Feed A Family Of 4 For $200 Per Month Without Aldi Or Coupons! (2024)

Here is a sample meal plan and shopping list showing how to feed a family of 4 for just $200 per month without using coupons and without shopping at Aldi, since there is no Aldi near me. I used actual store prices from current store ads when preparing this plan.

Feed A Family Of 4 For $200 A Month Without Aldi Or Coupons!

PLEASE NOTE: When I originally wrote this post, it was possible to feed a family of 4 frugally for just $150 a month, but the inflation in 2023 has caused prices to increase about 40%, so it is now about $200 per month.

I have changed the post to reflect the current total amount of $200, but I have not changed the prices of the individual items listed below. The individual items will cost 40% more than the amounts I have listed below.

Here is a meal plan for 4 people.These are the basic items and I would say it is a good plan for 2 adults and 2 kids, not teens. If you want more food for teens, then add several more batches of homemade oatmeal muffins and a few more chicken thighs for meat servings.

This is the VERY frugal plan if you need to keep your prices very low. While it is possible to keep your budget down to $200 per month, you may be OK with a spending slightly higher amount. The main point is that most people can save a lot on groceries by re-thinking how they buy food. While you don’t have to follow this plan exactly, I hope it’ll give you some good ideas with specific examples of what we eat and how much I paid for the food.

In 2024, if you don’t need to be super frugal, I estimate that a reasonable amount to spend per month for food is about $100 per month per adult, which is easily doable.

I created this meal plan using my local ads, without coupons and without having Aldi available.(I would definitely shop Aldi if it were available.) I usedall of the basic grocery savings principlesand the recipes are from ourDining On A Dime Cookbooks.

I shopped at my local Kroger store (King Soopers), Walmart, Sprouts and Lucky’s Market.

This meal plan assumes that you already have some things on handlike spices, condiments and basic baking ingredients like flour, sugar and baking powder. You will note that my shopping list is under $150 ($200 in 2024). That because I am assuming you will need to fill in with a few things as the month goes, so this allows for you to get the extra itemsyou need.

If you don’t have a freezerto freeze some things, like the chicken or bread, just buy those items on the week that you need them.

Feed A Family Of 4 For $200 For 1 Month

Note: 2024 prices are about 40% more than the itemized prices below. The $200 total is correct for 2024.

• Chicken thighs – 20 lbs. for $17.00
• 3 lbs. hamburger – $9.00
• 3 boxes taco shells – $3
• 2 packages tostada shells – $4
• Corn tortillas- $3.68 for 80
• Lettuce- $2

• 3 Tomatoes- $1.50
• 1 package Cheddar cheese- $2
• 2 cans green chiles – $1.56
• 1 jalapeno – $.10
• 4 boxes macaroni and cheese – $2.00
• 2 cans tomato sauce – $1.00
• 4 packages frozen mixed veggies – $4
• 4 canned biscuits – $2
• 2 cans spagetti sauce – $2
• 2 packages Mozzarella cheese – $4
• 1 package American cheese slices – $3
• 2 packages spagetti- $2
• Rice- $2.32
• 4 lbs. cabbage – $2

• 5 cucumbers – $2.40
• 2 bags carrots – $3.00
• 4 dozen eggs – $4
• Milk – $1.99
• 2 Jars peanut butter – $4
• 1 pkg. 12 pack ramen – $2
• 4 loaves bread- $3.20 .80 each
• 3 packs oatmeal – $6 ($2 each)
• 6 lbs. apples @ $.88 lb. – $5.28
• 6 lbs. bananas- $3.00
• Microwave popcorn- $5 for 24 bags
• 1 bottle syrup- $2
• 1 package animal crackers $2.64
• 1 pack margarine- $2
• Kool aid – (off brand) $1 for 4
• 1 baking cocoa – $3
• 2 cake mixes – $2
• 2 cans frosting – $2
• 1 box graham crackers – $2
• 5 lbs. potatoes – $2.27
• 2 cans canned chili – $2
• 2 onions- $1
• 2 packs lunch meat – $4
• 2 cans black beans – $1
• 1 box raisins – $2

Breakfast

Scrambled Eggsand Toast

Oatmealwith or without raisins

Granolawith or without raisins

Muffinswith or without raisins

Pancakes

Lunches

Egg Salad

Peanut Butter and Jelly

Sandwiches grilled cheese, Peanut butter and jelly and deli meat

Ramen

Leftovers(Check outDining On a Dime Cookbook Volume 1 for Index of Recipes Using Leftovers.)

Dinners

Chicken tacos

Black beantostadas

Green chile

Chicken and noodles

Hamburger casserole

Honey BakedChickenand rice

Chicken pot piewith canned biscuits

Homemade Pizza

Enchiladas

Spaghetti

Fried Rice

Hamburger soup

Baked potatoeswith chili

Sides

Cole Slaw

Sopapillas

Chips– Homemade

Sliced Veggies

Sliced Fruit

Roasted or Grilled Veggies

Snacks

Muffinswith or without raisins

Popcorn

Oatmeal Cookies Leave out Chocolate Chips

Animal Crackers

Apples withpeanut butter

Bananas

Desserts

Peanut butter cookies

PopsiclesUse Kool-aid to make homemade popsicles

Brownies

No bake fudge cookies

Cakes or Cupcakes

Graham Crackers with PB

For more ways to feed a family of 4 for $200 a month, check out our cookbooks:

Save Money On Groceries And Make Meals Easier! (Sale Up To 50% Off!)