Graceful Little Honey Bee

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers & Sides
    • Breads
    • Breakfasts
    • Main Dishes
    • Slow Cooker
    • Instant Pot
    • Freezer Cooking
    • Desserts
    • Snacks
    • DIY Mixes
    • Preserving Food
    • Cooking Tips & Tricks
    • Meal Plans
  • Frugal Living
  • Simple Living
    • gardening
    • Preserving Food
    • Natural Remedies & Recipes
    • chickens
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

35 Frugal Recipes to Make When You’re Broke

May 4, 2015 by Missy Rakes 56 Comments

  • Yummly
  • Share

Check out this list of extremely frugal recipes to make when you're broke.

This post contains affiliate links.  See our Disclosure Policy for more information.

 

  It’s an extremely important skill to know how to feed your family quality food when the budget is tight. That’s why I’ve put together this list of simple, from scratch recipes that make the most of easy low-cost ingredients. These recipes are frugal, yet satisfying so check them out and see how to feed your family well when your wallet is empty.

 

  And if you are looking to save even more on your grocery bill then you will want to checkout IBOTTA and Checkout 51. I use these apps regularly to earn cash back on my groceries purchases such as milk and produce. No coupons needed. Now on to the frugal recipes!

 

CLICK TO VISIT MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL

 

35 Frugal Recipes to Make When You’re Broke

 

Breakfasts

Cinnamon Sugar Pancake Squares – Graceful Little Honey Bee

Amish Baked Oatmeal – Cooking Classy

Buttermilk Biscuits – Graceful Little Honey Bee

Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos – Frugality Gal

Egg Muffins – Graceful Little Honey Bee

Cinnamon Sugar Amish Bread – Redfly Creations

Banana Bread – Graceful Little Honey Bee

Cinnamon Sugar French Toast Sticks – Averie Cooks

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins – Graceful Little Honey Bee

Country Breakfast Bowls – Budget Bytes

 

Side Dishes

Basic Sautéed Cabbage – Graceful Little Honey Bee

Slow Cooker Honey Glazed Carrots – Fabulessly Frugal

English Muffin Bread – Graceful Little Honey Bee

Southwest Pasta Salad – Graceful Little Honey Bee

Crockpot Baked Sweet Potatoes – Graceful Little Honey Bee

Golden Skillet Potatoes – Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

45-Minute Yeast Rolls – Graceful Little Honey Bee

Crockpot Corn on the Cob – Recipes that Crock

 

Main Dishes

Super Simple Beans & Rice – Graceful Little Honey Bee

Baked Potato Bar – Money Wise Moms

Bean & Cheese Burritos – Graceful Little Honey Bee

Vegetable Soup – Cooking Classy

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup – Graceful Little Honey Bee

Tuna Salad Sandwich – Cincy Shopper

5 Meals from 1 Chicken – Graceful Little Honey Bee

Chicken Fried Rice – The Recipe Critic

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans – Graceful Little Honey Bee

One Pot Chicken and Potatoes – Let the Baking Begin

Southwest Chicken Casserole – Graceful Little Honey Bee

 

Desserts

Blackberry Jam Bars – Graceful Little Honey Bee

No Bake Cookies – The How to Crew

Freezer Apple Pie Filling – Graceful Little Honey Bee

Apple Cinnamon Rice Pudding – Mostly Homemade Mom

Amish Lemon Bars – Graceful Little Honey Bee

Cake Mix Sugar Cookies – Graceful Little Honey Bee

 

What’s your favorite frugal recipe? I’d love to know!

 

 

Other posts you might enjoy:

These inexpensive meal ideas will get you through when your wallet is empty!Here are 35 of the most frugal and relatively healthy foods that money can buy. Regularly menu planning around this list will help you to save money and stay within your budget.

Please consider sharing:

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Email
  • Print

Subscribe and Never Miss a Post!

Enter your email address to receive new recipes and frugal living tips each week!

