. A whole turkey, 2 batches of green bean casserole, 2 cans yams, 3 boxes of stuffing, 1 can cranberry sauce, 3 cans corn, 3 boxes Mac and cheese, 1 package dinner rolls, bag of potatoes, flour to make gravy, 8” pie and whipped cream… totals $43.52. And this doesn't include the milk, butter or margarine, brown sugar, etc. 

So as you can see your Thanksgiving dinner can cost anywhere from a dollar or two; or upwards of $50.00 - you pick.

Here are a few more ideas for Thanksgiving meal ideas:

Use frozen ground turkey ($1.98):
turkey meatloaf
turkey chili
Turkey stew made with canned diced potatoes, green beans, etc.
shepard’s pie
    homemade turkey pot pie with canned diced potatoes and vegetables
    turkey patties made with egg and instant mashed potato flakes - shallow fried

9oz package of turkey lunch meat for $3.57
    hot turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy

Serve a rotisserie chicken for $5.97

Or get a 10lb bag chicken leg quarters for $8.47

Or a whole chicken for $1.46 a pound

The list could go on and on if you just get creative!


If you just want a simple solution to your Thanksgiving meal, check to see if your store offers a “Thanksgiving Meal Deal.” Here are a few I found:

Aldi’s: $40.00 for 10 people
Walmart: $40.00 for 10 people
Target: $20.00 for 4 people
Amazon: $25.00 for 5 people

Just be sure to read what you're getting and add any additional items you would need to purchase.

Before I go I’d like to give you a couple of recipes you can use for your Thanksgiving Dinner or use them the next day to help use up your leftovers.

Best Of Thanksgiving Casserole by Rebecca from Dollar Tree Dinners
4 cups instant mashed potatoes made per the instructions but replacing one cup of chicken broth for one cup of water 
Milk
Margarine/butter
Salt and pepper
1 can french cut green beans or you could make green bean casserole
2 cans turkey* or chicken - be sure to shred this well so you get a piece in every bite
(drain but save the juice you’ll be using it in the stuffing)
1-2 packages roasted turkey gravy made with water
4.5oz package cranberries - soaked in a little hot water to help re-concentrate them a bit   
           - I’d say 15-20 minutes will do. Drain them.
Box of turkey stuffing - made by replacing equal amounts of water for turkey can juice 
and remaining chicken broth and margarine/butter

To assemble the casserole:
Add your prepared mashed potatoes to the bottom of a large casserole dish (8”x13”)
Add drained green beans or your prepared green bean casserole as the next layer
Next put your two cans of shredded drained turkey or chicken
Your fourth layer is the prepared gravy
The final layer is your prepared turkey stuffing with re-hydrated cranberries stirred in
Top this with a dozen or so thin pats of margarine/butter
    Bake this at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes

Shopping List
13.75oz box instant mashed potatoes ($1.88)
16oz margarine ($1.24)
Half gallon milk ($1.64)
26oz iodized salt (.76¢)
2oz ground black pepper ($1.25) purchased at the Dollar Tree
14.5oz chicken broth (.82¢)
2-14.5oz cans green beans ($1.52 - .76¢ ea)
1-10 1/2oz can of cream of mushroom soup (.70¢)
bag of crispy fried onions purchased from the Dollar Tree (2.8oz bag for $1.25)
2 cans of turkey from the Dollar Tree ($2.50) or 12.5oz can chunk chicken ($2.97)
2 packages turkey gravy mix ($1.34 - .67¢ea)
6oz box turkey stuffing (.97¢)
6oz sweetened dried cranberries ($1.96)
TOTAL: $17.83 with turkey or $18.30 with chicken


Turkey Burgers or Turkey Steaks
Make 4oz patties (burgers) from your frozen ground turkey meat or larger 6-8oz patties (steaks) and fry them with a tablespoon or two vegetable oil to prevent sticking if needed.

Make your stuffing per the box instructions (you can chicken broth or water which ever you prefer)

Cook your french fries per the instructions or you could use instant mashed potatoes (I would use the potatoes with the turkey steaks - but that’s me)

Prepare your gravy using water

To assemble:
Fry your burgers or steaks
Toast your buns for the burgers - the steak doesn’t need a bun
Put a scoop of prepared stuffing on top of the burger 
or you prepared mashed potatoes on the steak
Add your cooked french fries on top of the stuffing - 
i wouldn’t put them on the steak but you do you
Top everything with gravy
Put the bun top on your turkey burger

These are just suggestions - you can serve everything on the side if you wish

And I would have to make green bean casserole for a side dish cause I LOVE green bean casserole!

