Welcome to Thrifty Budget Plates, where you can discover authentic Southern dishes on a tight budget! This site was created as a way to showcase real budget-friendly dishes. Many times, several of the budget friendly recipes online require expensive ingredients that are hard to find or are no longer keeping up with the rising prices in groceries.

Here, we test and prepare kid-approved dishes that are from products that are always cost effective in whatever economy you are in.

Also, with the rise in prices at the grocery store, many people are turning to cheaper alternatives, but those alternatives can get old fast. Like corn muffins, rice, beans, lentils. All of these are probably what you’re thinking of when you think of eating on a budget. Tight money means bland food and that’s just not true.

People in the South make insanely delicious meals like gumbo on a dime very often. The base for a roux for the gumbo is just equal parts fat and flour. Whatever you want to add to the roux after that, well that’s up to you! It’s the beautiful part of making things like gumbo. You can make shrimp or sausage gumbo. You can even make vegetarian gumbo with beans and mushrooms. Whatever you want. Regardless of what you make, it’ll be something hearty, feeding you and your family for days.

And then there are canned biscuits! Did you know that you can make New Orleans style Beignets in your air fryer or oven with just some canned biscuits and a little powdered sugar? ‘

The options for cheap meals are endless and this website is designed to help you eat full meals rather than just winging it on a busy weeknight when your kids are demanding more than things you’ve made several times.

Our hope for you is that you find inspiration, not only with these meals, but inspiration to elevate your kitchen and instill in you confidence and peace of mind, knowing that you or your family are satisfied.