This is a 7-day Aldi meal plan for the whole family
If you’re having trouble feeding your family for less, then below you will find an easy to follow cheap family shopping list and meal, which includes a £17 meal plan and shopping list.
You don’t have to stick to it, but by just using a budget meal planner like this once a month, you could be saving your family around £90 a month easy. But if you need any financial help, not just with your food, then you can go online to see what MaxCash Title Loans can do for you!
If you are looking for more budget saving meals then have a look at:
The Ultimate £1 Per Head Budget Meal Planning List – If you are looking for £1 a meals that are easy to make then look at this post here. It’s our full list of meals that we cook ourselves to save money.
£18 a Week Food Budget Shopping List UK – This is an £18 a week meal plan and shopping list. It’s not for every week but for when you are on a very limited budget.
The Best Fakeaway Recipes For Under £1 a Head – This is our huge list of budget fakeaways that you can make from home. They all come in at under £1 a head for four people and help take that craving for a takeaway away.
How do I plan a meal for a month on a budget?
It is really easy to plan your meals as a family. Start by writing down your dinners for every evening. These do not need to be set in stone and can be swapped around but basically, these are the meals you will be eating that month.
Then, add it lunches and breakfast. Don’t be scared to use leftovers from your meals for lunch as this can really save you money.
Our other tips for meal plannign for a month are:
1. Write a list
Plan what you’re going to eat and stick to it as much as you can. You can swap and change meals around, so as long as everything is eaten, it doesn’t matter when it’s used.
A list or meal plan just stops you going crazy at the supermarket!
Use our 101 Aldi Recipes That Will Give You Dinner Ideas For Tonight list for some inspiration.
If you’re still stuck for ideas, have a look below and join The Resource Vault for FREE, where you can download pre-made meal plans and shopping lists, plus get plain templates you can use, so the whole family can see what you’re making.
2. Know what is it your kitchen
Check the cupboards and the fridge before you go shopping. Is there anything you could use for next week? Is there anything in your freezer that could go with a meal? Any leftovers that need to be used?
Incorporate all these into your meal plan to bring the price down. Can you make a meal out of what you have? That’s a few less things to buy.
Use our post here called Store Cupboard Meals: 41 Store Cupboard Recipes to Try to help you think of meal cupboard meals.
3. Use your slow cooker
Having a slow cooker to hand means that you can cook loads of meals while you are out. You can also make bulk out slow cooker meals easily with cans of kidney beans or baked beans.
Don’t worry if you’ve never cooked before or need homecare help. These are really easy recipes that you can chuck in and leave until you are ready to eat.
Have a look at our 31 Aldi Slow Cooker Recipes For The Whole Family that has loads of ideas.
If you don’t own a slow cooker then we use this one, which is a Morphy Richards Slow Cooker Sear and Stew 460012 3.5L Black Slowcooker*.
4. Buy frozen
Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as good for you as their fresh counterparts. Everything can be bought frozen, from pineapples and strawberries to peppers and mushrooms. We also buy all our meat frozen as well. it means that meat like chicken breasts can be taken out as and when you need them.
5. Waste as little as possible
Easier said than done with kids, but by being really strict, you can reduce what goes into the bin.
Anything that goes on your shopping list needs to have a meal allocated to it.
If your kids don’t eat much, then try serving everything all together and getting the kids to pick how much they want.
They can always come back for seconds, but it means you can freeze whatever isn’t eaten for another time.
6. Have a meat free day
On weeks’ things are really tight, leave out meat. Eat Vegetarian. Swap all your favourite meals for veggie ones. Try veggie stir fry, fajitas or a Spaghetti Bolognese all meat free. It still tastes lush, but costs almost half as much to make.
Have a look at our 31 Cheap Vegetarian Meals That Are Under £1 a Head meals here.
7. Go down a brand
Wherever you shop, there’s always a cheaper level of food. Start from the bottom and work your way up. If you don’t like the cheapest version, then go one up and try that. Chances are, with most products, the family won’t even be able to tell the difference.
8. Use cashback sites
It’s always best to check the cashback websites before you go shopping anyway. They offer loads of deals and you can really get money off by using them!
Our favourites are:
OhMyDosh – OhMyDosh is really to use and free! Search it before you shop for anything to see how much money you could get back.
Use our link here and get £1* added to your account for free!
Read our review here of OhMyDosh and what we think about them.
Quidco – Is great for getting the family treats at really low prices. Anything goes from takeaways to days out.
Sign up here free using our link.
Swagbucks – Another great site that’s easy to use. You can also earn money by filling out surveys and watching videos.
