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This budget-friendly meal plan covers a week's worth of dinners for four adults, coming in at under £28 in total. All the recipes are flexible too, so you can swap in different ingredients to make the most out of leftovers and supermarket deals, as well as appease picky eaters.

More budget meal inspiration

• Budget meal plan for six
• Budget vegetarian meal plan for four
• Budget recipes and advice

How we costed our recipes

We have stuck to a strict ingredient budget of £7 per person for the week, which averages out at just under £1 per portion.

We’ve based most of our costs on the smallest available pack size, meaning even if you don’t use a whole jar or packet, the entire cost is still included in the budget.

Meanwhile, store cupboard items like oil, salt, pasta and rice are costed according to the quantity you use, as they tend to have long shelf lives or be purchased regularly as part of a standard family shop.

The recipes

Day 1: Beany quesadillas

A Tex Mex-style supper in under 20 minutes, these cheesy chilli pockets are easy to assemble and bake quickly in the oven rather than one at a time in a pan (though you can follow the recipe tips to cook them on the hob if you prefer). Any leftovers can be eaten cold the next day or reheated in the microwave.

Day 2: Easy roast chicken and vegetables

A fast family roast with gravy that’s designed to be economical but delicious. It’s almost all cooked in one roasting tin in the oven, so you’ll be saving washing up and using your hob less, too. If your roasting tin isn’t large enough to hold the chicken and vegetables in a single layer, use two tins instead.

Day 3: Creamy chicken and rice

An easy risotto-style dish that uses cheaper long grain rice instead of short grain arborio rice. Add the stock all in one go at the beginning for a hands-off dinner that can cook while you get on with other things. Use leftover chicken from yesterday's roast and any frozen or cooked vegetables you like.

Day 4: Egg and bacon hash

Eggs and bacon make a great standby supper, but if you cook them with potatoes to make a hash they become a proper meal. This is a handy dish to cook if you have boiled or roast potatoes leftover from another meal.

Day 5: One pan pasta bolognese

A brilliantly easy one-pan budget bolognese that simmers at the same time as the pasta. Using lentils means you need less mince, which not only helps to cut costs but also reduces the dish's saturated fat and adds fibre.

Day 6: Sticky sausage and potato traybake

Sweet and sticky sausages with colourful roasted veg makes for a brilliant all-in-one traybake that the whole family will love. Use whichever sausages you prefer and choose your largest oven tray so that everything fits in and cooks evenly.

Day 7: Tuna and sweetcorn pasta

An easy family favourite that incorporates healthy fish within a tight budget. Use your favourite pasta shapes and feel free to add alternative frozen, fresh or tinned vegetables too.

Shopping list

Fruit and vegetables
□ 300g/10½oz cherry tomatoes
□ 4–5 medium onions
□ 2.25kg/5 lb potatoes
□ 4 medium carrots
□ 2 medium parsnips
□ 1 large red pepper
□ 1 lime

Meat and fish
□ 1 small whole chicken (around 1.3kg/2lb 14oz)
□ 3–4 rashers smoked bacon
□ 250g/9oz minced beef
□ 8 pork sausages

Dairy, eggs and chilled
□ 275g/9¾oz cheddar
□ 4 medium eggs
□ 200g tub full-fat soft cheese

Tins, packets and jars
□ 400g mixed beans in chilli sauce
□ 400g tin red kidney beans in water
□ 400g tin green lentils
□ 400g tin chopped tomatoes
□ 2 x 400g tins baked beans
□ 145g tin tuna chunks
□ 250g/9oz long grain rice
□ 550g/1lb 4oz pasta shapes (ideally 250g/9oz penne and 300g/10½oz pasta shells)

Cooking ingredients
□ 140ml/¼ pint vegetable oil
□ 2 chicken stock cube
□ 1 beef stock cube
□ 3 tbsp runny honey
□ ½ tsp dried mixed herbs
□ ¼–½ tsp dried chilli flakes
□ 2 tbsp plain flour
□ salt and ground black pepper

Frozen
□ 350g/12 oz frozen sweetcorn
□ 300g/10½ oz frozen peas

Condiments
□ ½ tsp soy sauce (preferably dark)
□ 3 tbsp tomato ketchup
□ 4–5 tsp wholegrain mustard

Other
□ 8 regular flour tortillas

First published October 2022. Prices updated in November 2023.