Shopping List
1lb. frozen ground turkey ($1.98)
16oz bottle vegetable oil ($1.25) purchased from the Dollar Tree
1-2 packages turkey gravy mix ($1.34 - .67¢ea)
16oz margarine ($1.24)
14.5oz chicken broth (.82¢)
6oz box turkey stuffing (.97¢)
32oz bag french fries* ($2.97) I’d pick a thicker cut fry verses a thinner cut one
8ct package hamburger buns ($1.43)
2-14.5oz cans green beans ($1.52 - .76¢ ea)
1-10 1/2oz can of cream of mushroom soup (.70¢)
2.8oz bag of crispy fried onions purchased from the Dollar Tree ($1.25)
    TOTAL: $14.00 with Dollar Tree fries or $15.47 with Walmart fries

* Sometimes you can get cans of turkey at the Dollar Tree especially around Thanksgiving. And you can sometimes get french fries if your Dollar Tree has a freezer case.

Well I think that covers Thanksgiving! I'm so happy and grateful you stopped by and have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends.

💗 Jo

$3.75 Meal Plan - Pick Your Budget

 Today we will be working with a $52.50 budget ($3.75) to feed two people for seven days. If you don’t know how I pick my budget amount, please check out this page as well as the tips at the bottom of the page.

Day One

B - Breakfast Burritos - 1 burrito per person for 5 days

To make: Warm the refried beans and spoon about 1oz per tortilla. Fry 10 eggs and as many potatoes (diced) as desired. Put egg and potatoes into the tortilla. Top with hot sauce if you desire.

L - 2 grilled cheese sandwiches for each person made with one piece of cheese and 2 slices of bread for each sandwich. You’ll eat this for five days. For sides - you can pick three cans of vegetables and 2 cans of tomato soup. Of course you can get more tomato soup and forgo the vegetables if you desire but you will probably need to make the tomato soup with water instead of milk as you may not have a ton of it to spare.

D - Lentil sloppy joes on rice - you’ll eat this twice this week

To make: you will cook your bag of lentils. You will add your can of sloppy joe sauce and mix. Serve over your cooked white rice (1 cup per meal)

Day Two

B - Breakfast Burritos - 1 burrito per person for 5 days

L - 2 grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup or a vegetable

D - black bean burrito bowls - you will be eating this twice this week

To make: sort, wash and then cook your black beans that has your taco seasoning packet mixed in. When the beans are done add your can of diced tomatoes with green chilies and can of corn. Warm the tomatoes and corn. Divide your bean mixture and use 1 velveeta cheese sauce per day divided between the two plates.

Day Three

B - Breakfast Burritos - 1 burrito per person for 5 days

L - 2 grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup or a vegetable

D - Sausage au gratin potatoes - this is the only day you will eat this

To make: Start by dicing your smoked sausage and fry the pieces (yes both sausages). When it's done, set aside. Make the au gratin potatoes according to the instructions. When the potatoes are almost finished add back in your sausage.

Day Four

B - Breakfast Burritos - 1 burrito per person for 5 days

L - 2 grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup or a vegetable

D - tuna alfredo casserole - you will be eating this twice.

To make: cook your pasta - you can use any shape (we generally use shells.) When your pasta is cooked add your two cans of tuna, a quarter or so of a diced onion (of course if you don’t care for onion you can use less), 4 ounces (half a package) cheddar cheese and your can of alfredo sauce. Pour this mixture into a pie dish lined with a pie crust and put the second crust on top. Bake at the temperature the pie crust states until nicely golden brown. 

Day Five

B - Breakfast Burritos - 1 burrito per person for 5 days

L - 2 grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup or a vegetable

D - Lentil sloppy joes on rice

Day Six

B - Fried potatoes and 1-2 eggs depending on how many you have remaining. You will eat this twice. Simply dice a potato or two and fry it up. When the potatoes are cooked, crack in an egg or two (or more if you have them.). Salt and pepper to taste. Can also serve with hot sauce if you purchased some.

L - dressed up rice a roni with a side of vegetables - eaten twice

To make this: cook two boxes of chicken flavored rice a roni per the instructions. When the rice a roni is finished, add 2 cans of chunk chicken and heat your two cans of vegetables.

