Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Grocery prices are up 32% since 2020, and if you've been wondering why your grocery budget just doesn't stretch like it used to, you aren't imagining it.
This week on Sunday Chat, I'm talking about **grocery prices, food affordability, and my brand-new FREE budget-friendly meal plan with 28 complete dinners under $3 per serving.**
🍽️ **GET THE FREE 28-DINNER MEAL PLAN:**
thestayathomechef.com/budget-friendly-dinner-meal-plan
I created my original Cheap Eats Meal Plan a couple of years ago to help families deal with rising grocery costs. People tested it, used it, and loved it. But food prices have continued to climb, so I decided it was time to do it again.
And, well, I may have gone a little overboard.
I created **28 new budget-friendly dinners, all under $3 per serving.** These aren't just main dishes either. Each one is designed to be a complete meal, whether that's a one-pot dinner, a sheet pan meal, or a main dish with sides.
And my $3-per-serving number is based on how people actually grocery shop.
A lot of recipe costing calculates the few tablespoons of olive oil you use or the ½ teaspoon of a spice. But you can't walk into the grocery store and buy 20 cents of olive oil or 5 cents of garlic powder.
So I count **the entire bottle. The entire jar. Everything you actually have to buy.**
The meal plan also includes:
• 28 complete budget-friendly dinners
• Every meal under $3 per serving
• Variety in proteins, starches, and vegetables
• Easy, approachable recipes made for real life
• Adjustable serving sizes
• Mix-and-match meal planning
• Calendar scheduling
• Customizable grocery lists
• And it's completely FREE
Once you've built up some of those pantry staples, your costs can get even lower in the months that follow.
Food affordability is something I think about constantly. I was raised with the rule that if you have something someone else needs, you give it to them if you can. I have the skills and resources to create something that can help people put delicious food on the table during a time when groceries are getting harder and harder to afford.
So I'm giving it away.
**It's free. It will always be free. Use it. Share it. Send it to someone who needs it.**
And I'm already working on the next one.
The Stay At Home Chef has given me so much over the years. It's saved my life, in more ways than one. Giving back and paying it forward are things I feel in my soul.
It really is the honor and privilege of a lifetime to be able to do this. I'm here to help in any way I can.
🍽️ **FREE BUDGET-FRIENDLY DINNER MEAL PLAN:**
thestayathomechef.com/budget-friendly-dinner-meal-plan
🏠 **MORE RECIPES FROM THE STAY AT HOME CHEF:**
thestayathomechef.com
#GroceryBudget #BudgetMeals #MealPlanning
Grocery prices are up 32% since 2020, and if you've been wondering why your grocery budget just doesn't stretch like it used to, you aren't imagining it.
This week on Sunday Chat, I'm talking about **grocery prices, food affordability, and my brand-new FREE budget-friendly meal plan with 28 complete dinners under $3 per serving.**
🍽️ **GET THE FREE 28-DINNER MEAL PLAN:**
thestayathomechef.com/budget-friendly-dinner-meal-plan
I created my original Cheap Eats Meal Plan a couple of years ago to help families deal with rising grocery costs. People tested it, used it, and loved it. But food prices have continued to climb, so I decided it was time to do it again.
And, well, I may have gone a little overboard.
I created **28 new budget-friendly dinners, all under $3 per serving.** These aren't just main dishes either. Each one is designed to be a complete meal, whether that's a one-pot dinner, a sheet pan meal, or a main dish with sides.
And my $3-per-serving number is based on how people actually grocery shop.
A lot of recipe costing calculates the few tablespoons of olive oil you use or the ½ teaspoon of a spice. But you can't walk into the grocery store and buy 20 cents of olive oil or 5 cents of garlic powder.
So I count **the entire bottle. The entire jar. Everything you actually have to buy.**
The meal plan also includes:
• 28 complete budget-friendly dinners
• Every meal under $3 per serving
• Variety in proteins, starches, and vegetables
• Easy, approachable recipes made for real life
• Adjustable serving sizes
• Mix-and-match meal planning
• Calendar scheduling
• Customizable grocery lists
• And it's completely FREE
Once you've built up some of those pantry staples, your costs can get even lower in the months that follow.
Food affordability is something I think about constantly. I was raised with the rule that if you have something someone else needs, you give it to them if you can. I have the skills and resources to create something that can help people put delicious food on the table during a time when groceries are getting harder and harder to afford.
So I'm giving it away.
**It's free. It will always be free. Use it. Share it. Send it to someone who needs it.**
And I'm already working on the next one.
The Stay At Home Chef has given me so much over the years. It's saved my life, in more ways than one. Giving back and paying it forward are things I feel in my soul.
It really is the honor and privilege of a lifetime to be able to do this. I'm here to help in any way I can.
🍽️ **FREE BUDGET-FRIENDLY DINNER MEAL PLAN:**
thestayathomechef.com/budget-friendly-dinner-meal-plan
🏠 **MORE RECIPES FROM THE STAY AT HOME CHEF:**
thestayathomechef.com
#GroceryBudget #BudgetMeals #MealPlanning