  • Yummly
  • Share

Filed Under: Breakfasts, Cooking Tips & Tricks, Desserts, Easy Recipes, Frugal Living, Main Dishes

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Rebekah says

    May 4, 2015 at 11:45 pm

    I love this list of recipes you have posted. The way you categized them is a lot of help too.
    Reply
    • Missy Rakes says

      May 5, 2015 at 8:57 am

      I hope they help you Rebekah!
      Reply
  2. Leah Courtney says

    May 5, 2015 at 9:14 pm

    I love these lists! I feel like I've been in a meal rut lately. I need to try some of these to change things up. :-)
    Reply
    • Missy Rakes says

      May 6, 2015 at 8:13 am

      I hope you enjoy them. :)
      Reply
  3. Janeen says

    May 8, 2015 at 11:41 am

    ...or when you're not broke! I'll have to try some of these out. I was almost expecting 35 recipes based on beans and rice ;)
    Reply
  4. Lena @ WhatMommyDoes says

    May 9, 2015 at 9:05 am

    I LOVE this roundup! It's always good to have go-to cheap recipes in your back pocket. :)
    Reply
  5. Kelly Cox says

    May 9, 2015 at 7:44 pm

    These look great! I love to find new sides and recipes. Nice that some are slow cooker for a busier day. :)
    Reply
  6. Melissa French, The More With Less Mom says

    May 14, 2015 at 9:42 am

    This is great list. Thanks for posting. Hello from Thrifty Thursday.
    Reply
  7. Sue says

    May 16, 2015 at 8:30 pm

    Loved the crock pot sweetpotatoes... That is the best way to make them. .. Just delicious! I did use organic coconut oil instead of Pam but other than that they were just awesome. I also tried your baked oatmeal that was delicious as well. Such a great list.
    Reply
    • Missy Rakes says

      May 16, 2015 at 9:10 pm

      Thanks for stopping by and letting me know you enjoyed the recipes Sue!
      Reply
  8. Tracy says

    June 18, 2015 at 9:38 pm

    Thank you for these! I have a few suggestions. First, bake everything you can whenever the oven is on. Potatoes may bake slower at 325 than 350, but they'll still bake while the bread is in with them. Eggs "boil" better in the oven, and no need to waste water, so put them in, too, for egg salad, etc. It saves money over time. One of my favorite things is to save bones and vegetable peels for stock, which I then reduce to a demiglace and freeze. I break off what I need to use as broth, but it's great for flavoring pot pies, gravies, and everything else that needs a boost. It's like a bouillon cube without the salt and chemicals.
    Reply
  9. marseille says

    June 26, 2015 at 6:41 pm

    What? No spaghetti?! ;) This is an awesome list with real food!
    Reply
  10. PamO says

    July 2, 2015 at 6:59 pm

    One of my favorites from my childhood is Eggs and Potatoes. My mom would dice up potatoes, crispy them in a little oil and then pour scrambled eggs over the top. All of us loved it. Now that we're grown Mom points out that she only made it when the pantry was bare and there were still a few days until payday.
    Reply
    • Missy Rakes says

      July 3, 2015 at 7:36 am

      I feed this to my family all the time with diced ham and onions/bell peppers added.
      Reply
  11. Melissa says

    July 8, 2015 at 11:29 am

    One of my guys' favorite budget meal is fried potatoes with onions and smoked sausage with bbq sauce. If I have bell peppers I add them too, but good without them.
    Reply
  12. Frances says

    July 9, 2015 at 3:37 pm

    Your recipes sound really good my only problem is this. You have ingredients in some of your recipes that if a person is broke they wouldn't be able to make. When I'm broke it means nothing but the basic and bananas is not a basic In my home being broke means we only have the bare necessities beans rice maybe potatoes I don't think you really know what broke is how about putting recipes that real broke people can use thanks
    Reply
    • Missy Rakes says

      July 13, 2015 at 8:25 am

      Thank you for commenting. I'm sorry the recipes were not helpful for you.
      Reply
    • Bob says