D - black bean burrito bowls 

Day Seven

B - Fried potatoes and 1-2 eggs depending on how many you have remaining

L - dressed up rice a roni with a side of vegetables

D - tuna alfredo casserole 

Shopping List

Dollar Tree

10ct four tortillas ($1.25)

20.5oz can refried beans ($1.25)

2-4oz pouch of Velveeta cheese sauce ($2.50 - $1.25ea.)

14.5oz can Alfredo pasta sauce ($1.25)

Dollar General

7oz smoked sausage ($1.35)

Aldi’s

10lb bag russet potatoes ($3.25)

Walmart

1 dozen eggs ($1.97)

2-16pc cheese slices ($2.94 - $1.47ea)

2-20oz loaf of bread (22 slices) ($2.84 - $1.42ea)

5-Any kind of canned vegetable costing ($3.80 - 76¢ or less ea.)

15oz can of corn (.76¢)

2-10.75oz can tomato soup ($1.40 - .70¢ea.)

2-6.9oz boxes chicken flavored rice a roni ($2.96 - $1.48ea)

2-5oz cans of chunk chicken ($2.48 - $1.24ea)

15oz can sloppy joe sauce ($1.00)

16oz bag lentils ($1.92)

32oz white rice ($1.77) or if you have enough from your pantry

16oz bag dried black beans ($1.38)

10oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies ($1.32)

1 packet taco seasoning (.47¢)

16oz margarine sticks ($1.24) 

half gallon of milk ($1.64)

4.7oz box au gratin potatoes ($1.22)

8oz shredded cheddar cheese ($1.97)

9” ready to bake pie crusts (2 ct. package) ($1.94)

A small onion (.72¢)

16oz pasta any desired shape - we use shells (.98¢)

2-5oz can tuna ($1.92 - .96¢ea)

Optional:

11.9oz bottle hot sauce ($1.12) Walmart

26oz iodized salt (.76¢) Walmart for your pantry 

The grand total is: $49.49 (or $50.61 with the optional pick of hot sauce or $51.37 with both the hot sauce and salt optionals)

Leftover food to add to your pantry:

Eggs

Cheese Slices

Bread

Margarine

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Onion

Potatoes (possibly)

Lentils (possibly)

Black beans (possibly)

Rice (possibly)

Milk (possibly)

Hot sauce - if purchased

Iodized salt - if purchased

I will be taking a break temporarily so I can post a Pick Your Budget Thanksgiving Dinner Menu. Hope you enjoyed this plan.

💗 Jo

$2.50 Meal Plan - Pick Your Budget

 Let’s look at the $2.50 meal plan. If you don’t know how I came up with that dollar amount, please check out this page. This page also has a lot of great tips at the bottom, which I think are worth looking at.

So let’s get started:

$2.50 per day (7) per person (2) equals $35.00 for a week’s worth of groceries for my hubby and myself.

Day One

B - rice porridge: we are going to be eating this for 6 days.

To make rice porridge - start by washing the rice (1/2cup per person per day, unless you have a huge pot you will need to make this in batches.) Wash the rice really well several times because this is going to make for a creamier rice porridge. Add a few cups of your washed rice to a pot with 7 cups of water. If you like your rice porridge a little bit thinner you may need to add a little bit more water, say like another cup or two. Add about a half a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, once boiling reduce the heat to a simmer. Off-set a lid on your pot to allow the steam to escape. You are going to cook this for 45 minutes to an hour allowing the rice to break down and the porridge to become thick or you desired consistency. Be sure to stir this throughout the cooking process as you don't want the rice to stick to the bottom or burn (especially towards the end.) If you need to add more water, do so. When you go to eat your porridge, add salt if it needs it and top with sugar and a small pat of margarine.

L - 1 fried egg sandwich made with two pieces bread or toast (we will be eating this for 5 days)

D - tuna noodles - we will be eating this twice this week.

To make tuna noodles: cook the egg noodles per the package instructions. In another pan add your 1-2 cans cream of mushroom soup and thin it with water to desired consistency. Add your drained can of tuna and heat. Pour over your noodles.

Day Two

B - rice porridge

L - 1 fried egg sandwich made with two pieces bread or toast

D - pork and beans with vienna sausage over mashed potatoes - again we will eat this for two days.

To make: warm your 2 cans of pork and beans and 2 drained cans of vienna sausages on the stovetop. Make your instant potatoes in a bowl per the instructions. Pour your bean mixture over the potatoes.

