Meal Plan for a Family of Four for £50
Do you think is is possible to feed your family for £50 for a week for all meal? Because, I think it is, but it does take a little planning before you shop. This one came in a little over £50. You can download the PDF to see the prices and total.
In this post, I’ve made a simple family meal plan, with a shopping list, the prices I paid in Aldi UK in July 2026, and hints and tips for making the ingredients stretch across the week, while sticking to your budget. However, this meal plan is not overly complicated with recipes. In fact you don’t need any recipes as such. 3 reasons why a simple meal plan is helpful when on a budget are as follows:
- Many people haven’t got the time to get into recipes because they are so busy working. However, they can wing a tasty meal with the seasoning and ingredients they have in the house.
- The second reason is that money is tight and a full set of recipes would require you to go out and potentially buy many ingredients and that would take us over the £50 budget amount.
- Moreover, this meal plan can serve as template for you to get creative with depending on your own tastes if you prefer to use it like that. I encourage you to use the meal plan in this post along with the things you already have at home and adjust this meal plan to suit your tastes.
If you are interested in some recipe ideas, go here on my website to find out more.
What We’ll Cover In This Post.
This post contains:
- A free PDF-A link directly to your free £50 meal plan and shopping lists.
- The meal plan outline.
- Shopping lists. One with my prices & one without for you to use.
- The meal plan containing meals for a family of four for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- Tips to help you stick to the grocery budget.
Additionally, if you want to get learn more about saving money on food I have created a free guide, How to Build a Stockpile With £10 a Week. Pop your email address below and I will send it straight to your inbox.
The Free PDF Link
I have created a free PDF with the meal plan and shopping list with prices. You’ll note that I have not added the prices onto your shopping list because they could be different depending on where you are shopping, even it is the same supermarket chain. However, I have also included my shopping list with my prices for you to compare. You can add those in yourself if you wish.
- Shopping list sample with the prices I paid at my local Aldi-Free PFD
- Shopping list template for you to use-FREE FDF
- 7 Day Meal Plan Sheet-FREE PDF
An Outline Of What The Plan Includes
Assumptions
This plan assumes you already have a few basic cupboard items, such as oil, salt, pepper, stock cubes, herbs, spices and a few sauces. If you are starting from an empty kitchen, use the same meal ideas but allow extra budget for those basics in week one. I am making these assumptions as these are all items that you buy once but can use for many weeks or in some cases, months. In addition, I am also assuming you can use tap water for drinks and that you have various teas, coffees or other beverages in your kitchen already.
Simplicity & Cooking From Scratch
This meal plan is built around lower cost staples such as frozen vegetables, tinned food, affordable protein and meals that use ingredients more than once. Saving money on groceries often comes down to cooking from scratch with simple foods. If you have flavourings and sauces hidden away in your cupboards, this week is the time to use them up as it is often the flavourings you add to ordinary food that helps to make your homemade meals special.
Shopping Lists
You’ll find two shopping lists in your PDF download. 1 is the list of prices that I found in my local Aldi and if I needed to shop elsewhere those prices are there too along with the name of the shop. The shopping list has the foods listed however the price area is empty. If you want to use this shopping list you have three options, 1) print it out 2) use an annotations app like Good Notes and import the PDF to digitally write on it or 3) use it as inspiration for your own note book or notes app and just jot down the list foods there. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you have your list with you when you shop to keep you on track.
The Meal Plan
The meal plan is a good starting point for those tight weeks. Or, if you are like us, it will be a way of life to try to save money on groceries so we can use the money for something else like saving for a house. This meal plan has a fixed suggestion for every meal. There is likely enough food in this shop for several snacks too and for leftovers. For this reason, I encourage you to move meals around to accommodate your leftovers. For example, if there is some dinner left over, and you’re home the next day, bake a potato, reheat some of the leftovers, add some cheese on top and there you go! Some of the food you would have used in that days lunch meal plan can be rolled over to another day. Everyone does not have to have the same food for all meals.
I would be interested to hear how you adjusted this meal plan to suit your families needs. Pop over to TikTok or YouTube and share your ideas in the comments with the community.
The £50 Shopping List
I’m going to start with the shopping list. For the purposes of comparison I have added the prices I paid in our Aldi here for you to see and compare to.
The Meal Plan Details
In this section I will explain how we will use and stretch our food to make it last the 7 days. Before we get into the detail of the plan, here are some of my essential tips for sticking to your meal plan and budget.
Tips for meal planning on a budget-This will be useful with the £50 meal plan!
- Firstly, adopt a zero food waste approach. Refuse to throw food in the bin. Find a way to use it and if you find you are left with leftover food on plates night after night, reduce portions.
- Prioritise leftovers. If there are leftovers from dinner, store them in the fridge for lunches or dinners later in the week. Plan who will eat them and on what day by writing that into your meal plan.
- Be flexible. If you have lots of an ingredient available, don’t be afraid to get creative and make something different than planned as long as you are not using up other ingredients you’ll need for a later meal.
