100 Struggle Meals for Families in 2025

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As each year passes by, it is hard to ignore the strain that so many American families are feeling. the strain of grocery prices (among other things.) My monthly grocery bill has inched up to more than our mortgage. That is one reason I try to make it a priority to cook frugal meals for my family. Is it always exciting? No. Does it get boring eating the same things over and over, yes. But if the wallet is strained, then parents are stressed, and it becomes harder and harder to enjoy life. Here are 100 struggle meals for families that can help you stretch that dollar and spend less on putting food on the table. (Read: 10 Stay-At-Home Mom Jobs For Extra Money)

Grocery Prices are Hurting American Families

by Nuttawan Jayawan from Getty Images

struggle meals for families — by Nuttawan Jayawan from Getty Images

There are many families right now looking for ways to cut back on prices. Grocery prices have climbed, meaning we can’t spend what we used to on our grocery lists. I have been shopping at Aldi for years. I remember I used to be able to spend between $100-$150 per week for my family. That included snacks, lunch, breakfast, and dinner items. Now, I’m surprised if I keep that grocery list below $300, and that is with shopping at Aldi. Let’s just say, it hasn’t been easy for the middle class and lower class families. I know upper-class families have also been affected.

How to be More Frugal this Year

This year, I am making it a priority to be more frugal. One of the ways to do this is by trying to cut my grocery bill. I don’t know if we will be able to cut it in half, but even cutting a third of it would help! Here are simple changes I am making to become more frugal:

I downloaded the free version of Rocket Money to get a better look at our finances.
Unsubscribed from unnecessary and forgotten subscriptions.
Using pantry staples to cook our meals.
Do a no-spend January. (This applies to unnecessary expenses like extra drinks from the gas station, coffee shop, going out to eat, etc.)
Cut back on streaming services. (We ditched cable years ago.)

Tips for Cutting Back on Groceries

One area that will have the most impact on our spending will be our ability to cut back on groceries. Here are tips I’m implementing in order to cut back on cost.

Create a monthly meal plan for all three meals.
Clip digital coupons from local grocery stores.
Shop Aldi
Take a look at newspaper coupons.
Use Ibotta for cash back.
Set a specific budget for groceries.
Use my calculator while shopping for groceries. (This can be a pain, but it keeps me accountable to our budget.)
Cook from scratch using pantry stables.
Learning how to make my own bread, essentials, etc.

These are just several ways that we are going to try in order to cut back on groceries this month. I will check back in at the beginning of February and let you know if we are successful in cutting our grocery bill and by how much.

Now, let’s take a look at 100 struggle meals for families in 2025.