Day Three

B - rice porridge

L - 1 fried egg sandwich made with two pieces bread or toast

D - salsa chicken over rice. We will eat this again for two meals.

To make the salsa chicken over rice, you will cook about two cups of rice. Add your drained canned chicken and jar of salsa or Pinante sauce to a pot and warm it up. To serve, just pour your chicken mixture over the rice.

Day Four

B - rice porridge

L - 1 fried egg sandwich made with two pieces bread or toast

D - tuna noodles

Day Five

B - rice porridge

L - 1 fried egg sandwich made with two pieces bread or toast

D - pork and beans with vienna sausage over mashed potatoes

Day Six

B - rice porridge

L - cream chicken over mashed potatoes (we will eat this for the final two days)

To make: add 1-2 cups water to thin 1-2 cans of cream of chicken soup. Add the canned chicken, juice and all. Warm on the stovetop. Prepare potatoes according to the instructions. Serve the soup mix over the potatoes.

D - BBQ pineapple chicken over rice. This is the only time you'll be eating this. 

To make: put everything (can of chicken, pineapple tidbits and as much bbq sauce as you desire) in a saucepan including the juice from the can of pineapple and heat. Cook 1 cup of rice separately. Pour the bbq pineapple chicken over rice to serve. 

Day Seven

B- chocolate chip muffins

To make the muffins: replace the half cup of milk with water and add half tablespoon of margarine.

L - cream chicken over mashed potatoes

D - salsa chicken over rice

Shopping List:

Dollar General:

1 salt & pepper shaker set ($1.00)

Dollar Tree:

20oz can pineapple tidbits ($1.50)

18oz bottle BBQ sauce ($1.25) 

Walmart:

4lb bag white sugar ($3.46)

1 box margarine sticks ($1.24)

1-7.4oz package chocolate chip muffin mix ($1.24)

1 dozen eggs ($1.97)

20oz package bread ($1.42) this loaf has 22 pieces

2 packages instant mashed potatoes ($2.00 - $1.00 ea)

2-10.5oz cans cream of chicken soup ($1.40 - .70¢ ea)

16oz wide egg noodles ($1.62)

5oz can of tuna (.96¢)

2- 10.5oz cans cream of mushroom ($1.40 - .70¢ ea)

2- 15oz cans pork and beans ($2.16 - $1.08 ea)

2-4.6oz cans vienna sausage ($1.52 - .76¢ ea)

16oz jar salsa or Pinante sauce ($1.92)

5lb bag white rice ($3.34)

3-5oz can chunk chicken breast ($3.72 - $1.24 ea)

Optional to buy for your pantry:

16oz bottle vegetable oil ($1.25) Dollar Tree 

The grand total is: $33.12 (or $34.37 with the optional vegetable oil)

Note: if you would rather forgo the vegetable oil and buy a couple cans of vegetables you could. Aldi’s has 15oz can of cut green beans for .50¢ and a 15.25oz of whole kennel sweet corn for .55¢

Leftover food to your pantry:

Rice

Sugar

Salt & pepper

Margarine 

Eggs

Veg

etable oil (possibly)

Next I will be posting an example of a $3.75 weekly meal plan, so stay tuned.

💗 Jo

$1.25 Meal Plan - Pick Your Budget

 This is the lowest budget amount of the Pick Your Budget Plan at $1.25 per person per day. This meal plan will be quite boring and repetitive due to the extremely low budget amount and the current cost of groceries. Of course if you have spices, condiments and a pantry you could spice it up some but for this meal plan I am assuming you have absolutely nothing. It should also go without saying that this extreme budget plan is not considered a balanced nor healthy diet and should not be eaten on a regular basis.

The problem is sometimes you just can't afford to eat, so I want to try and help with that. So as you may have already gathered I use a Dollar Tree pricing structure, meaning I use the $1.25 pricing model to base this plan on; here's how it works:

Let's say I have two people in my household and I have 7 days to feed us until I get another pay check. At $1.25 times 2 people times 7 days… I have a $17.50 budget for the week.

Now just because I use the Dollar Tree pricing model doesn't mean I have to shop there. In fact sometimes Walmart is cheaper. I start by downloading the Walmart, Dollar Tree, Dollar General and any local grocery store apps onto my phone so I can check and compare prices in the comfort of my home. Here's the 2 person 7 day extreme meal plan I came up with and my thoughts:

Day One

B - 1 package each of the instant maple brown sugar oatmeal (there are 10 packets in a box so we have 5 days of breakfast and with it already being flavored we don't need to add anything else - just cook using water and eat)

L - a peanut butter sandwich each using two pieces of bread (again we will be eating this for 5 days. This way we are using up our food so we ain't wasting any.)

