Whether you are young or old, single, or sharing costs with family-everyone knows that food can be a big-time budget monster!
It is sooooo easy to overspend on food.
And since you are reading this, I assume you have experienced this same problem.
Breakfast is ofttimes the most overlooked meal of the day. I have yet to meet anyone who spends as much time planning, preparing, and cooking breakfast as they do lunch or dinner. Why? We are too busy in the morning!
Breakfast has become a grab-n-go experience, and our household is no different.
Whether the kids overslept (adult don’t, do we?), forgot to do their math homework, or are just plain grumpy, having an easy, ready-to-go breakfast is an absolute must at our house. But, it has to respect the family food budget!
I used to do what everyone else in the world does (or at least it seems like everyone does) and go for the boxed cereal and call it good.
How often can you eat from a box without getting tired of it? At some point, I also realized those colorful boxes weren’t adding much nutritional value to our diets. In particular, the sugar content was out of this world!
It was time for a change! I looked around for other options that would be easy on the wallet.
My rules are simple.
Rule Number One: Breakfast has to be EASY.
No way am I getting up early and making biscuits and gravy for seven people (hats off to those that actually do this, by the way). However, I decided I could be open to precooking some things alongside dinner in the evenings.
Rule Number Two: Breakfast can’t be dessert in disguise.
Those generic bagged cereals are a whole lot cheaper than most boxes, but sheesh! One look at the ingredient list tells me they are dangerously similar to the cake boxes in the baking aisle. (At least the cake included eggs as a requirement.) Seriously, take a look sometime.
With these two rules in place, here are some of my kids (and my!) favs for those busy mornings, And at prices like these, I won’t be sent into a money panic at the grocery store:
(Sorted by price in ascending order; I use Walmart prices because 1) most people live near a Walmart, and 2) I REFUSE to set foot in a grocery store unless absolutely necessary. It’s too easy to load up and overspend on things I didn’t even know I need!)
1. Oatmeal
Ah, yes. No breakfast list is complete without oatmeal. Experiment with different kinds to find a texture your family likes best. The quick 1-minute oats work for us. Also, make sure to add some spices like cinnamon or, my favorite, pumpkin pie spice! If you still need a little sweet, add a bit of honey or sugar. The kids can throw it all in the microwave by themselves, and it’s ready in a heartbeat.
Cost: A 1/2 cup dry scoop is only $0.08. But, it’s only a few more ($0.03 for 1/4 cup) cents for a splash of milk. Grand total of $0.11. If you shop at Sam’s Club or Costco, your cost might be less. Also, make sure to check the bulk bins if you shop somewhere like Winco.
Pro Tip: Buy a 1/2 cup measuring cup from the dollar store to keep in your oatmeal container. Also, take a marker to the container and write how much water and spice to add and how long to put it in the microwave. The kids will appreciate the ease of having a scoop already there! And with instructions on the container, they can cook it up on their own.
2. Corn Flakes
Yes, I just spent almost the whole introduction blasting boxed cereal. But, that doesn’t mean they don’t have a place in the breakfast lineup. Corn flakes are whole grain, low in sugar with a shockingly low price tag. Oh, and sooooo easy…
Cost: A cup of corn flakes with 1/2 cup milk will set you back $0.12. Yep, that’s it, people!
Pro Tip: Stay away from the name brands and save the big bucks! If your kids (or you, no judging here!) aren’t entirely used to cereal without the sweet, start with a little sugar and see if you can decrease it over time.
3. Bagel (Skip the Bagel)
Bagels are expensive! Treat your inexpensive sandwich bread like a bagel. Worried about adding some protein? Swig a glass of milk, add some peanut butter, or our family favorite is flavored whipped cream cheese.
Cost: The way we do it is two slices of bread with about a tablespoon of cream cheese in between. That comes up to $0.21. That’s assuming whole wheat bread is used. If you use white bread, you’ll come out even better.
Pro Tip: Stick with whipped cream cheese. It may cost more per ounce, but it spreads easily and goes farther.
4 (tie). Hard-Boiled Eggs
You can’t beat these for ease and price!