      January 19, 2016 at 5:05 pm

      But using these recipes when you are NOT broke can help keep you from getting broke. Seriously, live like you are broke until you can get a $10,000 emergency fund built up. Then, anytime you have to dip into that fund, do it again until you get it back up to $10,000. Difficult? Yes. But far better than being hungry.
      Reply
      • Allison says

        October 24, 2017 at 9:13 am

        I don't think that's very realistic. When we get our SS and SSI, which is based on need, (SSDI disability is not available in my case , and I'm too young to collect SS for a few years.), Husband is too old for disability because he NW Michigan. Anyway, there's never enough to save anything. We get food stamps and medical care, at least for now, but that doesn't pay much for our mortgage, utility bills or plow our driveway, or pay for insurance or property taxes. In our rural area there aren't many resources to get much help. II'm disabled and still have to be caregiver, driver and all purpose homebody, so if that's not 'broke' then I wouldn't what 'broke' means. How are we supposed to live more frugally to save anything when we can't even afford what we are trying to handle already?
        Reply
    • Tejas Prairie Hen says

      August 16, 2016 at 11:30 am

      I agree that we need to learn how to cook as many dishes as possible that use only pantry-stable goods, like grains, dried beans, powdered milk for calcium and added protein, canned tomatoes for vitamin C. Long term buying of spices by the lb. is much cheaper than buying tiny bottles, and spices are what make meals using very simple ingredients taste very good. If you can't spend more than a few dollars on a main dish to nourish your family, you sure can't spend $10 on a dessert that provides sugary, cholesterol-laden, high-but-empty calories that are not good for our bodies. We need to relearn how to cook like our ancestors did in the 19th and early 20th centuries when food was never wasted, but re-invented all week, and often without any refrigeration.
      Reply
  13. Cynthia says

    July 23, 2015 at 3:47 pm

    My favorite frugal recipe has always been potato soup with some kind of sausage. I prefer kielbasa but it's not critical. The problem is, it's only super-frugal when you buy the sausage when it's on sale (preferably code dated and popped in the freezer immediately), then when milk is at its lowest (or heavy cream is code dated), go for it! Of course when I use cream, I use far less than I would if it were milk. My "recipe." Soak potatoes in warm water. Cut up an onion (size depends on how much you like onion). Slice sausage into 1/4 to 1/2" pieces. Saute together in a pan large enough to hold as much soup as you intend to make in a little oil (or bacon grease if you're so inclined). Remember that the sausage will give off grease so you just need enough to keep the onions from sticking while it gets started. When the sausage pieces are nicely browned, remove them from the pan. Don't worry about how many onions you take out or leave behind. It all ends up back in the soup. Scrub potatoes with an abrasive scrubby to get them as clean as possible. Cut into relatively bite-sized pieces. Add potatoes and as little water as necessary into pan in which the onion was sauteed. The water really needs to be pretty close to the top of the potatoes but don't cover them. Cook until the potatoes are very tender. Mix flour with some of the milk/cream. I generally go with approximately a tablespoon per approximate cup of liquids. This is guesswork but if it's not thick enough when you're done, you can either mix more flour with milk or water or you can make a slurry of cornstarch and milk. It mixes more easily. Add the thickener and milk or cream. As I said earlier, if it's cream, I use lots less than if it's milk. Milk is generally about half milk, half water. Cream is however much you want to add. It makes a much creamier soup. Once you have all the liquid in (you don't have to have it all hot yet), either stick an immersion blender in there for just long enough to leave about half the potatoes in chunks. If you don't have an immersion blender, either put about half of it in a blender or food processor (probably in batches) or go low tech and just use a potato masher. As soon as the soup has heated through and the flour or other starch has had a chance to thicken it up a bit, stir in the sausage and enjoy. As you can see, you can use more or less of just about everything. Feel free to use a real recipe for the potato soup and just add browned sausage (actually, bacon and ham work quite well, too). Oh, that's the other thing I make. If you or a friend make ham with a bone, make sure one of you uses it. I went to a friend's house for Easter and she was going to throw away the bone and the drippings. The drippings are amazing for seasoning navy bean soup, split pea soup, well, just about anything you would put ham in. I divide it into seasoning-sized packets and freeze for future use.
    Reply
    • Missy Rakes says

