Grocery prices aren’t exactly retreating. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that food-at-home prices were still 2.2% higher in August 2026 than a year earlier, while bread was up 3.8% and rice prices were up 4.7%. If a couple normally spends $25 getting takeout but replaces just two dinners a week with $10 grocery-store meals, that’s a $30 weekly difference—or about $1,560 over a year. Obviously that doesn’t account for cooking costs or every possible takeout expense, but it immediately explains why this challenge matters.
With grocery prices still putting pressure on household budgets, a $10 dinner for two can sound almost impossible. It becomes more realistic, however, when you build meals around inexpensive staples instead of buying several specialty ingredients. We looked at current grocery prices and built seven simple dinner carts designed to feed two people for about $10 or less. The examples focus on ingredients that can be used in complete meals rather than expensive convenience foods. Prices vary by store and location, but the exercise shows that a small grocery budget can still produce several different dinners.
How we priced the challenge: We used current Kroger online prices available on 9/21/2026 and chose store-brand products where possible. Prices vary by location and can change without notice. We counted the full checkout price of every item needed unless noted as a pantry staple, rather than pretending we could buy 37 cents’ worth of rice or half a loaf of bread.
1. Pasta Night Can Stay Well Under $10
Pasta is one of the easiest ways to build a low-cost dinner because the main ingredient can be surprisingly inexpensive. Current Kroger listings show 16-ounce packages of Kroger spaghetti, penne, rotini, and other pasta varieties at $1.33 each. Add a jar of inexpensive pasta sauce, a small amount of ground meat or a can of beans, and you can create a dinner for two without spending the entire $10. If you already have basic seasonings or cooking oil at home, the cost can drop even further. A full pound of pasta also provides enough food for leftovers in many households.
THE $10 CART
Kroger spaghetti, 16 oz. — $1.33
Kroger tomato basil pasta sauce, 24 oz. — $2.00
Kroger canned beans, 15.5 oz. — about $1.00
Kroger frozen broccoli cuts, 12 oz. — $1.29
Cart total: about $5.62
Cost per person: about $2.81
What you’ll have left: Depending on portions, potentially pasta, sauce and broccoli for another meal.
2. Chicken and Rice Can Make a Filling Dinner
Chicken and rice is another combination that works well when you are trying to stretch a grocery budget. Instead of buying a prepared chicken-and-rice meal, shoppers can purchase basic rice and a smaller package of chicken, then add an inexpensive vegetable. Current Kroger listings show 8.8-ounce microwaveable rice pouches for $1.49, although traditional dry rice can provide even more servings for the money. Frozen vegetables or a sale-priced canned vegetable can complete the meal without pushing the total too high. The key is using rice as the base and treating the chicken as one part of the meal rather than the entire plate.
THE $10 CART
About 1½ pounds chicken breast at $1.99/lb. — about $2.99
Microwave rice pouch — $1.49
Kroger frozen mixed vegetables, 32 oz. — $3.19
Cart total: about $7.67
Cost per person: about $3.84
What you’ll have left: A substantial portion of the 32-ounce vegetable bag, and possibly chicken depending on serving size.
3. Beans and Rice May Be the Budget Champion
Beans and rice remain one of the simplest combinations for feeding two people inexpensively. Kroger currently lists several store-brand canned beans at about $1, including 15.5-ounce cans of pinto, kidney, black, and cannellini beans. Pairing those beans with rice, seasoning, and an inexpensive vegetable can create a complete dinner for well below $10. You can also add cheese, salsa, or another topping if the budget allows. Because both rice and beans can provide multiple servings, this cart can stretch beyond a single dinner.
THE $10 CART
Kroger black beans, 15.5 oz. — $1.00
Store-brand tortillas — about $2–$2.50
Kroger Mexican-style shredded cheese, 8 oz. — $2.00
Rice pouch — $1.49
Fresh Roma tomato — about $0.24
Cart total: roughly $6.73–$7.23
Cost per person: roughly $3.37–$3.62
4. Breakfast for Dinner Can Save Money
Eggs, potatoes, and toast can create another inexpensive dinner when traditional dinner foods are getting too expensive. The basic idea is simple: prepare scrambled eggs or an omelet, add roasted or skillet potatoes, and serve toast or another inexpensive side. The exact cost depends heavily on current egg prices, so shoppers should check the carton price before deciding whether this is the right week for an egg-based dinner. Adding vegetables that are already on sale can also make the meal more substantial. Breakfast for dinner works particularly well when you already have butter, oil, seasoning, or bread at home.
THE $10 CART
Kroger large eggs, 12 count — $1.79
Russet potatoes, 5-pound bag — $1.99 with current pickup/delivery offer
Kroger classic white bread, 20 oz. — $1.99
Cart total: $5.77
Cost per person: $2.89
What you’ll have left: Most of the eggs, potatoes and bread—enough ingredients to contribute to several additional meals.
5. Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Still Works
A grilled cheese dinner can also fit a $10 budget when you choose basic ingredients. A loaf of store-brand bread, inexpensive cheese, and a can of tomato soup can provide enough food for two people, with bread and cheese potentially leaving ingredients for another meal. The trick is avoiding premium cheeses and specialty breads when your goal is to keep the entire cart below $10. You can also add a piece of fruit or a simple vegetable if the prices work. This is a good example of how familiar pantry staples can create a complete meal without requiring a long ingredient list.
THE $10 CART
Kroger classic white bread, 20 oz. — $1.99
Kroger shredded cheese, 8 oz. — $2.00 current price cut
Campbell’s condensed tomato soup — $1.99
2 inexpensive apples or another sale fruit — about $2–$3
Cart total: roughly $7.98–$8.98
Cost per person: roughly $3.99–$4.49
What you’ll have left: Bread and cheese for sandwiches, toast or another meal.
6. Frozen Foods Can Work When You Find the Right Deal
Frozen foods are not always the cheapest option, but sales can make certain products work within a small dinner budget. Current Kroger listings show some frozen family-style meals at $10, while other frozen entrées and sides can cost considerably less. A better strategy is to combine one inexpensive frozen entrée with a low-cost side rather than buying two individual frozen meals. Frozen vegetables, rice, and pasta sides can also help turn a smaller entrée into a dinner for two. Checking weekly promotions can make this strategy more practical.
THE $10 CART
Kroger pasta, 16 oz. — $1.33
Kroger tomato basil pasta sauce, 24 oz. — $2.00
Frozen meatballs — budget about $4–$5 for the least-expensive suitable package
Kroger frozen broccoli cuts, 12 oz. — $1.29
Target cart total: about $8.62–$9.62
Target cost per person: about $4.31–$4.81
What you’ll have left: Likely pasta, sauce and possibly meatballs depending on package size.
7. Red Beans and Rice Can Stretch Even Further
A prepared red beans and rice product can provide a shortcut when you want an inexpensive meal without starting from scratch. Kroger currently lists its 90 Second Red Beans & Rice at $1.49, while other rice-and-bean products are also available for around $2. You could pair one or two packages with a vegetable, cornbread mix, or another inexpensive side to create dinner for two. Buying dry rice and canned beans separately can be even more economical when you have time to cook. Either way, beans and rice give shoppers plenty of flexibility when the goal is to keep dinner inexpensive.
THE $10 CART
Kroger 90 Second Red Beans & Rice — $1.49
Second Red Beans & Rice pouch — $1.49
Cornbread mix — about $1
Kroger frozen green beans, 12 oz. — $1.29
Cart total: roughly $5.27
Cost per person: roughly $2.64
What you’ll have left: Depending on the cornbread package and portions, potentially extra cornbread and vegetables.
The Trick Is Building Around Cheap Staples
The biggest lesson from these seven carts is that the $10 budget works best when you build the meal around ingredients that provide multiple servings. Pasta, rice, beans, potatoes, bread, and certain frozen vegetables can serve as inexpensive foundations. Current Kroger listings show several examples of these staples selling for around $1 to $2, although prices and promotions can change. Once you have those basics, a relatively small amount of meat, cheese, sauce, or another ingredient can turn them into a complete dinner. The strategy becomes much harder when every component of the meal is a premium or convenience product.
What surprised us most: None of these meals required spending the full $10. Several left enough of the budget—and enough unused ingredients—to contribute to another meal. That’s where the savings become more meaningful: a $7 dinner that leaves half a loaf of bread, eight eggs, several pounds of potatoes or part of a bag of frozen vegetables isn’t really just one $7 dinner.
A $10 Dinner Is Still Possible With Some Planning
Feeding two people for $10 is not as simple as it may have been when grocery prices were lower, but it is still possible with careful shopping. The seven examples above show that pasta, chicken and rice, beans and rice, breakfast foods, grilled cheese, frozen meals, and red beans and rice can all provide inexpensive starting points. Current store prices confirm that several basic ingredients remain relatively affordable, particularly when shoppers choose store brands and compare unit prices. The biggest savings usually come from building several meals around the same inexpensive ingredients rather than buying completely different products for every dinner.
Before your next grocery trip, pick one or two inexpensive staples and build your dinner around them. You may be surprised by how many meals you can create when you start with the cheapest ingredients instead of the most expensive ones.
What To Read Next
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The post Could You Feed Two People Dinner for $10? We Built 7 Grocery Carts to Find Out appeared first on Grocery Coupon Guide.
