In this fast paced life we all seem to be embracing, well okay kinda, having a resource for quick dinner ideas that are cheap and easy to make is an absolute necessity. Have no fear, that resource is free to you and available to everyone. Cheap Family Meals creates daily recipes and meal ideas to help you save money and time. Here are a few of the quick dinner ideas to make you life just a tad bit easier this week. (click on the link to see the recipe or meal idea in a new window, then return to continue reading the the greatest blog known to mankind, wait no mankind reading here, womankind!!)

• Easy Meatloaf Recipe - a easy meatloaf recipe for a $5 quick meal idea
• Easy 3 Can Soup – HOLY COW!! Dinner made with 3 cans and under $5 to make
• Goulash Recipe - yes, living in poverty can be delicious!
• Microwave Brownies – Forget the others this is all a mom needs!!

Have a great day and pass these recipes and ideas onto your friends and family. It’s free and then they can’t say you never gave them anything!

Okay it’s that time of the week. Pull out the paper and pencil and plan out your meals for the week. If you are trying to become a frugal mom then this is something you have to do and you will get good at it, I promise. I have finally gotten to the point where I can actually plan, shop and prepare meals for 1 whole month!! Now I can also get very lazy and get myself in trouble if I don’t plan my meals out. And that is where I am at this week. I “robbed Peter to pay Paul” for the Holidays and didn’t give my monthly food budget the love it needs. All is good though check out Cheap Family Meals menu for the week to see how I save myself.

7 days of dinner meals for less than $27.00

• Monday – Spaghetti
• Tuesday – Chicken and Rice Bake
• Wednesday – BLT Sandwiches
• Thursday – Tater Tot Casserole
• Friday – Pizza Please
• Saturday – Crockpot Lemon Chicken
• Sunday – Cheesy Broccoli Soup

Here is the complete article link: A Cheap Family Menu For Less Than $40.00

See creating meals that are affordable and nutritious isn’t hard, you just have to 1-have the desire to do it and 2- find the tools to help achieve your food budget goals. I wish I could say I’m a coupon cutting mom, but I can’t. Before I started all my online ventures I did cut coupons and I did save a lot of money, but I also spent a lot of time doing it. I just don’t have that time anymore. So instead I focus on meal plans and staying out of the grocery store. I shop once a month. For the weekly milk and bread my hubby stops after work.  We have been able to save much better this way.

How to stock on a budget? I know it seems impossible when you live payday to payday and if you’re anything like me most of the time the money is spent before the check is even cashed. Help is here. Anyone can do this!!
1- Determine your weekly grocery/household budget using the living or dying on a budget plan located on my site. Set aside a portion of that for stocking. (Ex. My budget allows for me to spend $150 per week on grocery/household items, of that amount I set aside $20.00 for stocking per week.)
2- Check for the weekly stocking item(s) on my home page. I update this every Sunday. (E-mail me if you need it sooner)
3- Visit couponmom.com for some excellent deals. I know coupons can be a pain the rear but if you can buy toothpaste for a quarter or shampoo for fifty cents it’s worth it. Start small, just focus on saving/coupon cutting the stocking items and not your total grocery list for now.
4- Now shop, save, build your stock and feel good knowing that you have 20 packages of HOT DOGS in the freezer to get you buy during those tight weeks.
Remember to only buy what you use and use it. This isn’t meant to be used as food storage. I am not to that point in my life where I will buy a 50lb can of rice or 5 gallons of dry milk either. But I do know what it’s like to have to fix Mac-n-cheese and HOT DOGS for breakfast because there’s no cereal left and payday isn’t for a few days.
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