The least expensive steak may still be a no if it doesn't fit in your budget. -Katie Kimball, KCRF Creator

We just celebrated 10 years of teaching kids to cook online, which honestly feels surreal. It still feels like yesterday that we were filming the very first lessons, crossing our fingers, and wondering if anyone would even want this.

Fast forward a decade and nearly 20,000 families served, and the answer is clear. This work matters. It is changing kitchens, confidence levels, and family dynamics in real ways.

Over the years, parents have consistently asked me about two skills that go beyond what we teach inside Kids Cook Real Food:

  • How to help kids meal plan
  • How to help kids grocery shop

These are higher level executive functioning skills. They build on cooking, but they are a step further. They require decision making, budgeting, and thinking ahead. That is why they were never part of the original Kids Cook Real Food course.

For a long time, I knew these skills belonged in a future, more advanced program for teens and young adults. And now, that next step is almost here!! They are a big part of Teens Cook Real Food, which releases to the public on January 26, 2026!! (But only for a week right now, so put it on your calendar.)

For now, I am collaborating with two of my most frugal friends who are GREAT cooks to compile 5 steps to meal planning on a budget, merging both requests of our families of teens.

May I introduce you to Tiffany of Don’t Waste the Crumbs and Steph of Cheapskate Cook, who never cease to amaze me with their ability to save money while also generously hosting friends and sharing their knowledge with others online.

Here’s an overview of the 5 steps and skim notes so you can skip around in the video if you’d like!

  1. Challenge yourself to stick to a real budget with a specific amount, at least for a few weeks or months.
  2. Purchase the least expensive item for your staples (and if something is still pricey, this might not be the season).
  3. Meal plan with budget in mind – plan inexpensive things rather than just buying the “least expensive” option for “whatever” you want to cook.
  4. Use what you buy! Learn to avoid wasting food and make dishes with what you have.
  5. Listen to experts: Steph on setting goals for the season and adjusting your mindset and Tiffany on sales you should ignore.
 

 

 

YouTube video
 

 

 

 

Can’t see the video? Watch Meal Planning on a Budget here on YouTube!

No time for the video? Here are the notes!

(These time stamps align with the video and not the audio podcast, but they should be close.)

Meal Planning on a Budget

  • 0:18: This one is for the teens and young adults! I’ve been asked countless times by parents of Kids Cook Real Food™ alumni, “How do I teach my kids to meal plan and grocery shop on a budget?” 

Processed foods are cheap, but they treat our bodies like we are cheap. -Katie Kimball, KCRF Creator

  • 1:26: Tip number one is to actually make and stay on a budget. Sometimes when people hear “on a budget” they assume that means spending as little as possible, saving an indeterminate amount of money, or shopping the sales. I’m talking about setting an actual number for your grocery budget and then sticking with it. 
  • 2:50: See what money you have coming in each month and how much you have going out in fixed bills, and figure out how much you can spend on groceries. If you already have a pretty good idea of how much you’re spending on food each week, maybe challenge yourself to cut it back a bit. 

Never go into debt on groceries because you have to buy them over and over and the debt will snowball. -Katie Kimball

  • 4:00: Buy the least expensive options for your staples. You’ll have to do some price comparison and track the price per ounce at different stores and brands to see where you can get the best deal. 
  • 5:52: The other benefit of tracking cost comparison is that you know if a sale is good or not. You may be tempted to stock up on something because it’s on sale, but if you can get it cheaper per ounce somewhere else, then the sale isn’t saving you anything. 
  • 6:40: Determine what some of your favorite meals cost. You may favor some really pricey meals and once you have that knowledge you may choose to eat those meals less frequently and rotate in some cheaper meals. 
  • 8:24: You may be able to get ground beef on sale, but if you always use it to make a meat-centric meal like burgers, you’ll use more than if you use it in a meat sauce over spaghetti. Using beans as your protein will bring the cost per meal way down. Here are some tips to stretch your meat and save money.

Start writing down the cost per meal for your favorite recipes. -Katie Kimball, KCRF Creator

 

 

  • 11:08: On the other end of grocery shopping is food waste. When you throw away food it’s basically like throwing away money. How can you set up systems and habits to use everything that you buy? How will you use up leftovers? If something is going bad you can often freeze it, but then you need to actually consume it later or you’re just delaying the throwing away. Here are more tips for reducing food waste.
  • 14:06: Cheese and other dairy is a common food people waste. If you look at the expiration date on cheese or sour cream it may be months away, but once you open it, you’ll only have 2-4 weeks to finish it. When you start to see mold on cheese, you can cut that off, but that’s a sign that you want to eat or freeze the rest of the cheese within the next day or two. The phrase I was trying to remember is “Use it up, wear it out, make do or do without.”
  • 16:45: I give a quick recap here if you need a summary of these 4 tips. 
  • 17:58: Listen to the experts! There are very smart people out there who have learned through lots of trial and error how to meal plan on a budget. 
  • 18:27: Some of Steph’s top tips are to be creative with what you find on sale, do the best with what you have, and lean into the real food you can afford instead of compromising with cheap processed food. Here’s my full interview with Steph.
  • 19:57: My friend Tiffany shares a sale you should always ignore! “Buy this get that free” sales are a red flag if you’re looking to stay on a tight budget. Here’s my full interview with Tiffany. 
  • 22:15: I’m considering making a course for teens that includes meal planning and grocery shopping on a budget. Please let me know in the comments if you’re interested in this course coming to fruition!

Resources We Mention for Meal Planning on a Budget