Weekly meal plan on a budget
A complete 7-day meal plan with shopping list and real prices. Feed a family of 4 for $100-140 per week.
You can feed a family of 4 for $100 to $140 a week at ALDI, or $120 to $160 at Coles and Woolworths. Here's exactly how: a 7-day meal plan with shopping list, portion sizes, and real prices that work.
The meal plan strategy
This plan saves money three ways: buy in bulk at discount supermarkets, cook once eat twice (Sunday and Wednesday dinners stretch into next day's lunches), and freeze half the bolognese for next week.
Monday: Spaghetti bolognese
Brown 500g beef mince with onion, garlic, and two tins of tomatoes. Mix through 500g spaghetti. Makes 4 generous serves plus 1 extra serve to freeze.
Cost: $10-12 total. About $2.50-3 per serve.
Tuesday lunch: leftover bolognese in a roll.
Tuesday: Chicken stir-fry with rice
Slice 600g chicken thighs, stir-fry with frozen mixed vegetables (1kg pack lasts the week). Serve on 300g cooked rice.
Cost: $10-13 total. About $2.50-3.25 per serve.
Wednesday lunch: leftover stir-fry in a wrap.
Wednesday: Sausages and mash with frozen peas
Bake 1kg sausages, boil 1kg potatoes and mash with butter and milk, heat frozen peas. The quickest dinner of the week.
Cost: $8-11 total. About $2-2.75 per serve.
Thursday: Tuna pasta bake
Mix cooked pasta with two tins of tuna, onion, frozen peas, white sauce (butter, flour, milk), top with cheese. Bake at 180C for 20 minutes.
Cost: $9-11 total. About $2.25-2.75 per serve.
Friday lunch: leftover tuna bake.
Friday: Homemade pizza
Pizza dough (plain flour, water, yeast, salt costs under $2). Top with tomato sauce, cheese, leftover vegetables, and ham or bacon. Bake at 220C for 12-15 minutes.
Cost: $10-14 total. About $2.50-3.50 per serve.
Saturday: Chicken curry with rice
Curry powder, coconut milk, onion, 600g chicken thighs, served on rice. Make it mild or spicy to suit the family.
Cost: $12-15 total. About $3-3.75 per serve.
Sunday lunch: leftover curry.
Sunday: Roast chicken with vegetables
Roast a 1.5kg chicken with potatoes, carrots, and broccoli at 200C for 1 hour 15 minutes. The biggest dinner spend but makes 4 good serves plus stock for next week's soups.
Cost: $14-18 total. About $3.50-4.50 per serve.
Breakfast, lunch, and snacks
Breakfast all week: toast with butter or jam, cereal, or porridge. Cost: $10-15 total.
Lunch all week: sandwiches and leftovers from dinner (every day except Monday and Friday has a lunch built in). Plus fresh fruit. Cost: $15-20 total.
Snacks: apples, bananas, yoghurt, crackers. Cost: $8-12 total.
Complete shopping list with prices
Prices from ALDI May 2026 (Coles and Woolies run 15-20 percent higher on most items):
| Item | Qty | ALDI price |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken thighs | 1.5 kg | $14-16 |
| Beef mince | 1 kg | $9-11 |
| Sausages | 1 kg | $6-8 |
| Tinned tuna | 2 tins | $2-3 |
| Pasta | 2 x 500g | $2-3 |
| Rice | 1 kg | $2-3 |
| Tinned tomatoes | 4 tins | $3-4 |
| Frozen mixed vegetables | 1 kg | $3-4 |
| Potatoes | 2 kg | $2-3 |
| Onions | 1 kg (4-5 bulbs) | $1.50-2 |
| Carrots | 1 kg | $1.50-2 |
| Broccoli | 2 heads | $3-4 |
| Eggs | 1 dozen | $3-4 |
| Milk | 2 L | $2.50-3 |
| Bread | 2 loaves | $2.50-3.50 |
| Butter | 500g | $4-5 |
| Cheese | 250g | $3-4 |
| Cereal | 500g | $2-3 |
| Yoghurt | 1 kg tub | $2-3 |
| Fruit (apples, bananas, oranges) | 2-3 kg | $6-8 |
| Flour, yeast, salt, spices | Pantry items | $5-7 |
Total at ALDI: $100-140 per week. Total at Coles or Woolworths: $120-160.
How to actually save money on this plan
Shop at ALDI. ALDI runs 15-20 percent cheaper than Coles and Woolworths on everyday proteins, vegetables, and staples. That difference alone saves you $15-30 a week for a family of 4.
Buy meat on special. Chicken thighs and sausages go on special every 3-4 weeks. Beef mince drops $2-3 per kilo regularly. Plan around what's cheap that week rather than forcing the menu. This plan works with any protein swap.
Use the freezer. Freeze half the bolognese (Monday), half the curry (Saturday), and the extra chicken stock from Sunday. Next week you've got 2 free lunches and a soup base. That's $6-8 saved immediately.
Buy frozen vegetables instead of fresh. Frozen peas, mixed vegetables, and broccoli cost half what fresh cost, last longer, and have just as many nutrients. The stir-fry and sausages and mash dinners both rely on frozen veg.
Don't buy premium brands. ALDI's home brand milk, pasta, rice, tinned tomatoes, and tuna are identical to Coles/Woolies equivalents in taste and quality. Same for butter and cheese. Save the good brands for things that actually matter.
Meal prep on Wednesday night and Sunday afternoon. Chop all vegetables at once. Cook the big proteins when you cook dinner. This stops you buying takeaway when you're tired.
What if your family has allergies or dislikes?
The structure is more important than the specific meals. You want one big protein dinner every day (sausages, chicken, beef, tuna, fish). You want rice or pasta as a base. You want frozen vegetables as a filler. Swap Monday's bolognese for roast pork. Swap Thursday's tuna bake for baked fish. Swap Saturday's curry for beef stew. The costs stay roughly the same and the freezer strategy still works.
Track your actual spend
This plan is a guide, not a budget guarantee. Prices shift based on what's on special and where you shop. Track what you actually spend each week. If you're over budget, look at which protein you bought (usually the biggest line item) and wait for that to go on special next week. If you're under budget, buy extra fruit or frozen vegetables for snacks. The goal is eating well for less, not hitting a number exactly.
The bottom line
A family of 4 can eat well for $100-140 a week in Australia. The secret is shopping at ALDI, buying meat on special, cooking twice a week and freezing half, and using frozen vegetables. This plan does all three.
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