D - spaghetti with half a can of pasta sauce (you'll only be using half a can because you will be having spaghetti with sauce again)

Day Two

B - 1 packet oatmeal for each of us

L - 1 peanut butter sandwich each using two pieces of bread

D - rice and smoked sausage (you will want to finely dice only one of the smoked sausage as we will be using the other half later on. By finely diced the sausage you'll get a bit of sausage in every bite and it will feel like much more sausage.)

To cook the rice - use a ratio of 2:1 - put one cup of rice (a ½ cup of rice is considered a serving - there is about 4 servings in a one pound bag) and two cups of water into a pan (I’d dissolve a chicken bouillon cube, per package instructions, instead of just plain water. as it will help flavor your rice as well as adding some salt to the plain rice) Bring this to a boil on the stove-top. Once it's boiling, reduce the heat and cover the rice with a tight fitting lid. Simmer for 15-20 minutes with no peeking or stirring. When the rice is tender and all the water is absorbed, it's done. Fluff the rice with a fork.

Day Three

B - 1 packet oatmeal for each of us

L - 1 peanut butter sandwich each using two pieces of bread

D - pinto beans on 2 pieces toast with brown gravy (make sure to only use half the gravy mix for this meal as the other half will be used later on)

To make beans - start by sorting your beans, You are looking for any pebbles. Once they are sorted, you will need to wash your beans several times to get all the dirt off them. I would do the whole bag and just refrigerator the remainder.  A serving size is ¼ cup dry beans, so there are 12 servings in a one pound bag. I honestly disagree with the serving size. I feel it should be closer to ½ cup, but you do as you wish. Put the beans in a large bowl and cover them with at least 3 inches of water, toss on some plastic wrap and leave it on your countertop for anywhere from 8 to 24 hours. Once you're ready to cook the beans you're going to drain the water and rinse your beans again - you only need to rinse them once or twice. Toss the the beans into a big pot and add six to eight cups of water. (Again I would use bouillon made per package instructions and use that instead of just plain water to help season the beans.) Bring them to a boil. Once they are boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover them and cook them for an hour. After an hour you're going to want to check your beans. Now you will start checking your beans every 15 minutes thereafter (you can stir the beans at this time.) You want your beans to be fork tender. Once your beans appear to be close to being cooked remove the lid and continue to simmer the beans for another 30 minutes. (It could take up to two hours to cook your beans depending on how fresh they are.) This will help thicken and/or evaporate any water/bouillon that may be remaining. Now you're ready to eat.

Day Four

B - 1 packet oatmeal for each of us

L - 1 peanut butter sandwich each using two pieces of bread

D - spaghetti and sauce (you can use it up)

Day Five

B - 1 packet oatmeal for each of us

L - 1 peanut butter sandwich each using two pieces of bread

D - rice and smoked sausage (using the other half of the smoked sausage)

Day Six

B - mashed peas on toast (you will be eating this for 2 days so only mash half a can and divide the mash between the two people and serve it on 2 pieces of bread or toast)

L - 2 hot dogs on 2 pieces on bread each

D - pinto beans on 2 pieces toast with brown gravy each

Day Seven

B - 2 pieces toast with mashed peas

L - 2 hot dogs and 2 pieces of bread

D - boxed mac and cheese with a tuna pouch tossed in. You could add the can of green beans if you desired or do as I do and just serve them on the side. Each person can also have a slice of bread to pile the mac and cheese mixture on. 

Note: if you have any extra pinto beans, you can toss them into the mac and cheese to use them up and boost the protein.

To make the mac and cheese - cook the macaroni per the instructions on the box. When you drain the pasta be sure to save 1/2 to 1 cup of the pasta water as this will be the replacement for the milk and margarine the box calls for. Sprinkle the cheese powder on top of the drained macaroni and then start adding in your reserved pasta water, stirring it until you get to the consistency that you want. If you read the notes below and pick up salt and pepper packets at, say, the Walmart deli try also picking up a couple packets of mayonnaise. You can put two or three packets into your macaroni and cheese to help give it a creamier texture.

