After Spending $100 At Aldi, Here's How I (Barely) Fed A Family Of 4 For 7 Days

Considering the ever-fluctuating price of groceries, it doesn't hurt to carefully meal plan to save money. But is it possible to stick to a $100 per week budget for a family of four? I decided to tackle this question by completing my grocery haul at Aldi.

To prepare, I spent a lot of time meal planning, before combing through Aldi's website to compile my shopping list and get a price ballpark for everything. I made swaps to keep costs down — IE buying uncooked beans, or white bread instead of whole wheat — and was able to stay under budget. Still, these meals are pretty limited when based purely on the serving size on the nutrition label. So if you're a family with teens or young adults, you'll likely be a bit hungrier based on the recommended serving size alone. I'd recommend supplementing each meal based on what you already have on hand, whether that's some meat in the freezer or a half bag of cereal in the pantry.

Additionally, I bought meal ingredients with the expectation that basics (like cooking oil and seasonings) would already be stocked at home. I didn't have wiggle room in the budget for premade snacks, but some ingredients could be eaten as a snack between meals. In short, it's certainly feasible to feed a family of four for seven days with $100 at Aldi — but it'll be tight. Without further ado, here's what I came up with (and feel free to make changes based on your family's preferences).

I ultimately spent $92.34 because I had to make some swaps based on availability. I stuck with mainly whole ingredients to keep costs down, meaning there are things like oats, uncooked beans, or rice. I tried to get a range of proteins, carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables, as well, and found that frozen fruit and vegetable options were often cheaper (and came in a larger size) than fresh versions. For example, a 24-ounce bag of frozen strawberries cost $4.29, whereas 16-ounces of fresh ones cost $3.29.

Here is my shopping list, starting with produce. I bought one Roma tomato, one white onion, a 3-pound bag of Fuji apples, some bananas, two bags of mini carrots, and six bell peppers. For meat, I bought a little over 2 pounds of fresh ground beef, 32 ounces of wild-caught pink salmon, one pack of mild Italian chicken sausage, 1 pound of deli sliced honey ham, 1 pound of deli sliced oven-roasted turkey breast, and two dozen eggs.

Additionally, I purchased four packs of white bread, 3 pounds of long grain white rice, 16 ounces of rotini pasta, and 42 ounces of rolled oats. I also got some plain whole milk Greek yogurt, two packs of sliced muenster cheese, two packs of sliced pepper jack cheese, a 24-ounce bag of frozen strawberries, two bags of frozen broccoli florets, one bag of frozen organic spinach, 4 pounds of pinto beans, one jar of meat pasta sauce, a pepperoni rising-crust pizza, and a jar of creamy peanut butter.

For breakfast, we're having protein-packed Greek yogurt with peanut butter and diced apples. There are five servings of yogurt, so everyone can get a little over one serving, half an apple, and some peanut butter. Feel free to mix in any spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom for added flavor, or chia seeds for a boost of calories, fat, protein, and fiber. Alternatively, you can make a small batch of homemade crunchy granola with the oats and any sweetener or nuts and seeds you have at home.

Lunch is simply ham and cheese sandwiches (two pieces of bread, two pieces of cheese, and a full serving of meat). There are eight servings of ham per package, so guess what? We're having the exact same thing tomorrow to finish off the pack. However, since I purchased a pound of deli turkey and a pound of deli ham, we could alternate days to switch things up tomorrow — that's your call, though. If you have condiments at home, you can enhance the sandwich with mayonnaise, mustard, or even chipotle.

Our dinner is baked salmon — make a sweet and tangy honey lime salmon or lemon garlic salmon if you have those ingredients on hand, but any seasoning will do. Serve with rice and roasted carrots, using the entire bag of mini carrots. The key to remaining on a budget is using what you have, so any seasonings, condiments, or sauces you have tucked in the fridge or pantry can bring flavor to the salmon, veggies, rice, or all of the above.

On day two of our Aldi meal planning, we're having oatmeal for breakfast. We're making it with water here, but you can use milk for a richer flavor if you have it. Cook the oats with a handful of the frozen strawberries so they thaw during the cooking process; mash them or even blend the concoction for a smoother consistency and more incorporated flavor. You can also make a pared-down version of strawberry overnight oats if you want to prep it the night before. And if available, add peanut butter, spices, or perhaps maple syrup, honey, or sugar for more sweetness.

Ham and cheese sandwiches make their encore appearance, but I'd recommend grilling them to create a hot sandwich to vary the texture a bit. You could alternate between cheeses, too, since we have muenster as well as pepper jack. You can also use a bit of the frozen strawberries to make a DIY jam; I like to make shortcut jam by cutting and simmering the fruit with sugar, then mashing or blending it together.

A hearty pasta with ground beef and a full bag of frozen broccoli rounds out tonight's dinner. Use about half of the package of ground beef (which should be around 1 pound total) paired with meat sauce for a smidge more meatiness. I found a 1-pound box of rotini which offers eight servings, meaning you can make larger pasta portions for dinner, or save some pasta to supplement another day/meal.

Today's breakfast is simple but pretty filling: Eggs, spinach, and toast. Scramble or fry the eggs, or perhaps make egg in a hole sandwich. There's a lot of wiggle room here, and you can season the eggs and spinach with whatever you have at home. Place the spinach and eggs directly on the toast for an open-faced sandwich of sorts, or serve everything separately. I like to butter my bread and eat it on its own with some cinnamon sugar for a sweet and savory brekkie with the eggs.