Use our link here to join for free.
Does meal planning save money?
Yes, as it means you know exactly what you are going to eat and means that you are less likely to end up panic-buying random stuff at the supermarket or ordering a takeaway.
We all know that meal planning takes time, but by sitting down and firguring out your lunches and dinners, and making a shopping list, can save you money.
At the end of the day, it’s all about finding a system that works for you and trying to stick to it.
Is Aldi really cheaper?
In my experience, the answer is a resounding yes. I have shopped at Aldi for over ten years now and have foudn that I can consistently save money on my weekly shop. Their own-brand products are usually a fraction of the price of the big name brands, without skimping on the quality. And they’ve got some real gems hidden amongst the middle aisle as well.
It’s true that they don’t have the same massive selection of brands as the bigger supermarkets, but it is actually a blessing in disguise. Less choice means less temptation to overspend.
Free Resources
Come join our free Resource Vault that is packed full of over 20 money saving printables that you can download as many times as you like.
Everything is included from meal plans to shopping lists and other budget ideas.
Join our Free Resource Vault here.
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Can you cook from scratch just using Aldi?
Yes you can! Cooking from scratch can not only save you money and stop you reaching for the takeaway menu, but its also fun!
You can use as many tins and frozen food as you like and still whip up a really great tasting meal.
We have cooked all the recipes below just using Aldi ingredients which include:
Vegan Tacos
Are you ready to spice up your taco nights with a delicious vegan twist? Let’s dive into a mouth-watering vegan tacos recipe that will satisfy your cravings and impress your taste buds. Get ready to create a plant-based masterpiece that is sure to become a new favourite in your recipe collection.
Epic Vegan Tacos Recipe For Under £1 a Head
Chicken Fajitas
This is a simple family meal that everyone can help themselves too. It takes very little time to cook which we think is a plus. As you can see, it’s really cheap per person too so having this on rotation on the meal plan can really help save you money off your food bill.
Easy Chicken Fajita Recipe: A Family Meal for 94p a Person
Spaghetti Bolognese
This is the best family-friendly spaghetti bolognese recipe that can be made in the slow cooker or in a wok or deep pan. It’s really easy for beginners to cook and can be made in advance if you are short of time.
Low Cost & Healthy Slow Cooked Traditional Spaghetti Bolognese 97p a head
Chilli Con Carne
If you are looking for a simple Chilli Con Carne recipe that is also cheap then this is for you. The one thing we love about this recipe is that a lot of the ingredients are kitchen staples so you can rustle this up quickly if you need too.
Beginner Chilli Con Carne Recipe for Just 95p a Head
Vegan Shepherds Pie
This family recipe is perfect for those nights that you need your family to eat something healthy or even a meal to bulk out when guests come to dinner.
Vegan Shepherd’s Pie For Just 82p Per Portion
Spaghetti Meatballs
This meatball recipe includes making homemade meatballs and the sauce yourself. Please don’t be put off! It’s really simple to do and tastes so much better then the shop brought version.
Spaghetti Meatball Recipe For 73p a Head
Homemade Beef Burgers
Who doesn’t love a good homemade beef burger? It’s the ultimate comfort food that you can easily whip up in your own kitchen. Forget about those fast-food joints – making your own beef burgers is where it’s at!
Really Easy Homemade Beef Burgers For Under £1 a Head
Chicken Korma
What we love about this curry is that you can cook it in the slow cooker as well if you are short of time. It is a perfect curry recipe for those busy nights when you want to cook something healthy for the kids but don’t know what to cook.
An Easy Chicken Korma Recipe for Under £1 a Head
KFC Fakeaway Southern Fried Chicken
This southern fried chicken recipe is succulent and so easy to make that it will become your go-to favourite dinner pretty quickly. This is the ultimate in comfort food joy!
The Best Southern Fried Chicken Recipe For Under £1 a Head
101 Aldi Recipes That Will Give You Dinner Ideas For Tonight – This post will help you to fill up your meal plan for less.
49 Aldi Slow Cooker Recipes For The Whole Family – We love our slow cooker. All these meals are easy to cook and you can pre-plan by adding the ingredients to the freezer the night before.
These dinner recipes can help you save money on your meals and could be swapped in from the meal plan below.
Money Saving Challenge
If you are struggling to save money then come join our free six-week money saving challenge. It’s a free email course that gets sent to you weekly.
Come join our free Money Saving Challenge here
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About the Aldi budget meal plan
Our meal plan below is a low budget idea for a family of four for a week. We have used this ourselves on weeks when money is very tight.