Breakfasts
|
Day |
Breakfast |
How to make it |
Food used |
|
Monday |
Strawberry yoghurt porridge with banana |
Make a large pan of porridge with milk. Serve it on topped with yogurt and sliced bananas. |
Porridge oats as wanted, milk as needed, half the strawberry yoghurt, 2 bananas |
|
Tuesday |
Cereal with milk and apple slices |
Serve cereal with milk and slice apples alongside. |
Around half the cereal box, milk as needed, 2 apples |
|
Wednesday |
Boiled eggs and toast |
Boil eggs. Adults have 2 eggs and 2 slices of toast each. Children have 2 eggs and 2 slices of toast each if they like but reduce accordingly.* |
8 eggs, 8 slices bread* if kids want less reduce and use later in the week |
|
Thursday |
Beans on toast |
Heat two tins of beans. Give everyone two slices of toast if wanted and divide the beans between four bowls or plates. Sprinkle a bit of cheese on top if preferred, just keep an eye on portions for later meals! |
2 tins baked beans, 8 slices bread |
|
Friday |
Apple and strawberry overnight oats |
PREP THURSDAY NIGHT: Grate two apples into a large bowl. Stir in oats, milk and the remaining yoghurt. Divide into four pots, cover and chill overnight for Friday morning. |
Porridge oats as wanted, milk as needed, half pot of strawberry yoghurt, 2 apples |
|
Saturday |
Bacon and egg sandwiches |
Make sandwiches with 2 rashers bacon & 1 egg each. |
8 rashers bacon, 4 eggs, 8 slices bread |
|
Sunday |
Cereal with milk and bananas |
Use the remaining cereal, milk and bananas. |
Remaining half of cereal box, milk as needed, remaining bananas |
What We Used From The Shopping List: Breakfast
|
Item |
Total used |
|
Eggs |
12 eggs |
|
Bread |
24 slices |
|
Baked beans |
2 tins |
|
Bacon |
8 rashers |
|
Strawberry yoghurt |
Full large pot |
|
Apples |
4 apples |
|
Bananas |
All bananas |
|
Cereal |
1 full box |
|
Porridge oats |
Used twice, amount flexible |
|
Milk |
Used across porridge, cereal and overnight oats |
Lunches
|
Day |
Lunch |
How to make it |
Food used |
|
Monday |
Egg salad sandwiches |
Boil 6 eggs and chop them with lettuce, tomato and onion. Mix with mayonnaise, salad cream or another dressing you like. Use the mixture to make sandwiches for everyone. |
6 eggs, 8 slices bread, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayonnaise or salad cream |
|
Tuesday |
Cheese toasties |
Fill bread with grated cheddar, mozzarella or a mixture of both. Toast in a pan, sandwich maker or under the grill. |
8 slices bread, around 200g cheese |
|
Wednesday |
Veggie pasta with cheese |
Cook the full bag of pasta with a jar of pasta sauce, onions and frozen vegetables. Make a large batch and save half for Friday. Add a little grated cheese when serving. |
500g pasta, 1 jar pasta sauce, onion, frozen vegetables, around 100g cheese |
|
Thursday |
Chicken salad sandwiches |
Cook around 300g chicken breast earlier in the week. Slice or chop it with lettuce, tomato and onion. Mix with mayonnaise, salad cream or dressing, then make sandwiches. |
300g chicken breast, 8 slices bread, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayonnaise or salad cream |
|
Friday |
Leftover veggie pasta with cheese |
Reheat the second half of Wednesday’s pasta. Add salt, black pepper, herbs or chilli flakes if wanted, then top with a little cheese. |
Remaining half of veggie pasta, around 100g cheese |
|
Saturday |
Chicken and vegetable omelette |
Use the remaining cooked chicken, eggs, onion and plenty of frozen vegetables. Cook in a large pan and serve with toast, chips or salad if wanted. |
6 eggs, remaining cooked chicken, onion, frozen vegetables, optional bread, chips or salad |
|
Sunday |
Cheese toasties |
Make another round of toasties. Add tomato, bacon, chicken or extra cheese if there is any left and the family wants to use it up. |
8 slices bread, around 200g cheese, optional extras |
What We Used From The Shopping List: Lunches
|
Item |
Total used |
|
Eggs |
12 eggs |
|
Bread |
32 slices |
|
Chicken breast |
Around 300g |
|
Pasta |
500g |
|
Pasta sauce |
1 jar |
|
Cheese |
Around 600g, plus any optional extras |
|
Lettuce |
Used in Monday and Thursday sandwiches |
|
Tomatoes |
Used in Monday and Thursday sandwiches, with any remaining available for Sunday toasties |
|
Onion |
Used in egg salad, veggie pasta, chicken sandwiches and omelette |
|
Frozen vegetables |
Used in veggie pasta and omelette |
Dinners
|
Day |
Dinner |
How to make it |
Food used |
|
Monday |
Chicken curry and rice |
Cook around half of the remaining chicken with onion, carrots and frozen vegetables. Add curry sauce and serve with rice. Cook extra rice at the same time for Tuesday’s fried rice. |
Around 350g chicken breast, onion, carrots, frozen vegetables, 1 jar curry sauce, rice |
|
Tuesday |
Chicken fried rice |