Boil ahead of time, keep them refrigerated, and you have a leisurely breakfast to grab in the morning. (Okay, maybe mornings are NEVER leisurely.)
Cost per serving: My Walmart has eggs for $1.31 a dozen. Two eggs will set you back about $0.22. Nice!
Pro tip: Take a Sharpy and write the date the eggs were boiled directly on the shell to ensure you have a fresh egg AND to keep them distinguished from their raw counterparts. Hard-boiled eggs keep for five days in the refrigerator.
4. (tie) Scrambled Eggs
I know I said I was never going to wake up early to make my family a real meal for breakfast. But, did you know scrambled eggs cook so well in the microwave? YES! They come out fluffy and yummy! And the older kids can do it themselves.
Cost: Two eggs is $0.22. If you want mix-ins like cheese, milk, or peppers, factor that cost in.
Pro Tip: To make sure you don’t have extra dishes to wash, have soup bowls that are microwave safe. You can cook the eggs and eat them from the same bowl.
6. French Toast
This is a fancier (okay, I have a low threshold for what counts as fancy) option, which is still crazy-easy and crazy-cheap! You can pick the bread according to your taste. We use our regular whole wheat cheap sandwich bread. I make the French toast ahead of time, throw it in the refrigerator, and my kids will eat it cold as-is or toss it in the toaster. You may like a recipe that includes cinnamon and vanilla.
Cost: Two yummy slices of whole wheat french toast will cost about $0.23. If you do white bread, it will be less. I’ll do a full loaf of bread with about 8 eggs and 2/3 cup milk. If you use syrup, spices, or vanilla, you’ll have to factor that cost in too.
Pro Tip: This is a great way to use up the bread heals no one will eat on a sandwich. Save them throughout the week, and then cook them up!
7. Bran Flakes
Yes, another box made it onto our favorites list. These definitely cost more than the corn flakes, but they are very filling. And, sometimes, you just need a variety of boxes to reach for. (Especially when times get busy.)
Cost: It’s just under a quarter ($0.24) for a cup of cereal with half a cup of milk.
Pro Tip: I have yet to see bran flakes without added sugar, so don’t assume you can sweeten them up without worry.
8. Yogurt with a Slice of Toast
The mix-in possibilities are endless, but they can also get expensive, so watch out. We tend to stick with flavored yogurt, but that can get sugary, so we decrease the amount of yogurt and pair it with toast. You can also choose a plain or Greek yogurt if you are more health-conscious.
Cost: A piece of toast and 1/2 cup yogurt is $0.29.
Pro Tip: My husband loves to dip his toast in yogurt. Try it out. Maybe you’ll love it too.
9. Banana Bread
I LOVE banana bread. But, it has to be homemade, or I won’t touch it. The upside is that homemade costs so much less than the store-bought variety (and lower still if you use bananas past their prime that no one will eat). I can make it while making dinner, then slice it up and store it in the refrigerator.
Cost: Depends. If you go out and buy bananas, then one loaf makes five nice-sized servings at $0.35. Real butter and bananas, and I always make it with half whole wheat. It is going to cost you… If you are using up older bananas about to be thrown away, your real cost is significantly reduced: just $0.21 per serving. So, use up those old bananas!
Pro Tip: If you want to eat this for breakfast, experiment with reducing your favorite recipe’s sugar and butter. I confess to using about half of each. It’s also smart to make half of the flour whole wheat. Slice it before you store it, so it’s easy to grab and go!
10. Leftovers
Did you think you read that wrong? Nope! There is nothing wrong with leftover pizza for breakfast. The number one food goal in my house is to make sure we are not wasting food. So don’t let those leftovers go bad in the back of the fridge! Let the kids eat ’em for breakfast! (Even I have had cold pizza for breakfast before, but don’t spread that around.)
Cost: Varies, but it’s already there, so eat it up!
Pro Tip: When cooking dinner, I ALWAYS make a little extra
There you have it! Ten of our favorite grab-and-go breakfast ideas!
The next time you feel like your breakfast routine is in a rut, try rotating in one of these budget-friendly ideas.
What are some of your favorite breakfast picks that I missed?
.
Leave a Reply