Being broke isn’t a personality flaw. It’s just a moment in time when your bank account laughs in your face. And when money’s tight, the last thing you need is a $20 grain bowl with tahini drizzle from a fancy café named after a yoga pose.
Sometimes, you gotta do what your grandma did. Feed five mouths with one potato and a prayer. Alright, maybe not that dramatic… but pretty close.
Here’s 17 cheap meals that don’t suck. Some of ’em are surprisingly delicious. Some are just “good enough.” But all of them? Budget lifesavers.
1. Spaghetti With Butter and Garlic

This one’s been savin’ lives since the dawn of student loans.
Boil pasta. Melt butter. Add garlic. Stir. Salt it like you mean it.
You’d think somethin’ this simple wouldn’t hit that hard. But with toasted garlic and a sprinkle of chili flakes? Kinda magical.
2. Egg Fried Rice

Day-old rice is the secret. Or just microwave fresh rice and pretend it’s not wet.
Crack in an egg or two. Soy sauce. Maybe frozen peas if you’re feelin’ rich.
If you got sesame oil, now’s the time to flex. Cheap. Fast. Tastes like takeout if you squint real hard.
3. Bean Quesadillas
Open a can of black beans. Mash ‘em or don’t. Slap on a tortilla with whatever cheese you scraped together.
Fold it. Pan-fry it. Done.
It’s crispy on the outside, gooey in the middle, and costs less than a pack of gum. Add hot sauce and suddenly you’re in Mexico (well, mentally).
4. Tuna Pasta Salad

Pasta. Canned tuna. Mayo or olive oil. Salt. Maybe a squeeze of lemon if you’re feelin’ like royalty.
Stir and chill. That’s literally it.
This thing tastes better cold and somehow gets better after a day in the fridge. It’s like pasta salad’s broke cousin, but still brings a good vibe to the party.
5. Shakshuka-ish

This ain’t traditional shakshuka, so don’t come for me.
Sauté some onions. Dump in canned tomatoes. Season heavy—paprika, garlic powder, cumin if you got it.
Crack in a few eggs and cover till they’re barely set. Dip toast in there and pretend you’re in a café with bricks on the wall.
6. Peanut Butter Noodles

If you’ve got ramen and peanut butter, you’ve got this.
Cook the noodles. Stir together PB, soy sauce, a lil vinegar, sugar, and water. Mix it all up. Top with green onions or crushed peanuts if you’re ballin’ that day.
It’s creamy, salty, nutty, and weirdly addictive.
7. Potato & Egg Hash

Dice up a potato (or three). Fry until crispy. Crack in eggs near the end.
Season with salt, pepper, and maybe paprika if you’re feelin’ it.
Top with ketchup. Or hot sauce. Or nothing. It’s humble and kind of perfect for 2am breakdown meals.
8. Grilled Cheese with a Twist

Basic grilled cheese? Been there. Done that. Add a lil mustard or pickle slices inside and it’s suddenly gourmet on accident.
Use whatever bread and cheese you got. Butter that bread like your life depends on it.
Press it down in the pan with a spatula. Crispy edges, melty middle, and dignity still intact.
9. Lentil Soup

Lentils are like the underdog of broke meals. They cook faster than beans and have way too much protein for their price tag.
Simmer lentils with onion, garlic, carrot, and any seasoning you can find in the back of your spice cabinet.
Eat it with bread. Or don’t. Either way, your belly’s full and your wallet’s untouched.
10. Pancakes for Dinner

Who said pancakes were just for morning people?
Mix flour, baking powder, water or milk, and an egg if you got it. Fry. Eat with syrup, peanut butter, jam, or sugar and lemon like the Brits do.
Cheap, fluffy, and mildly chaotic. But hey—broke times call for syrupy dinners.
11. Baked Potatoes With Whatever

Potatoes are the friend that never lets you down. Bake one until it’s soft and steamy inside.
Top with butter, salt, and maybe shredded cheese. Or beans. Or that sad half tomato.
It’s a canvas. You’re the starving artist.
12. Ramen Upgrades

Instant ramen’s good. But we’re about to make it great-ish.
Crack in an egg while it’s boiling. Add frozen corn, chopped spinach, or leftover rotisserie chicken scraps.
Top with sriracha or chili oil. Cheap comfort in a bowl, no shame involved.
13. Chickpea Curry

Onions. Garlic. Canned chickpeas. Canned tomatoes. Season like you’ve been on MasterChef.
Simmer till it smells too good to be this cheap.
Serve with rice or bread. So filling you’ll be full before your problems catch up.
14. French Toast That Hugs You

Old bread? Don’t toss it. Turn it into French toast.
Eggs, milk (or water in desperate times), cinnamon if you wanna feel fancy.
Fry till golden, eat with sugar or syrup. It’s sweet, carby, and somehow healing.
15. Cabbage Stir-Fry

Cabbage is the goat of cheap veggies. Slice it up. Stir-fry with garlic and soy sauce. Add rice or noodles.
Throw in an egg if you can. Or don’t. Still bangin’.
Smells questionable. Tastes good. Budget-approved.
16. Bodega-Style Egg Sandwich

Fry an egg. Toast some bread. Add cheese, mayo, ketchup, or whatever condiment combo haunts your dreams.
Stack it. Press it. Bite like you mean it.
Costs less than a dollar and somehow hits harder than a burger.
17. Oats. But Make It Dinner

Who said oats were only for mornings and bland fitness influencers?
Make ’em savory. Add bouillon cube or veggie broth instead of water. Top with an egg or leftover veggies.
It’s porridge, but for rebels. Your grandma would scream. But like…in a proud way.
Broke Cooking Tips From Someone Who’s Been There

- Use what you have – That one half onion? That random can from 2022? Time to make ’em stars. Don’t shop unless you’ve scavenged your own pantry like it’s a survival mission.
- Spices are gold – Seriously. Salt and pepper ain’t enough. Cumin, chili flakes, garlic powder—they take sad meals to “meh… not bad.”
- Frozen > fresh – Broke doesn’t mean unhealthy. Frozen veggies are cheaper, last forever, and often have more nutrients than fresh stuff that sat in a truck for 8 days.
- Cans are your friends – Beans. Tomatoes. Tuna. Corn. Stock up when they’re cheap. They’re basically edible savings accounts.
- Portion control is a scam – When you’re broke, no one’s counting macros. Cook enough for two meals. Eat half now, half later. You’ll thank past-you at 2AM tomorrow.
Final Thoughts You Didn’t Ask For
You don’t need a big budget to eat well. You don’t even need to be a good cook. You just need a few basics, a pan, and the will to make something outta nothing.
Eating on a budget ain’t glamorous. But it is creative. It’s survival meets culinary freestyle.
You figure out weird combos that end up working. You become the kind of person who puts mustard in pasta and somehow makes it taste good. You turn canned goods into tiny miracles.
And you learn that feeding yourself—even on the worst days—is an act of hope.
That’s something.
Even if all you got’s a can of beans, a sad tortilla, and an attitude.
Now go eat somethin’. You earned it.