      July 24, 2015 at 7:37 am

      Thank you for sharing Cynthia!
      Reply
  14. Robin says

    July 28, 2015 at 1:50 am

    Your recipes sound nice. But chicken is a complete luxury item, certainly not for when you are broke! :-) I barely buy it when I'm not broke! I have found that a nice red lentil chlli is very cheap and filling.
    Reply
    • MaryAnn says

      October 8, 2015 at 8:46 pm

      I just got 8 pounds of chicken at safeway for $16
      Reply
  15. Lynna says

    July 29, 2015 at 2:21 pm

    I'd like to add that soup is just about the ultimate "broke" meal! It's a great way to use up veggies that are maybe a little past their prime, or animal bits that most Americans wouldn't normally consider. We're fortunate to live very near an Asian market, and you can get a huge bag of chicken bones (with plenty of meat left on them) for about $2. You can also get pork or beef bones for cheap, or fish heads. Admittedly these things aren't good for much other than soup, but once they're boiled down they make great broths and stocks to freeze. You can get meals for a week for under $10 if you play your cards right (and don't mind eating soup every meal,heh).
    Reply
    • Missy Rakes says

      July 29, 2015 at 9:14 pm

      I agree. Soup is an awesome budget stretcher.
      Reply
    • Annie says

      December 29, 2017 at 7:33 pm

      Bone broth is one of the most healthy things we can consume. You are fortunate to have such a great resource for bones! Beef Marrow bones are $4 per pound at my grocery.
      Reply
  16. Karen says

    January 6, 2016 at 9:33 pm

    Cheap and versatile dinner recipe: Mexican: 1 can tomatoes broken up (mushy). Slosh of salsa or just hot sauce or chilli flakes - something spicy Ground cumin if you have it Chopped onion Take above and cook on medium heat in skillet to sauce consistency. Be sure you have some kind of lid for the skillet or just use a large plate or tin foil. When sauce is thickened. carefully break in as many eggs you need to feed. Put lid on skillet and turn down heat a bit. Lift lid periodically to check that eggs are done to your liking (I like done whites and runny yolks). Grate some cheese if you have it and sprinkle on eggs to melt (put the lid back on). Spoon out eggs with sauce onto rice in bowls and serve. Any Mexican go-alongs are great if you have them - for example, corn chips. Italian version: Same as above but use prepared pasta sauce or canned tomatoes with Italian seasoning (oregano, garlic) to recipe above. Proceed as above. Serve over pasta. Cheap and cheerful and tasty. Sorry it's not an exact recipe but if you have to cook frugal, you probably already know how to improvise.
    Reply
    • Missy Rakes says

      January 6, 2016 at 9:56 pm

      Thank you for sharing Karen! It sounds tasty.
      Reply
  17. Melody says

    January 16, 2016 at 7:22 pm

    I saw this post at the perfect time. We've got too much month left at the end of our money, but a freezer full of chicken, so I copied all these recipes into a document and am going to have my family pick out a few for me to make to tide us over until payday. Thank you!
    Reply
    • Missy Rakes says

      January 16, 2016 at 11:11 pm

      I hope you enjoy them Melody! You can do a lot with chicken!
      Reply
  18. [email protected] says

    January 31, 2016 at 8:40 am

    I love your list! especially the Main Dishes :) I shared it on Pinterest.
    Reply
  19. Carol Jensen says

    February 5, 2016 at 11:26 am

    I use an old 30 cup electric coffee pot, fill with corn on the cob and water. Sometimes I leave the basket out, put the lid on and turn it on. When the light comes on showing that the coffee is brewed, means the corn is done. Other times I leave the basket in and cook other veggies. Quick, easy, stove top clear for other cooking, and you don't have to keep an eye on it.
    Reply
  20. Angela says