Shopping List

  Dollar General: 

7oz. smoked sausage ($1.35)

  Dollar Tree: 

24oz can of pasta sauce (1.25)

  Walmart: 

16oz. bag white rice (.92¢)

8 count hot dogs ($1.00)

15oz. can of peas (.76¢)

16oz. box spaghetti (.98¢)

16oz. jar peanut butter ($1.94)

1 box mac and cheese (.58¢)

1 can green beans (.50¢)

1-2.6oz. pouch of tuna (.94¢)

2 packet brown gravy mix (.48¢)

1lb bag dried pinto beans ($1.00)

2-20oz loaves of white bread (2.84) make sure there's 22 slices in each loaf

1-10ct box maple brown sugar instant oatmeal ($1.87)

Optional: Box of 8 cubes chicken bouillon ($1.08)

The grand total is: $16.40 (or $17.48 with the optional pick of chicken bouillon)

If you don't want the optional choice, you could purchase 2 cans of green beans, another gravy packet or a second box of mac and cheese. I picked the bouillon simply to help flavor the rice and beans. It will also give you some salty flavor making things less boring. You will also be able to add the remaining bouillon to your pantry for later use.

Notes

I do not believe in per serving price for the simple fact that you still have to purchase the product. So let me give you an example: if I say you can eat for a dollar for one day and then show you a plan that requires you to purchase hot dogs and bread that you only eat two pieces of bread and two hot dogs yes that may cost you a dollar but the problem is you still spent $2.42 to buy that meal. I try to do everything based on what I'm actually spending, not the actual per serving cost

 With that being said if you are a single person and follow this plan for one week, it will cost you $17.50. To remedy this you could freeze the food for a free week of eating in the future or follow the plan for 2 weeks then it would work out to $8.75 for one person per week.

Without salt and pepper this menu plan is going to be very bland but you may be able to stop at (say the Walmart) deli counter or a convenience store that sells food and ask if you can pick up a few packs of each for free.

This meal plan is not intended to be followed exactly, it is literally here to give you some ideas and to show you that it can be done. So if you don't like something, substitute it for something else you do like for about the same cost.

If you live in a state where groceries cost more than the state where I live your price may be higher. All the prices I have listed here where the current prices at the time of this writing in the area where I live.

Building a pantry (which includes flour, sugar, spices, oil, etc.) is a must have. On this low of a budget you're not going to be able to afford to add anything to this pantry (unless you bought the chicken bouillon) but when you do have a little bit more money, begin building your pantry (I will be posting a page about how and where to start building a pantry.)

Always remember cooking on a tight budget is going to require more cooking. Easy convenient foods are always more expensive. So I'm sorry to say it but being poor is going to require more work in the kitchen. 

 

Next I will be posting an example of a $2.50 weekly meal plan, so stay tuned.

 

💗 Jo

 

 

November2025 WatchList

 Here we go – remember we love movies and watch half a movie daily while we eat dinner so we get to watch 15 movies every month! As stated before we use our Roku device with all the apps I talked about installed (click here to read more about which ones we have installed.)

So if you are ready to see the movies we plan to watch in November, continue reading and enjoy!

Fandango At Home App:

* Locke - 2014 Drama with Tom Hardy

* Vehicle 19 – 2023 Action/Suspense starring Paul Walker

* Ed Kemper – 2025 Horror/Suspense with Brandon Kirk

SlingTV App:

* Olympus Has Fallen – 2013 Action with Morgan Freeman, Gerald Butler, Aaron Eckhart

* The Marksman – 2021 Action with Liam Neeson

Prime Video App:

* Buried – 2010 Suspense with Ryan Reynolds

* Encounter – 2019 Sci-Fi/Suspense with Luke Hemsworth and Anna Hutchinson

XumoPlay App:

* Limitless – 2011 Thriller/Action with Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro

* The Contract – 2006 Action/Thriller with Morgan Freeman and John Cusack

TubiTV App:

* The Crooked House – 2017 Mystery with Glen Close and Max Irons

* R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead – 2025 Horror with Bean Reid

Roku Channel App:

* John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum – 2019 Action with Keanu Reeves

* Safe – 2012 Action with Jason Statham

 

NOTE: All three of the John Wick movies are available on the Roku Channel. John Wick (2014), John Wick Chapter 2 (2017) and John Wick Chapter 3 (2019)

PlutoTV App:

* Homefront – 2013 Action with Jason Statham

* I, Frankenstein – 2014 Sci-Fi with Aaron Eckhart

 

Have Fun!

💗 Jo