Budget-Friendly Meals is enjoyable

How much does a week's worth of groceries actually cost?

In bookstores, shelves are lined with books on saving money, and on search pages, it's one of the high-impression topics.

So, I decided to give it a go—me too!

In my household, I have two growing sons, which means two packed lunches and dinner for the three of us, including myself. My challenge? To create healthy and delicious meals while keeping costs in check!

A Week of Budget-Friendly Meals

Here’s what I managed to prepare for dinner while keeping the cost under 50 Swiss francs:

Curry (using all the bones after deboning a whole chicken)
Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl
Chicken Sandwiches
Rice Cooker Chicken Rice
Kenchin Soup (Japanese vegetable and tofu soup)
Croquettes
Omelette Rice with Potato Salad

Ingredients Purchased

Although I had to top up a few ingredients along the way, I managed to get through the week thanks to my chicken butchering skills!

Rice × 4 bags ( Migros 1Pack CHF 2.70）
Chicken × 2 packs （Lidl 1Pack CHF5.49）
Carrot × 1 + Snack carrots × 1 bag (Migros 1 carrot CHF 0.20, snack carrots Lidl 1 bag CHF 1.69)
Potatoes × 5kg (Lidl 1 bag of potatoes CHF 5.28)
Onions × 2kg (Lidl 1 bag of onions (2 kg) CHF 2.95)
Eggs × 10 (At the flower shop in Zug station, 1 egg costs CHF 0.60)
Broccoli × 1 (Migros 1 broccoli CHF 4.50)
Sausage × 1 (Migros 1 pack of sausages CHF 2.70)

Total CHF 45.10

Any leftover ingredients went straight into the freezer—no hesitation. I was fully committed, using everything down to the stems!

As for freezing, I briefly blanched the vegetables, drained them well, and then stored them in the freezer. This method was a lifesaver. Having prepped ingredients ready to go meant I could whip up something in no time—such a game-changer!

When it comes to meat, chicken takes centre stage in our household. It’s high in protein, low in calories, and packed with collagen—perfect for a balanced diet!

How to Butcher a Chicken

Since I started butchering the chicken myself, the grocery costs have dropped significantly. After thawing and using even the bones, the result was a delicious surprise—my soups turned out even tastier than usual!

The chicken I bought was amazing—1kg for just over 5 Swiss francs! It was incredibly fresh, and I feel very lucky to have come across it. By the way, if we convert Swiss francs to Japanese yen, it becomes quite the shock, but let’s stick to the mindset of 5 francs = 500 yen for simplicity!

I prepared a pair of kitchen scissors. Using them to butcher the chicken made the process much easier!

When butchering the chicken, I leave a bit of meat on the bones. This not only helps create a richer bouillon but also adds a little extra meat to the mix.

I continue breaking down the chicken like this, piece by piece.

The butchered chicken is then portioned according to the meal plan I had prepared for the week. Any pieces I don’t use right away are frozen for later.

By creating a meal plan for the week, I can significantly reduce my grocery expenses. Since I also have to prepare lunches, I plan everything at once, then head out for shopping. Any missing items are bought gradually as needed.

By the way, I live in Switzerland, and I had a hard time finding good-quality rice. However, this particular rice cooks perfectly in a Japanese rice cooker with the same water-to-rice ratio as Japanese rice.

Delicious rice for lunch boxes—it's something that's hard to find once you step outside Japan!

This is what my budget-friendly lunch boxes look like. They may not be cute or fancy, but the goal is simple—just to have a full stomach, enjoy the food, and keep it healthy.

Since I bought a large quantity of potatoes, I made potato salad and croquettes in advance and stored them in the freezer. The night before, I move them to the fridge to thaw, and it makes preparing the lunch boxes in the morning much easier!

By using up pre-made dishes and leftover pasta like this, I was able to easily put together a regular lunch box.

※The spinach was previously frozen.

Spending just 50 Swiss francs for a week has become a habit now. I’ve really gotten into saving money! If I buy fruits or ice cream, it might slightly exceed 50 Swiss francs, but it’s so much fun.

First, by roughly writing out the meal plan for the week, you can clearly see the necessary expenses.

I’m offering a free downloadable memo to help you easily create a weekly meal plan!