    June 1, 2016 at 5:24 pm

    My fav is German Quick 4 cans green beans 1 lb skinless smoked sausage Chopped onion Chunked potatoes Oil Minced garlic or garlic powder Salt and pepper Sauté onion and garlic, throw in sausage to brown, toss in potatoes. Top with green beans in their juice. Being to a simmer. Simmer 6-8 minutes until potatoes are soft. Easy, fast and cheap. We like it with either homemade hush puppies or fried cornbread. You're gonna thank me for this. ;)
    Reply
    • Missy Rakes says

      June 2, 2016 at 8:44 am

      Thanks for the recipe!
      Reply
    • Jenny Anderson says

      January 7, 2017 at 9:28 pm

      Thank you! I know my fam will love this. Similar to weight watchers chicken gumbo that they love. www.yourgardensanctuary.com
      Reply
  21. Jessie says

    July 6, 2016 at 4:01 am

    I'm definitely trying these recipes out. Thanks for sharing.
    Reply
  22. Linda J. Hawkins says

    July 30, 2016 at 10:42 am

    LOVE YOUR work! GOD BLESS!
    Reply
  23. Diane says

    September 10, 2016 at 7:29 pm

    I will certainly be trying some of these recipes!!!
    Reply
  24. Alison at NOVA Frugal Family says

    September 16, 2016 at 8:10 pm

    Just found your blog today and already made the Cinnamon Amish bread today!!! Amazing!!! It was really great and used things I already had around the house. Super easy to pull together and I love your list. I can't wait to check out the rest of your blog :)
    Reply
  25. Shay says

    November 9, 2016 at 8:33 pm

    We like German/hootenanny/puff pancakes. 1/3 cup butter in a 9x13 in the oven while it preheats to 375. Mix 9 eggs, 1 1/2 cup milk, 1 1/2 cups flour, tsp salt. Add into hot pan with melted butter when oven is done preheating. Serve with jam, syrup or powdered sugar.
    Reply
    • Missy Rakes says

      November 11, 2016 at 3:39 pm

      Sounds delicious!
      Reply
  26. Heather says

    May 5, 2018 at 11:17 am

    I couldn't find the chicken teriyaki recipe would really love to have it
    Reply
    • Missy Rakes says

      May 12, 2018 at 9:28 am

      https://www.gracefullittlehoneybee.com/slow-cooker-honey-garlic-chicken-legs/ Hope this helps!
      Reply
  27. Hilda says

    August 31, 2018 at 10:10 am

    Missy, thanks for sharing. And thank you for being a gracious poster.
    Reply
  28. Melody Bold says

    September 7, 2018 at 2:06 pm

    I LOVE this! I use it almost every week and everything has been very tasty. We are perpetually on the thin edge of being broke. For example, this last paycheck didn't even cover all the bills and mortgage, so I was not able to get any groceries to tide us over for the next 2.5 weeks. So...I went shopping in my freezer and pantry and put together a menu that will feed our family of 6 until the next paycheck arrives!
    Reply
    • Missy Rakes says

      September 8, 2018 at 2:23 pm

      Very inspiring Melody! I'm glad you enjoy the recipes.
      Reply
  29. karl says

    September 11, 2018 at 7:09 am

    some great ideas and always looking for ways to be thrifty
    Reply
  30. Melanie L Dugan says

    September 28, 2018 at 11:30 am

    My favorite frugal recipe is Rice pancakes. It is a great way to use up leftover rice and takes ingredients that costs pennies. It can be found on my website at moreabundantdaily.com
    Reply
Newer Comments »

Welcome, I'm Missy and I'd love to help you cook from scratch, save money and live a more simple and abundant life. Click the buttons below to follow along on social media and get to know me better. Have a lovely day!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Popular Content

Slow Cooker Sausage and Potato Casserole
How to Make Bread Machine White Bread
15 Cheap Pantry Meals with 4-Ingredients or Less (FREE PRINTABLE!)
25 Old-Fashioned Recipes Your Grandma Knew By Heart
10 Bible Verses About Trusting God
The BEST Ham and Swiss Sliders Recipe

archives

categories

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

search

categories

archives

Copyright ©2023, Graceful Little Honey Bee. All Rights Reserved. Custom design by Pixel Me Designs