Once again, lunch is very simple. This time around, it's oven-roasted turkey and cheese sandwiches — same deal with two pieces of bread and cheese — with some sliced bell pepper sticks for added veggie element. Tomato, lettuce, or even potato chips can bring added vibrancy, flavor, and texture to the sandwich, so see if there's anything you can add to bulk up the meal. Simply toasting the bread can offer a textural twist to a standard sandwich, as well.

I wanted to do something quick and easy for dinner with a simple, premade frozen pizza. The rising crust pepperoni one from Mama Cozzi's ranked pretty high in an Aldi pizza taste test, so I went with that one. But there are other tasty options you can swap in if there's money left in your budget. Add a small handful of chopped broccoli to the pizza for added veggies and a boost of color, or use a bit of spinach instead.

Breakfast and lunch are the same as yesterday, with some minor add-ins and changes to make the meal feel new. Although I structured the same meals consecutively by day for ease of meal planning and photographing, you could just as easily mix things up so your family doesn't eat the same thing two days in a row — IE PB&J, ham and cheese, turkey and cheese, and so on. Of course, that's personal preference or whatever makes sense for your family's meal planning and preparation process.

For today's egg and spinach meal, try making a frittata rather than a scramble, so it feels like a totally new breakfast. We'll use eight slices of cheese for lunch, so that gives us two slices to use for breakfast. Pop those on top of the frittata to give it a creamy, melty depth and a touch of heat. Serve with a side of toast and sliced apples (feel free to add peanut butter to both, too). Eat the bananas now, or slice and freeze them to prep for an after-dinner treat: banana ice cream of sorts. Once frozen, blend with peanut butter and dig in.

Revamp today's turkey and cheese sandwich by grilling or toasting it for a hot sandwich. Dinner is homemade chili using pinto beans, the last pound of ground beef, mini carrots, and bell pepper for added veggies. Make sure to liberally season with spices and herbs from the pantry and add some top-tier chili toppings like radish, sour cream, or avocado.

Oatmeal is on the docket for breakfast again. However, if you have time and a few extra ingredients, you may want to make baked oatmeal with strawberries. There are a surprising number of ways to make the same base ingredients seem different each time, whether that's in oats or a sandwich. Plus, doing so can make budget meals more interesting.

Lunch for the next three days is peanut butter and jam — nothing fancy, but it's wallet-friendly, and keeps the belly satiated. Prepare homemade jam with the frozen strawberries that you'll use for the next three days ahead of time. Buying bulk frozen strawberries was cheaper per ounce (not to mention more versatile) than buying pre-made jam, but you should absolutely use a jar if you already have some in the pantry or fridge. Add sliced bananas to the sandwich for an enticing flavor and texture addition.

We'll bake the mild Italian chicken sausage tonight, some of the bag of carrots, and broccoli on a sheet pan for dinner. Make a large batch of beans to eat tonight, and for day seven's dinner, too. Serve with rice and add any herbs if you have them; fresh cilantro offers a vibrant and fragrant touch, but dried dill, parsley, thyme, or rosemary from the pantry work, too. Try cooking the rice with bouillon or chicken stock for added flavor. Alternatively, you could use the same dinner ingredients and whip up a hearty soup instead.

Oats are on today's breakfast menu, along with apple, banana, and peanut butter to make it more filling. I like to finely chop the apple and toss it with the oats as they cook. The fruit softens but still retains a bit of crispiness and moisture to bring new life to the oatmeal; add some cinnamon or warming spices for a delicious breakfast. If you have ingredients like milk, vanilla, and baking soda, you can make blender pancakes instead and then top with chopped fruit to make a more beautiful presentation. I love how versatile oats are. You could even make oat muffins.

Lunch is a peanut butter and jam sandwich once again. You can easily make some swaps in your meal planning, such as omitting the pizza and buying more meat instead, if you want to shake up the meals. But there's more room to have fun with dinner.

We're using the last four servings of the salmon package. Try cooking the fish in the air fryer for an enticing, tender texture and perfectly brown exterior. Doing so also makes cooking less hands-on, so you can focus on the rice dish, which is broccoli rice . This allows us to use up virtually everything we purchased, including any leftover cheese from the week. If you have things like cream of mushroom soup, mayo, and cheese crackers, you may want to create a cheesy broccoli rice casserole.

Now that it's the end of the week, we can use up anything we may have left over. With that in mind, we're mixing up breakfast today and making French toast with our bread and eggs. Depending on what you have at home, you could make any number of French toast recipes. But you could create a basic bread pudding instead, too, if preferred.

PB&Js make another appearance, though you may want to try revitalizing them so you don't get bored. Grill them for a hot version that's like a more elevated sandwich, or try adding ingredients to give it a boost of flavor. Honey (or hot honey), cinnamon, marshmallow fluff, or thin slices of apples all bring more depth.

Dinner is all about finishing up ingredients, so tonight we're making rice and bean bowls. We have plenty of rice and beans to work with, and you'll likely have leftovers to use for next week, too. Sauté the entire container of mushrooms to divvy up among the bowls. Then, we'll chop up our onion and tomato to serve as toppings. If you use smaller portions of the ground beef for the chili and/or pasta earlier in the week, you'll have a small amount to add to the dinner, too. Use any leftover veggies from the haul, and don't forget to search your fridge for any other add-ins. Salsa, hot sauce, sour cream, avocado, or even canned corn from the back of your pantry work well here.