budget

Cheap weekly meal plan UK (under £50 for a family of 4)

Food prices in the UK are no joke right now. The weekly shop that used to be £60 is closer to £100, and that's before anyone says "we've run out of milk" on a Wednesday.

This plan keeps a family of four fed for the week for around £48. Nothing fancy: tinned tomatoes, mince, a cheap whole chicken and some store-cupboard staples doing most of the heavy lifting. The Sunday roast is built to cover two lunchboxes on Monday.

Shop wherever you like, the prices below are what you'd typically pay at Aldi, Lidl, Tesco or Asda for a basic-range item.

Total weekly shop: £48 to £52

the plan

A week of meals

  1. Monday

    Spaghetti bolognese

    500g beef mince, two tins of chopped tomatoes, an onion, garlic and a pack of spaghetti. Feeds four with leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.

  2. Tuesday

    Jacket potatoes with cheese & beans

    Four big baking spuds, a tin of beans each, a handful of cheese on top. Cheap, filling, twelve minutes of effort.

  3. Wednesday

    Tuna pasta bake

    Tinned tuna, a tin of sweetcorn, a pack of pasta, a jar of pasta sauce and grated cheese. In the oven for 20 minutes.

  4. Thursday

    Sausage casserole

    A pack of value sausages, a tin of mixed beans, a tin of chopped tomatoes, an onion. One pot, one wash-up.

  5. Friday

    Homemade pizza night

    Pizza-base mix, a tin of chopped tomatoes for sauce, grated cheese and whatever toppings the kids will eat. Cheaper than a takeaway.

  6. Saturday

    Chicken curry & rice

    Half the roast chicken from Sunday with a jar of curry sauce and rice. The other half goes in the freezer.

  7. Sunday

    Roast chicken with all the trimmings

    A whole chicken (£4-£5), spuds, frozen veg and stuffing. Plenty left over for Monday's lunchboxes.

the trolley

Your shopping list

Grouped by aisle so you walk the shop once. Prices reflect a typical UK supermarket basic range.

Meat & fish

  • Whole chicken (1.5kg) £4.50
  • Beef mince 500g £3.20
  • Sausages 8-pack £2.00
  • Tinned tuna 2-pack £1.80

Fresh fruit & veg

  • Baking potatoes 2kg £1.80
  • Onions 1kg £0.95
  • Garlic bulb £0.40
  • Frozen mixed veg 1kg £1.10
  • Bananas 6 £0.89

Dairy & eggs

  • Mature cheddar 500g £3.80
  • Semi-skimmed milk 4 pints £1.95
  • Butter 250g £1.80

Cupboard staples

  • Spaghetti 500g £0.75
  • Pasta 1kg £1.10
  • Long-grain rice 1kg £2.20
  • Chopped tomatoes 4 tins £1.80
  • Baked beans 4 tins £2.60
  • Sweetcorn 1 tin £0.65
  • Mixed beans 1 tin £0.55
  • Jar of pasta sauce £1.20
  • Jar of curry sauce £1.50
  • Pizza-base mix £0.80
  • Stuffing mix £0.50
  • Cooking oil £2.00

Bakery

  • Wholemeal bread 1 loaf £1.10

Prices are guides and may vary by store and region.

good to know

A few tips

  • 1

    Buy the whole chicken on Sunday and shred half into a tub for the curry on Saturday. The bones make a stock that's better than any cube.

  • 2

    Cook the bolognese in a double batch and freeze half. You'll thank yourself on a busy Wednesday.

  • 3

    Frozen veg costs a third of fresh, lasts a month and is just as nutritious for the kids.

  • 4

    If beef mince is over £4 a pack, swap to turkey mince — usually cheaper and works fine in both the bolognese and pizza.

your own plan

Want a plan built for your family?

These ready-made plans are a great starting point. For a plan that fits your exact budget, your dietary needs and the kids' fussy bits, make your own in about five minutes.

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More plans: Budget meal plan for a family of 4 (£60 a week), Aldi meal plan, £50 a week (UK family of 4), Slow cooker family meals (UK weekly plan), Batch cook freezer meals UK (Sunday cook, whole week sorted)