Five budget-friendly family dinners under $20 each — simple ingredients, less food waste and meals your family will genuinely enjoy eating.
The biggest savings in our house rarely come from buying the cheapest ingredients. They come from choosing dinners that actually make sense for real life – meals that use accessible supermarket ingredients, make the most of what you already have at home and don’t require buying five specialty products for one recipe.
When dinner feels expensive, complicated or overwhelming, takeaway suddenly becomes very tempting. These five dinners help me avoid that. They’re affordable, realistic for busy weeknights and, most importantly, they’re meals my family genuinely enjoys eating.
This week’s menu includes Chicken Rissoles, Drunken Noodles, Stuffed Pita Arayes, Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup and Korean Beef Rice Bowls. Simple ingredients, less waste and dinners that actually get made – that’s always the goal in my kitchen.
Why You’ll Love These Dinners
- Family-friendly meals that actually get eaten
- Budget-conscious without feeling like “budget food”
- Made with accessible supermarket ingredients
- Minimal food waste and pantry leftovers
- Realistic for busy weeknights
- Less temptation to order takeaway
- Plenty of flavour without complicated cooking
Baked Chicken Rissoles
Drunken Noodles
Stuffed Pita (Arayes)
Creamy Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup
