Loose Change Challenge: Family Dinner for Under $6!

Hello everybody. It’s time for another change challenge! If you’re not familiar, every now and then I take whatever coins are in my purse and see if I can buy dinner with them. 

This was inspired by my early days with Dusty when we’d pool the change from our pockets to get a meal.

1: Counting the change

Today, my purse had plenty of smashed souvenir pennies (which sadly aren’t edible), but after a bit of digging, and a 54-cent contribution from Dusty, I ended up with $5.93. That’s my dinner budget.

2: Choosing where to shop

Walmart is my go-to since it’s cheaper than other local stores like Ingles or Food City, and you can buy produce by the pound without overspending. Dollar Tree has gotten too pricey for what it offers, so Walmart it is.

3: In the store

At first, I looked at discounted meats, chicken, and sausages, but I wanted something different. With a small budget, pre-seasoned items can be a great way to add flavor without buying extra spices. 

After a lot of back-and-forth, I completely switched my plan and ended up with:

• 2 boxes Great Value shells & cheese – $0.58 each
• 1 lb ground turkey – $2.28
• 1 Roma tomato – $0.14
• 1 yellow onion – $0.40
• 8 oz sour cream – $1.24
• A few slices of American cheese – $0.55

Total: $5.77 — 16 cents under budget.

4: Cooking the meal

I diced the tomato and onion finely, cooking them with the ground turkey and some simple seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. 

Before adding water, I sautéed the pasta in the pan with the meat for 5 minutes to deepen the flavor. 

Then I added water, the cheese powder from both boxes, and let it simmer until the pasta was done. To finish, I stirred in half the sour cream and the deli cheese slices for creaminess. 

The result? A rich, cheesy pasta dish that everyone agreed was better than Hamburger Helper, even though it didn’t taste like it.

These little change challenges are such a fun way to stretch creativity in the kitchen. The coins sitting in your purse, pockets, or couch cushions can turn into a full meal. 

It may not technically be free, but it feels like it when it’s money you’ve forgotten about. Give it a try and see what you can make!

If you loved the idea of this change challenge, check out my 17 genius hacks to save money on groceries in 2025.