Cheap meals for under $5-
Sometimes I like to make canned chili (it usually takes 2-3 cans here) and rice. My kids love it!

ALso, the breakfast idea is great but eggs get getting higher and higher here

mmmm...i love buttered noodles...i add i pinch of dried parsley too!

stuffed green bell peppers are a fav at our house

2 pack green bell pepper ( unless in is from our garden)- $0.99
brown rice- 0.99
1/2 pd ground turkey-0.99 pound
can of diced toms- 0.69
spices- from our garden
yum-o

Tacos or tostados I make the beans from dried beans

We also love beans and cornbread with salsa and fresh cut onion

Breakfast for dinner

Tortillia roll-ups with lunchmeat

Salad with veggies and hard boiled eggs

I am sure that there is more I will have to think about this one.

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Beans N Weenies Casserole

28 oz. Baked Beans .94
Pkg of Hotdogs 1.75
Pkg of Cornbread mix .34

Heat oven to 375 degrees, empty can of beans into 9X13 casserole dish, cover with sliced up hotdogs, then mix cornbread as directed and put that on top! Not the healthiest dish, but if you're in a pinch financially, easy pleasy!

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Chicken tacos, mmm....

2 chicken breasts sliced thinly, cooked in frying pan til no longer pink. Can of tomatoes and taco seasoning (not from a packet, too expensive) cook til not runny. Serve rolled in soft tortilla shells with salsa, shredded Cheddar and lettuce (if you have it).

Chicken - $2
can of tomatoes - $1
taco seasoning - nothing (usually have all spices on hand anyways)
tortilla shells - $1.50
salsa - maybe $.50 for how much you use of a jar
cheese - $.75 for how much you use of a block

Obviously if you go out and buy everything at once it will be more than $5, but if you have spices, salsa, cheese and tomatoes on hand like most people do its not so bad.

Brown beef in a skillet, season with s/p and worchestshire. (1.99 on sale) Boil half a box of leftover pasta (.67 on sale) (shells work good) add a box of frozen chooped cauliflower (.99 cents) to the pasta water. Drain. Mix some grated cheese (1.67 on sale) in the beef until it melts. Add the pasta and cauliflower.

So I am .32 cents over, but you only need half a box of pasta!

spanish rice and beef
1 box spanish rice .99
1lb ground beef 1.99
1 can diced tomatoes .65
cook the rice according to pkg directions, add cooked beef when you simmer the rice.
serve with salad or corn

chicken gravy over mashed potatoes
1 small whole chicken $2.50(on sale)
2 cans gravy $1.50
4 potatoes(???not much)
Boil chicken until done separate the meat off bone
place in sauce pan with 2 cans gravy cook until heated
make mashed potatoes, serve chicken gravy over mashed potatoes
serve with salad or brocolli on the side

mac and cheese with peas and tuna
1 box mac and cheese .99
1 can tuna .99
1 can peas .75
make mac and cheese, nuke peas, add tuna and peas to mac and cheese, stir

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Goals for 2008:
Pay off all credit card debt
Establish savings of $1000+

Baked potatoes, topped with whatever you have on hand. I like brocoli and cheese

Sloppy joes- my recipe is in the main dishes section

Chicken brocoli alfredo. Buy the generic noodle alfredo mix (67cents at Aldi) add cooked chicken breast and cooked brocoli. My family loves this!!! Of course I use 3 mixes of noodles at a time

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~Happiness is a large family~

A few of my under $5 meals

Mac & Cheese (.59)
Veggie from the garden (.00)

Package of Hot dogs (.99)
Buns (.20) (day old bread shop)
Veggies from the garden (.00)

1 pound ground turkey (.89)
1 box noodles (.69)
1/2 bag corn (.50)
1 package gravey (.69)

1 pound spag noodles (.69)
1/2 pound ground beef (1.00)
1 jar tomato sauce like Ragu, etc. on sale with coupon (1.00)

1 pound of liver (1.99)
1 onion (??)
1 package gravey (.69)
2 pound potatoes mashed (.00) from the garden

1 soup bone (.50)
water (00)
hand full of noodles (.20)
veggies from garden (.00)
spices

This are just some

My favorites when my grocery budget is tiny are:

Beans & Rice (I don't make it from scratch, I buy Zatarains, usually with a coupon)

Enhanced Lipton Noodle Soup- I buy the generic boxes from Target for 69 cents and add a 1/2 bag of extra fine egg noodles. The kids and husband love this! I use 2 full boxes of soup mix and make some of the 25 cent canned biscuits with it and dinner costs under $3.00. If I have some leftover chicken meat or veggies in the fridge, I'll add some of them too (celery and carrots chopped thin).

We also love egg noodles with butter and parmesan. I usually serve rolls and a bag of broccoli with this.

Sometimes we'll make a rice a roni meal (3 full boxes!). The family loves the cheese and broccoli version.

Tacos, Hamburgers, and Goulash make a great triple combo. I buy:

(1) 3lb package of ground beef - $6.00
Lettuce: $1.50
Tomato (3): $1.50
Shredded Cheddar Cheese: $1.50 (store brand)
Taco Seasoning- 50 cents
Taco Shells- $1.00 (Target Brand)
Taco Sauce- $.67 ($1.99 large bottle lasts average of 3 taco meals)
Hamburger Buns - $.99 (store brand)
Bush's Baked Beans - $.99
Spaghetti Sauce- .99 (store brand)
Rotini Pasta (1 Lb) - .69 (store brand)

The first night I make tacos with 1lb of the meat. I try to save a small amount of the cheese for the burgers the next day. The next day, I make Cheeseburgers or Hamburgers with lettuce and tomato slices. I serve some Bush's baked beans with them to make the meal more substantial. The third day, I make the goulash using the last pound of beef (or even less if I used too much for the burgers), a jar of spaghetti sauce and the rotini noodles. I take the leftover tomato and lettuce and fix a nice salad out of them. All three meals are kind of fun and the family loves them. Sometimes in the winter, I'll get some kidney beans and canned tomatoes and make chili in the crockpot for the third meal.