We all spend a fair portion of our salary on food. And, if you don’t find ways to budget for what you eat, the grocery bill can start to get out of control. Fast.

One of the best ways to manage grocery spending is by planning what you eat.

How? With a 7-day budget meal plan.

 

7-day budget meal plan for South Africans

A 7-day budget meal plan is a list of affordable meals to eat throughout the week from Sunday to Saturday. Planning budget-meals helps South Africans reduce spending and save money on groceries each week.

Helpful budget meal planning tips include:

• Start every 7-day plan on the same day (e.g. Sunday)
• Shop the day before (e.g. Saturday)
• Use the same ingredients for more than one meal
• Cook in bulk and freeze meals ahead of time
• Get smart with leftovers
• Buy veggie alternatives instead of meats
• Buy frozen foods
• Buy store brands

 

Keep those tips in mind. We’ll tell you how to use them in a second.

 

 

Planning a 7-day budget meal plan

To plan a 7-day budget meal plan, set aside time each week for your planning. Every Saturday morning, for example. Plan your meals and check what you already have in your fridge, freezer, and cupboard. Use any ingredients that are about to expire and plan meals around affordable foods or on-sale grocery items. 

To make it budget-friendly, choose recipes that use the same ingredients for multiple meals. It also helps to focus on plant-based and frozen food options. These tend to be cheaper than meats and fresh vegetables. 

⭐ Related content:

• How to drop your grocery bill (meals under R100)
• The 3 Best savings challenges in South Africa (try it out)

 

Now, let’s look at budget breakfast, lunch, and dinner options you could add to your meal plan.

(Oh, and remember… Everyone has their own budget. Use the options that suit yours.)

 

Breakfast

Breakfast sets the tone for the day. Start it on a budget. Another thing that’s great about breakfast is that most people don’t mind eating the same breakfast each morning. This means finding an affordable breakfast to eat every day will already make a huge difference in your grocery spend.

Or, if you like, you can try fasting and skip breakfast altogether. It’s up to you.

Budget-friendly breakfast ideas:

1. Maize porridge: A cheap and filling traditional option.
2. Plain oats: A nutritious and affordable staple.
3. Futurelife cereal mixed with maize or oats: Stretch servings by mixing with cheaper ingredients.
4. Eggs on toast: A protein-packed, simple meal.
5. Avocado on toast: Provides healthy fats and is affordable when in season.
6. Frozen fruit smoothies: Use frozen fruits as a nutritious and cost-effective option.

 

Lunch

Lunch is another meal that doesn’t demand too much variety. If you can, try maintaining the same meal every day or rotating between two budget-friendly variations.

The aim is to find options that are nutritionally well-rounded and that’ll keep you energised throughout the day.

Budget-friendly lunch options:

1. Peanut butter sandwich: Easy, quick, and filling.
2. Hotdogs with viennas: An easy and filling option using affordable sausages.
3. Rice and beans: Cheap, packed with protein and fibre.
4. Chicken mayo or egg salad sandwiches: Use leftover chicken or boiled eggs for a tasty meal.
5. Chickpea, veggie, couscous wrap: Nutritious and versatile.
6. Tuna sandwich or wrap: Canned tuna is an affordable, nutritious option.
7. Tuna pasta: A quick and protein-packed meal using canned tuna and pasta.
8. Crumbed chicken burger (using frozen patties): Simple and satisfying.
9. Vegetable stir-fry: Use seasonal or frozen veggies for a cost-effective meal.

 

Dinner

For most households, dinner is going to be the most expensive. But that doesn’t mean that dinner can’t be budget-friendly. Focus on ingredients that are versatile, affordable, and can be bought in bulk.

Try to plan meals that share similar ingredients to reduce waste and costs, and opt for frozen or veggie alternatives wherever you can. These tend to be cheaper.

Budget-friendly dinner suggestions:

• Spaghetti or lentil bolognese: Use ground beef or lentils for a cheaper option.
• Chicken stew: Hearty and made with affordable ingredients.
• Vegetable curry: Flavorful and can be made with seasonal vegetables.
• Frozen fish and vegetables or chips: Easy and nutritious.
• Chicken and rice casserole: A comforting and budget-friendly meal.
• Bean and vegetable casserole: Beans are a cost-effective protein source.
• Mushroom risotto: Hearty and satisfying. The core ingredients make it a perfect vegetarian option.
• Hamburger and chips (with frozen patties and chips): Use frozen patties and chips for an affordable takeout-style meal. Use veggie patties for an even more affordable dish.

 

 

7-day budget meal plan examples

To get you started, we’ve put together three meal plan examples. Low-budget, budget, and vegetarian-budget.

Use the examples as is or make it your own. Either way, this’ll be a good starting point for your meal planning.

 

Example 1: Low-budget

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Monday	Maize porridge or plain oats	Peanut butter sandwich	Chicken and rice casserole
Tuesday	Maize porridge or plain oats	Peanut butter sandwich	Vegetable curry
Wednesday	Maize porridge or plain oats	Peanut butter sandwich	Frozen fish and vegetables or chips
Thursday	Maize porridge or plain oats	Peanut butter sandwich	Bean and vegetable casserole
Friday	Maize porridge or plain oats	Peanut butter sandwich	Hamburger and chips (with frozen patties and chips)
Saturday	Eggs on toast	Hotdogs with viennas	Spaghetti or lentil bolognese
Sunday	Eggs on toast	Tuna pasta	Chicken stew

 

Example 2: Budget

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Monday	Futurelife cereal mixed with oats	Tuna pasta	Chicken stew
Tuesday	Futurelife cereal mixed with oats	Tuna pasta	Vegetable curry
Wednesday	Eggs on toast	Chicken mayo sandwich	Spaghetti bolognese
Thursday	Futurelife cereal mixed with oats	Chicken mayo sandwich	Mushroom risotto
Friday	Futurelife cereal mixed with oats	Tuna sandwich or wrap	Hamburger and chips
Saturday	Eggs on toast	Tuna sandwich or wrap	Fish and vegetables
Sunday	Eggs on toast	Crumbed chicken burger	Chicken and rice casserole

 

Example 3: Budget vegetarian

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Monday	Futurelife cereal mixed with oats	Chickpea, veggie, couscous wrap	Bean and vegetable casserole
Tuesday	Avocado on toast	Peanut butter sandwich	Vegetable curry
Wednesday	Frozen fruit smoothie	Vegetable stir-fry	Bean and vegetable casserole
Thursday	Futurelife cereal mixed with oats	Chickpea, veggie, couscous wrap	Mushroom risotto
Friday	Frozen fruit smoothie	Peanut butter sandwich	Vegetable curry
Saturday	Eggs on toast	Vegetable stir-fry	Veggie-burger and chips
Sunday	Avocado on toast	Chickpea, veggie, couscous wrap	Lentil and tomato bolognese

 

⭐ Related content:

• Best way to save money in South Africa (do these 3 things)
• These are South Africa’s highest paying jobs

 

In summary

Which meal plan are you going to try?

Before you get started, remember our tips:

• Start every 7-day plan on the same day (e.g. Sunday)
• Shop the day before (e.g. Saturday)
• Use the same ingredients for more than one meal
• Cook in bulk and freeze meals ahead of time
• Get smart with leftovers
• Buy veggie alternatives instead of meats
• Buy frozen foods
• Buy store brands

 

Another way to boost your budget and improve your monthly cash flow to cover expenses is by reducing your debt. We can help with that.

Try our online assessment at My Debt Hero to see if you qualify to reduce your debt. (Most people pay several thousand Rand less each month after signing up.)