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We’re on to week 2 in my Money Saving Meals series, where weโre bringing you a month of detailed budget meal plans so you donโt have to do the thinking of โwhatโs for dinnerโ every evening.
You will find everything you need to follow for an easy, flavour-packed and healthy ease into the New Year – including a full FREE shopping list, additional notes and a breakdown of cost.

On these cold days of January, thereโs one thing we need, and that’s hearty and delicious home cooked food that doesn’t break the bank – right?!
I got you my friends!
This is the SECOND budget meal plan in our Money Saving Meals series, where we bring 4 weeks of family friendly midweek dinners that tick all the boxes. Here is the first of my budget meal plans if you haven’t seen it yet.
About this budget meal plan
We have concentrated here on bringing you a collection of recipes that strike a balance of prioritising price and value, while also making sure you get:
โญ๏ธ A full meal for 4 people
โญ๏ธ A balanced plate of carbs, protein and vegetables
โญ๏ธ A variety of ingredients and dishes
Things to note
โก๏ธ You may want to add some side dishes to some of these recipes, which we will outline in the notes below
โก๏ธ Please be aware that any suggested sides have been added to the shopping list but are NOT included in the costings breakdown
โก๏ธ Iโll be sharing this meal plan on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, so watch out for the videos so you can cook along.
For reference, I shopped for this Meal Plan in December 2023 at Aldi and it cost ยฃ35.40
Why use a budget meal plan?
โญ๏ธ Knowing exactly what food to buy for avoids food waste, saving you money
โญ๏ธ Having a plan for dinner avoids the mental load of โwhatโs for dinner?โ question every night
You can find more Meal Plans here:
Meal Plan 26 – Slow Cooker Saviours
Meal Plan 25 – Easy Midweek Winners
Meal Plan 24 – 5 Brand New Recipes
Some tips for using a budget meal plan:
โก๏ธ Check for any items on the shopping list that you already have in your cupboard
โก๏ธ Maybe think about doubling up and freezing a recipe or two where the recipes are suitable, so save cooking another day or for the weekend
โก๏ธ Remove ingredients for any meals that you don’t want to cook
โก๏ธ The shopping list includes the cheapest version of each ingredient. Obviously if you want to buy lower fat mince or free range etc, that’s personal choice
โก๏ธ All of the recipes are to serve 4, so if youโre cooking for 2, simply halve the ingredients
Budget Meal Plan: The recipes
Dinner 1
โญ๏ธ Cost: ยฃ1.88 per portion
โญ๏ธ Serving suggestion: Homemade chips or jacket potatoes and salad (ingredients for these are already on the shopping list)

Halloumi Burger {15 Minute Meal}
Dinner 2
โญ๏ธ Cost: ยฃ1.11 per portion
โญ๏ธ This recipes uses 250g of soft cheese, but Aldi sells in 200g packs. This quantity will be absolutely fine, add a little pasta water to the dish if you would like a saucier dish
โญ๏ธ We’ve added garden peas to the shopping list rather than petit pois as they are a little cheaper, but choose whichever you have or prefer
โญ๏ธ We’ve bought a bag of red onions for all of the week’s recipes, so use these instead of white

Cream Cheese Pasta {10 Minute Meal}
Dinner 3
โญ๏ธ Cost: ยฃ1.90 per portion
โญ๏ธ Serving suggestion: Rice (included on the shopping list)
โญ๏ธ Brand new slow cooker recipe!
โญ๏ธ We’ve bought a bag of red onions for all of the week’s recipes, so use these instead of white

Beef Goulash {Slow Cooker or Oven Recipe}
Dinner 4
โญ๏ธ Cost: ยฃ1.29 per portion
โญ๏ธ Complete meal in 10 minutes – no need for sides
โญ๏ธ We’ve bought a bag of red onions for all of the week’s recipes, so use these instead of white

Spinach and Ricotta Baked Tortellini Lasagne {10 Minute Meal}
Dinner 5
โญ๏ธ Cost: ยฃ1.35 per portion
โญ๏ธ All in one meal โ no need for extra sides
โญ๏ธ We’ve bought a bag of red onions for all of the week’s recipes, so use these instead of white

Chicken Fried Rice {Easy Fakeaway}
Quick reminder, the printable shopping list can be found here.
If you’ve found this useful, let’s be friends on Instagram @tamingtwins
Please remember, all prices included in this meal plan are correct at the time of writing, but are subject to change.
This post was originally published on January 12, 2024 and updated later to make improvements.
















I want you to know just how important this site is especially the budget meals. You truly are an amazing person and the resources you have provided are so valuable to me and Iโm sure to plenty of other people!! You are a credit to your family.
Thank you x 1000 โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
I made the Mexican chicken rice one pot dish for tea last night. Delicious. Easy and quick to make
You are amazing and the recipes I’ve used so far have been a hit with all the family
Thank you, these budget meal plans have been an absolute Godsend!