Use the cooked rice from Monday. Cook the remaining chicken with onion and frozen vegetables, then stir through the rice. Add eggs if you have any spare, plus soy sauce, Chinese five spice, sweet chilli sauce or other seasonings you already have. Serve with prawn crackers if you have them. |
Around 350g chicken breast, cooked rice, onion, frozen vegetables, optional eggs and cupboard seasonings |
|
Wednesday |
Spaghetti bolognese with mozzarella |
Brown the pork and beef mince with onion, garlic or garlic powder if you have it. Add pasta sauce, passata, tomato purée, tomatoes and extra vegetables if wanted. Make a large double batch. Serve half with pasta and mozzarella, then save half for Thursday. |
1 pack pork and beef mince, onion, pasta sauce, passata, tomato purée, optional tomatoes and vegetables, 500g pasta, grated mozzarella |
|
Thursday |
Baked potatoes with bolognese and cheese |
Bake or microwave four large potatoes, or use two smaller potatoes per person. Reheat the reserved bolognese and spoon over the potatoes. Finish with grated cheddar or mozzarella. Keep enough potatoes for Sunday dinner. |
Around 4 large potatoes, reserved bolognese, cheddar or mozzarella |
|
Friday |
Pizza and chips |
Cook pizzas and frozen chips in the oven. Serve with dips, salad or any small leftovers if you want to use them up. Add mozzarella or tomato slices if they are spare. |
3 pizzas, frozen chips, optional salad, tomatoes, mozzarella and cupboard dips |
|
Saturday |
Sausage, bean and cheese wraps with chips |
Cook and slice the six sausages. Warm through with two tins of baked beans. Divide between four wraps, add cheese, fold and toast under the grill until crisp. Serve with chips. |
6 sausages, 2 tins baked beans, 4 wraps, cheddar or mozzarella, frozen chips |
|
Sunday |
Sausage roast with vegetables and Yorkshire puddings |
Roast or mash potatoes. Cook the remaining sausages, carrots and peas or frozen vegetables. Serve with Yorkshire puddings and gravy if you have it. |
10 sausages, potatoes, carrots, peas or frozen vegetables, Yorkshire puddings, optional gravy |
What We Used From The Shopping List: Lunches
|
Item |
Total used |
|
Chicken breast |
Around 700g |
|
Pork and beef mince |
1 pack |
|
Frozen sausages |
16 sausages |
|
Rice |
Used across Monday and Tuesday |
|
Pasta |
500g |
|
Pasta sauce |
Used in spaghetti bolognaise |
|
Curry sauce |
1 jar |
|
Baked beans |
2 tins |
|
Wraps |
4 wraps |
|
Pizzas |
3 pizzas |
|
Potatoes |
Used Thursday and Sunday, with some available for other meals |
|
Cheese |
Used across spaghetti bolognaise, baked potatoes and wraps |
|
Frozen chips |
Used Friday and Saturday |
|
Carrots, onions and frozen vegetables |
Used across Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday |
6 Tips On How To Keep Your Grocery Shopping Near £50
- Firstly, price your shopping list before you go and keep that list with you as you shop with the prices on it! This will allow you to swap things if you prefer while still keeping in budget.
- Secondly, choose one supermarket where possible. Shopping in several places can make it harder to track spending and increases the chance of extra purchases. If you are very disciplined though, this is likely the best way to get the best price overall.
- Third, build your meals around the fruit and vegetables that are cheapest that week. Aldi’s Super 6 changes regularly, so it is worth checking what is on offer before deciding whether broccoli, peppers, cauliflower, apples or another option goes into your plan.
- The fourth tip, use frozen vegetables alongside fresh vegetables. Frozen peas, sweetcorn and mixed vegetables are useful because they can be used a handful at a time and are less likely to be wasted. There is absolutely nothing wrong with frozen vegetables.
- Coming in at no. 5, choose meals that overlap. Things like onions, carrots, potatoes, cheese, frozen vegetables and tinned foods can appear in several meals across the week. Just plan ahead and make sure you store left over ingredients properly!
- Finally, plan one or two meals around leftovers. This gives you some breathing room if portions are larger than expected or plans change. This can also be a great money saver. If the fridge is full of leftovers there is no point in cooking a new dinner. Move that dinner to another night and have a leftovers buffet.
A Note on Prices
In conclusion, A £50 meal plan will be different depending on where you shop, the age of your children, dietary needs and what you already have at home. This one came in a little over the budget but not enough to worry about. It may not cover every household item, packed lunch extra or treat for every family but it should keep bellies full for a week though, especially if you are trying to save some money.
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