You can swap and change out the meals below wirh the ones above if you prefer them. This is just an example of what we eat in a week.
Pantry Staples
Pantry staples are the unsung heroes that will have your back when you’re in a pinch and need to whip up a quick meal.
We make sure we have these in our cupboard or freezer at all times in case an emergency comes and we need to use them.
Our pantry staples are:
- olive oil
- brown rice
- tinned chickpeas
- light soy sauce
- Plain flour which is great for making preety much anything.
- tinned tomatoes
- tomato puree
- peanut butter
- brown pasta
- chicken or vegetable stock
- yeast extract
- bread
- green pesto
- butter
- milk
- bread
- eggs
- tin coconut milk
The great thing about Aldi is that all their own products are not only cheap to buy but taste amazing.
We don’t buy any prepared food as we find it a lot cheaper to make our own. No need to buy a pre-made lasgna or curry when you can use our recipes to make it yourself for under a pound per person.
We buy all our fruits and vegetables frozen so we can use them when we need them. They are all pre-cut so saves time on prep.
All our chicken breasts or mince are bought frozen and seperated so they can be used when we need them.
You really will notice the price of your shopping drop once you start shopping at Aldi.
The Aldi Recipes
You can download this meal plan and shopping list in our Resource Vault which is free to access or please feel free to pin it to your Pinterest boards.
Monday
Breakfast – Egg muffins
These egg muffins are really easy to make and are great for lunch boxes. They are super cheap and you can add anything to them. All you do is mix the ingredients up and then oven cook them for 20 minutes on 180 degrees.
3 eggs
40g cheese
Lunch – Pesto Pasta
All these vegetables can be grilled can be quickly grilled and mixed in with the green pesto and spaghetti. This makes a great and easy family dinner when you are in a rush.
210g pasta
100g frozen vegetables
65g tomatoes
75g green pesto
Dinner – Slow Cooker Peanut Chicken
This Peanut Chicken is really easy to make. It takes 10 minutes to make and can be put into the slow cooker and takes about 4 hours.
Start by cutting the chicken into chucks and add it to the slow cooker. Then add the rest of the ingredients and set our slow cooker to medium.
When you are ready to serve, cook the rice in a pan for about 20 minutes or until the rice is soft.
3 chicken breasts,
100g frozen onions,
2 garlic cloves,
200g frozen mixed peppers,
200g frozen carrots,
120g Peanut Butter,
1 tbsp cornflour,
2 tbsp lemon juice,
2 tbsp soy sauce,
1 tbsp curry powder,
1 tbsp chilli flakes,
400ml tin tomatoes,
300g wholemeal rice.
Tuesday
Breakfast – Beans on toast
Lunch – Sweet Potato Carrot Soup
This sweet potato carrot soup recipe is really easy to make and is great for weekend lunches. Everything you need should be in your cupboard or freezer.
Read how we make our Sweet Potato Carrot Soup Recipe here.
The roasted sweet potatoes taste really nice in this soup.
500g chopped and cubed sweet potatoes,
400g tin or frozen carrots,
3 tbsp olive oil,
100g frozen onion
2 garlic cloves,
1L vegetable stock,
100ml tin coconut milk,
10g pinch chilli flakes.
Dinner – Chicken and Pepper Pasta
This creamy pasta recipe is great for the whole family. It uses only frozen vegetables and chicken so is really cheap to make.
Read how to make our Easy Creamy Chicken and Pepper Pasta here.
100g soft cheese,
125g Wholemeal pasta,
125g Frozen peppers,
125g Cherry tomatoes,
10g Garlic,
400g Frozen chicken breasts.
Wednesday
Breakfast – Omelette
You can add loads to this basic omelette recipe. You can add cheese, herbs, and mushrooms.
3 eggs
1 tsp sunflower oil
1 tsp butter.
Lunch – Pesto Pasta
See above
Dinner – Chickpea Curry
This is a really easy chickpea curry that is perfect for the whole family. It costs under £1 a head for 4 people and you can use all your cupboard staples with it including tins of chickpeas, tomatoes, and loads of ground spices.
Make our chickpea curry recipe here.
Cook time for this simple chickpea curry is about 20 minutes depending on how you like your chickpeas. We like ours really soft so tend to wait until the liquid has reduced quite a lot. If you like your curry spicy then you could add some curry powder or red pepper. To help make this creamy you could add yogurt as well as coconut milk. You could also add a dash of lime juice. If you are using the slow cooker then we would suggest you make the paste as below and then add everything to the slow cooker. Put it on high heat for 6 – 8 hours as the liquid does need to reduce.
