Simple Dinner Ideas (that will definitely save you money!)

I've got some yummy dinner ideas to share with you today.  They're all easy and don't take a ton of time to prepare.  I also have some fun tips for you to ensure you eat up all the leftovers in your fridge.  Tip #3 and #5 will probably save you the most money.  Tips #1, #7 and #8 are some of my very favorite recipes of all time.

Enjoy!

1. My number one requested food item is still - Crusty Bread.  My whole family loves it and I'm still in shock that it's just 4 ingredients and so simple.  It really tastes like a gourmet food item.  You can find the recipe for 4 Ingredient Crusty Bread here.  A loaf of crusty bread in a bakery costs $4-6 and it costs me under $1 to make this at home.

2. Teriyaki Chicken, Veggies & Rice

I love the 6 packs of cooked chicken breasts at Sams for just under $10.  They're delicious and 3 feed our whole family making it just $5 a dinner for chicken.  I slice it, heat it up in a skillet, sautee frozen veggie mix, boil in a bag rice and add teriyaki sauce to the chicken and veggies.  Much cheaper than takeout.

3. Fancy Salads

A really nice steakhouse in town serves the best salads.  It's very pricey to go there by the time you add up your meal, tip and a babysitter.  I have started making this salad at home for the feel of a fancy meal at a much lower price.  Spinach, mandarin oranges, feta, purple onion, pepper and balsamic dressing.

3. Eat at Home (even when you don't want to)

It's much easier to run through a drive through, but all those trips really add up.  I made soup and grilled cheese for lunch one day to use up the groceries we had instead of getting fast food.  It was good and really didn't take that long.

4. Breakfast at home.

It'll be much cheaper than eating out and it's a quick dinner option.  My whole family loves this meal any time of day.  My usual combo is waffles, scrambled eggs, sausage/bacon and fruit.

5. Don't Forget About Your Leftovers

Mix leftovers and new food to come up with a fresh meal.

I have a designated zone in my fridge to keep leftovers.  It's right up front where I see it all the time.  I eat leftovers for lunch and incorporate them into our dinners.  Both options save us money.  Here's a great way to eat up leftover pizza.  We had 3 slices of pizza left.  It wasn't enough to feed the whole family so I made two quick naan flatbread pizzas (taco pizza w taco leftovers and pesto pizza).  I sliced everything up and added a yummy kale salad mix.  We finished up two leftovers - tacos from taco night and pizza from pizza night, added in some new things - pesto pizza & salad to make the meal seem new again.

6. Sourdough Bread

I make sourdough bread most Mondays and crusty bread another day during the week.  Both are great additions to dinner.  I incorporate them into my meal plans.  We had grilled chicken, grilled onions, kale/quinoa mix from Aldi, leftover potato salad and homemade bread.  Yum!

7. French Dip Sandwiches

My husband and I love these sandwiches.  I've been using this French Dip Recipe since 2015.  It's a family favorite.  I change up sides every time we have it.  I served it with roasted red potatoes and onions, berries & kale salad this month.

8. Hamburger Stew

I shared this recipe earlier in the week and it's SO good!  You really have to give it a try now that it's soup season.  You can find the recipe here - Hamburger Stew

Which one of these would be the easiest for you to implement?