$10 Dinner: How to Make ‘Egg Rolls in a Bowl’ for $9.30

Like many families right now, we’re doing our best to stretch our grocery budget as far as possible. At the same time, I try hard to find meals that are tasty, filling and a little bit fun for my kids, husband and myself.

As a finance writer for over 20 years, I’ve helped uncover the cheapest places to buy groceries, reveal the mysteries of dynamic pricing, and shared how to grocery shop on a budget. But few experiences are more empowering than walking out of my local supermarket knowing that dinner for my whole family cost less than 10 bucks.

This week, I challenged myself to make one of our family favorites—egg rolls in a bowl with rice—for just $10. I wanted to prove that, even with inflation, it’s possible to shop smart and put a satisfying family dinner on the table for less than the cost of a single takeout order.

This Week’s $10 Dinner: Egg Rolls in a Bowl

The veggie-packed meal I chose is based on this 25-minute egg roll in a bowl recipe from Taste Recipes contributor Sue Mitchell. It’s a lighter take on classic egg rolls, which works well for our family since I’m trying to eat healthier. (My husband and kids enjoy the rice, but I skip it—stretching the meal even further.) And as a busy mom of three who works full time, I appreciate any recipe with fast preparation and cooking times.

To keep the meal budget-friendly, I simplified the ingredient list and purchased store-brand products. Instead of ground chicken, I used ground beef that was on sale. I also picked up store-brand rice, and all the produce I selected was part of the store’s weekly sales. Finally, I didn’t buy any extra ingredients like soy sauce, sesame oil and minced garlic because I had those staple items at home in my refrigerator.

How We Shopped for the Meal

Here’s a look at what I picked up to feed five people for just $9.30:

• 1 pound of 73% lean ground beef ($5.79/lb.)—$5.91
• One organic green cabbage ($2.96/lb.)—$1.75 (after store discount)
• One 12-ounce bag white rice—$0.89 (after store discount)
• One small yellow onion ($0.99/lb.)—$0.75

Total: $9.30

If you’re counting, my total grocery bill for the meal was actually under $10. I was able to stay within my target budget for a few reasons. First, my state doesn’t charge sales tax on most unprepared food items. Second, I already had some basic ingredients at home like soy sauce, sesame oil and a jar of minced garlic, which helped me save even more money. These kinds of staples go a long way toward building budget-friendly meals without sacrificing flavor.

Shopping Tips That Made Our $10 Meal Work

If you want to try shopping for your own budget-friendly meal, here are a few of my favorite tips:

• Check sales first: I checked weekly circulars to find the best prices on expensive items like ground beef before heading to the store. Grocery shopping apps like Flipp make it easy to search for local grocery sales right from my smartphone.
• Opt for store brands: Every item I bought was from the store brand, and no one in my family could taste the difference.
• Use what you have: I always build meals around the ingredients in my pantry. This habit is a huge money-saver week after week.

Final Thoughts

Pulling off a $10 dinner in 2025 isn’t always easy. But with a little planning and creativity, it is possible. If you want to try making low-cost meals of your own (without skimping on flavor), try simple tricks like shopping store sales, buying store brands, and shopping your pantry first to work with ingredients you already have at home.

Egg roll in a bowl checks all of those boxes for me. It’s a budget-friendly and flavorful meal. This family-favorite recipe makes enough food to fill everyone up, and even offers seconds or leftovers for the next day.