For the paste:
2 tbsp oil
100g frozen onion
5g dried chilli
9 garlic cloves
5g ground ginger
5g ground coriander
7g ground cumin
5g garam masala
10g tomato purée
For the curry:
2 x 400g tin chickpeas
400g tin canned tomatoes
100g tin coconut milk
100g spinach (optional)
250g rice.
Start by making the paste. Add the oil then fry off over medium heat with the onion and chilli flakes until the onion is clear. This is when you want to put the rice on as per the packet instructions. Whizz up the garlic cloves, ginger, coriander, cumin, garam masala, tomato purée, and salt.
Once it’s turned into a smooth paste, add it to the pan. Stirring occasionally will help the paste not stick to the pan or wok. Drain the chickpeas and add them and the chopped tomatoes to the pan. Turn the heat down and simmer for 5 minutes. This will help all the liquid to reduce down. If you like your curry creamy, then add the coconut milk and keep reducing it down for another 5-10 minutes. When the curry is ready, add the spinach.
Thursday
Breakfast – Eggless pancakes
This eggless recipe makes 10 pancakes which can be frozen then grilled back to warm. They take about 5 minutes to make and about 2 minutes to cook.
Read how we make The Best Eggless Pancakes Recipe Ever here.
150g self-raising flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 spoonfuls of maple syrup, or granulated sugar
2 tablespoons oil, melted
250ml milk.
Lunch – Eggy Bread
This is a quick and easy for the whole family. We griddle pan ours on high heat once the egg is mixture is on the bread. Bread 14p 4 eggs 32p Total: 46p that’s 11p per person.
Dinner – Bacon and Cheese Pasta
This bacon and cheese pasta is my little one’s favourite dinner. She’d eat this every night if we let her, and I have to say, at just £3.41 for the four of us, this is a bargain!
Mushrooms
Cheddar cheese
Bacon
Pasta,
Onion,
Garlic.
Friday
Breakfast – Beans on toast
Lunch – Sweet Potato Carrot Soup
See above
Dinner – Sweet and Sour Chicken
This easy to make sweet and sour chicken recipe is perfect if you have friends coming over. Make a huge batch with brown rice and add as many vegetables as you like!
Here’s how we make our sweet and sour chicken recipe here.
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts,
1 x 425g can pineapple chunks in natural juice,
2 tbsp cornflour,
½ tsp dried chilli flakes,
2 tbsp dark soy sauce,
2 tbsp tomato puree,
1 medium onion,
300g frozen peppers,
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed.
Saturday
Breakfast – Eggless pancakes
See above
Lunch – Egg muffins
See above
Dinner – Homemade pizza
This is an easy quick weekend night dinner. You can make the dough in the morning or straight away as it doesn’t need to sit. We use plain flour, dried yeast, and some water to make the dough.
375g plain flour,
1 teaspoon salt,
1 tablespoon caster sugar,
7g dried active baking yeast,
225ml warm water,
100g cheese 85p,
400g chopped tomatoes,
400g frozen mushrooms.
Sunday
Breakfast – Omelette
Lunch – Beans on toast
Dinner – Mushroom Risotto
This cheap vegan mushroom risotto does take 25 minutes to cook but it’s worth the wait.
1 vegetable stock cube,
2 tbsp olive oil,
100g onion,
10g garlic cloves,
250g pack chestnut mushrooms,
300g rice,
25g butter,
5g dried parsley.
Aldi meal plan shopping list
You will need for the above meals:
1kg sweet potatoes £1.20
200g soft cheese £1.20
750g mature cheese £4.25
650g frozen mushrooms £1.40
600g frozen chicken £3.90
432g tin pineapple chucks 89p
650g frozen onion £1.45
600g frozen peppers £1.60
340g peanut butter £1.09
250g cherry tomatoes 69p
Total: £17.67p for four people for the whole week! (Prices correct at time of publication)
I really hope this meal plan and shopping list has helped you save money this week.
Laura x
If you enjoyed this post and would like some more family friendly budget recipes or meal plan ideas, then head over to the budget food section here on Savings 4 Savvy Mums where you’ll find over 30 cheap posts dedicated to helping you cook and shop wiser for less. There’s enough tips to help you save over £300 a month! You could also pop over and follow my family food Pinterest boards for lots more ideas on how to eat well and spend less; Family Meal Plans on a Budget, Budget Family Meals & Budget Slimming World Recipes for Families.
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Anita
Sunday 4th of August 2019
Loved the ideas. Brilliant