Every time I turn a corner it seems life is getting more expensive. With the kids in a million different sports, my own activities and my husbands love of power tools, things seem to add up quickly.

We are an extremely busy family and finding time within the work week to properly prepare meals and health options at that seems to forever be an uphill battle. Living and working in a middle class family home, it is extremely important for me to stay on budget for everyone in my family to enjoy doing the activities they love.

Hey Adam! Why cant you just make money grow on trees!? That would be SUPER helpful.... Thanks in advance.

HA if only it were that easy...... When it comes to mealtime I like to not only make sure my kids are eating enough but also have all the fruits, vegetables and nutrients they need in a balanced meal. Finding ways to stretch my dollars and make that happen is essential in my family's eating habits.

After a little trial and error, I have found a few ways to not only be kind to my bank account, but also check all the boxes for nutrition that my family needs. We have a few staples that I tend to use a fair bit when in a time crunch like a good old meatloaf or a  tuna casserole, but what about sloppy joes with a pizza twist and a chili hash that will fill the most empty of bellies for under $10!

Yes you read that correctly! All of the meals are UNDER $10 DOLLARS! Feed your family, have left overs and actually SAVE money!!!!!! Oh, I also forgot to mention... they all taste amazing and are so simple to make! Less time AND less money! This is what I call a Win/Win situation!

Check out the full recipes below!

Chili Hash - $9.61

Ingredients

• 1 pound medium potatoes, cubed - 1.20
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 pound ground beef - 6.48
• 1 medium onion, chopped - .66
• 1 can chili - .92
• 1 cup frozen peas - .25
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley - .10
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Sour cream, optional

Directions

1. Place potatoes and water in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 7 minutes or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Drain potatoes and add to the skillet. Stir in the chili starter, peas, parsley and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Serve with sour cream if desired.

Sloppy Pizza Joes - $8.75

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef - 6.48
• 1 jar pizza sauce - .98
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder - .05
• 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed - .05
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano - .05
• 3/4 teaspoon dried basil - .05
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder - .05
• 4 hamburger buns, split - .44
• 4 slices mozzarella cheese - .60

Directions

1. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the pizza sauce and seasonings. Cook and stir until heated through. Serve on buns with cheese.

Tuna Noodle Casserole $ 6.70

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, divided - .50
• 1 (8 ounce) package uncooked medium egg noodles - .46
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped - 0.33
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped - .10
• 1 clove garlic, minced - .03
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced - 1.54
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour - .10
• 2 cups milk - .70
• 2 (5 ounce) cans tuna, drained and flaked - 2.00
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed - .25
• 3 tablespoons bread crumbs - .10
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese - .50
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted - .15
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter a medium baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the onion, celery, and garlic, and cook 5 minutes, until tender. Increase heat to medium-high, and mix in mushrooms. Continue to cook and stir 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
4. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan, and whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk, and continue cooking 5 minutes, until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in tuna, peas, mushroom mixture, and cooked noodles. Transfer to the baking dish. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small bowl, mix with bread crumbs, and sprinkle over the casserole. Top with cheese.
5. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Quick Meatloaf - $7.10

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup chopped green onions - .12
• 3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs - .10
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic - .05
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard - .04
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper - .04
• 1 pound ground beef - 6.48
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten  - .12
• 6 tablespoons ketchup, divided - .15
• Cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl; add 1/4 cup ketchup. Mix beef mixture with hands just until combined. Shape beef mixture into a 9 x 4"“inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Brush top of meatloaf with remaining 2 tablespoons ketchup. Bake 7 additional minutes or until done. Slice loaf into 8 equal pieces.

All of these made my life SO much easier and was super easy on my wallet! My family loves each recipe and my son goes nuts for the casserole! That kid I swear will only eat noodles. Give them a try with your family!