Kroger’s chicken quarters are usually $7.99 (for @10), Lidl has sale of these bags on sale or $5.99.
We’ll use a price of 99¢ for a box of pasta and a jar/can of sauce (5 servings). Several times per year, you can probably bulk-buy pasta for 50¢ per box.
59¢ – chicken quarter
40¢ – pasta with sauce
35¢ – salad
10¢ – garlic bread
6¢ – iced tea (soda for 17¢)
2024 Update
Hot dogs are always on sale, so buy in bulk and freeze them. In May of 2024, Lidl had Bar S 12 oz. packs of 8 hot dogs on sale for 69¢ (9¢ per hot dog).
Look for deals on hot dogs, buns, baked beans and condiments before and after the Fourth of July, Memorial Day and Labor Day and stock up. What do stores do with all the hot dog and hamburger buns they don’t sell over the holidays? See the pictures below (hint: Kroger reduces their $1.79 hot dog buns to 25¢).
These were on sale at Kroger (about 15 packs available as they closed out) for 35¢!
You can substitute a soda or glass of milk, and/or add some baby carrots to this and keep it around $1.00 for the meal. Even if you go with the larger hot dogs, it’s still around $1.20.
Milk fluctuates week to week.
18¢ – 2 small hot dogs (14¢ for 2 large hot dogs pictured above)
32¢ – 2 larger hot dogs
13¢ – 2 hot dog buns* (manager’s special at 50¢)*
5¢ – 10¢ – 2 slices bread (full and sale prices)
25¢ – 50¢ – Kroger potato salad (half price mgr’s special/sale/coupon).
28¢ – 12 oz. glass of milk at $1.99 per gallon
17¢ – soda
8¢ – iced tea
17¢ – pickle slice
20¢ – potato chips
25¢ – tater tots (Walmart)
15¢ – ketchup and mustard
Bread is often on sale weekly in the “day old” section of the bakery. You should also shop for hot dog and hamburger buns right after Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day. I’ve seen them @25¢ for 8 buns and 22 slices of bread! – see pics below) Buy in bulk and freeze them.
click on images to enlarge
40¢ – 2 blueberry waffles
10¢ – syrup
83¢ – 2 eggs – price have gone WAY up since I did the prices on the photos (above). Add about 60¢ to the prices of these meals.
50¢ – 2 oz. ham steak
35¢ – 1/2 red grapefruit
12¢ – 1/2 banana
24¢ – 1/4 orange
49¢ – yogurt cup
24¢ – 12 oz. glass of milk
43¢ – 8 oz. glass of tomato juice
24¢ – 8 oz. grapefruit juice (4 oz. juice diluted with 4 oz. water to cut calorie and sugar.)
Orange juice varies – especially when there’s a weather problem. In May of 2024, Kroger’s cheapest orange juice (frozen concentrate) was 55¢ for an 8 oz. glass. Cut that in half with water and it’s 28¢.
I cut my juice in half with water to reduce calories and sugar. I priced this using generic grapefruit juice or Ocean Spray with the regular 60¢ coupon, then half a glass of juice and half a glass of water.
Oatmeal is one of the top Super Foods and something you should eat multiple times during the weak. And it’s cheap! Avoid the instant packets with fruit, brown sugar or cinnamon — the #2 listed ingredient is sugar.
13¢ – 1/2 cup oatmeal
13¢ – 1/2 banana or raisins
49¢ – yogurt cup
19¢ – 8 oz. glass of milk
38¢ – 8 oz. glass of grapefruit juice
59¢ – 1/2 grapefruit
5¢ – toast
Smart-shopping cost: 80¢
Publix regularly runs BOGO, bringing a box down to $1.35 – Aldi’s regular price! Zatarain’s box says 7 servings (it IS a pretty heavy dish), but I priced it at 5 servings per box.
You can frequently buy potato salad (and Cole slaw and pasta salad) at Kroger half price (manager’s special).
27¢ – beans and rice
15¢ – baby carrots
35¢ – potato salad
16¢ – corn bread
8¢ – iced tea
This gallery contains 5 photos.
#1 – spinach and mushroom quesadilla #2 – Mexican pizza #3 – black bean tacos with rice #4 – grilled, stuffed veggie burrito (fajitas peppers, onions, cheese) #5 – veggie quesadilla (fajitas peppers, onions, cheese) saffron yellow or brown rice One reason Tex-Mex is a bit expensive is because of the cost of fresh […]
69¢ – chicken quarter
18¢ – egg
20¢ – flour, honey
11¢ – mashed potatoes
19¢ – green beans
34¢ – 1/2 can of soup
35¢ – salad
16¢ – corn bread
8¢ – iced tea
Kroger and Lidl have bags of chicken quarters that contain 8 to 12 quarters, depending on size. They sell for $5.99 to $7.99. I used a price of $6.99 for 10 quarters (69¢ each).
22¢ – 2 tortillas
69¢ – chicken
29¢ – yellow saffron rice
20¢ – cheese
30¢ – refried beans (1/4 can)
40¢ – picante sauce
8¢ – 12 oz. glass iced tea