A $64.94 weekly dinner plan for a family of 4
Short answer: seven dinners for four people can cost about $64.94 a week, or $2.32 a plate, at average US grocery prices (November 2026). Here is the plan, its 42-item grocery list and how to spend less.
We built this week from BudgetBite's catalog: the cheapest well-tested dinners that need only a stove or oven, with no protein and no cuisine more than twice, and the quickest ones early in the week.
The week
| Day | Dinner | Time | Cost for 4 | Per serving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Veggie Fried Rice | 10 min | $7.51 | $1.88 |
| Tuesday | Spaghetti Aglio e Olio | 12 min | $4.51 | $1.13 |
| Wednesday | Ham & Bean Skillet | 15 min | $11.17 | $2.79 |
| Thursday | American Goulash | 25 min | $8.59 | $2.15 |
| Friday | Chicken Parmesan | 25 min | $11.71 | $2.93 |
| Saturday | Lemon Garlic Chicken | 32 min | $11.48 | $2.87 |
| Sunday | Baked Ziti | 35 min | $9.97 | $2.49 |
| Week | 7 dinners, 28 servings | $64.94 | $2.32 | |
The grocery list
One list for all seven dinners. Prices are for the amount each recipe uses, so a bottle of oil costs more at the till but lasts for weeks.
Dairy
- mozzarella cheese, shredded$4.49
- Parmesan cheese, grated$2.62
- cheddar cheese, shredded$1.97
- ricotta cheese$1.82
Meat, fish & eggs
- Chicken drumsticks$6.75
- Diced ham$4.80
- boneless chicken breasts$3.74
- ground beef (85/15)$3.23
- ground beef$2.10
- Eggs$1.80
- large eggs$0.82
- large egg$0.29
Other
- elbow macaroni$0.60
Pantry
- marinara sauce$3.26
- White beans$2.80
- cooked rice$2.40
- Spaghetti$2.36
- Olive oil$1.80
- ziti pasta$0.91
- Soy sauce$0.60
- tomato sauce$0.56
- Chicken broth$0.53
- beef broth$0.45
- Vegetable oil$0.43
- plain breadcrumbs$0.40
- Peperoncino (red chilli flakes)$0.30
- Apple cider vinegar$0.08
- all-purpose flour$0.06
- kosher salt$0.03
- Salt$0.01
- Italian seasoning$0.01
- dried Italian seasoning$0.01
Produce
- Green beans$2.80
- Kale$2.60
- Frozen peas & carrots$2.50
- Garlic$1.20
- diced tomatoes$1.02
- Lemon$1.00
- Parsley$0.80
- yellow onion, diced$0.56
- garlic cloves, minced$0.30
- Black pepper$0.13
How to spend less
- Shop your pantry first. Oil, salt, spices, rice and pasta are already in most kitchens.
- Buy the same protein twice. A family pack of chicken thighs is cheaper per pound, and two dinners can share it.
- Swap the priciest dinner for a bean or egg dinner from our cheap vegetarian list.
- Cook seven, eat eight. Make a full batch on Sunday and pack the leftovers for Monday's lunch.
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Prices are estimates of average US grocery costs and vary by store and region. Updated 2026-11-08.