Menu Planning- #130

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Our meals need to be nutritious, clean, flexible, quick and cost effective.
Between our work schedules and after school activities, we need to carefully
plan our meals so that we do not end up ordering out.  
Our family has made a decision to purchase items for our pantry in addition to
what we needed for the week.    Therefore, we budgeted $200.00 this month
for this purpose.     In addition, we have noticed food price inflation  in our area
along with scarcity of particular products.    When we inquired about the scare
items, we were told  that the grocery store was trying to stock it, but was
unable to get it.    Therefore, when we find this item, regardless of if it is on our
grocery list, we pick it up.   
What did we spend? 
Week 1: $98.80
Aldi: $98.80
Rebates: $0.20
Week 2 
We skipped shopping this week because of the request for everyone to
be very vigilant about staying at home. 
Rebate: 
Week 3-  $298.54
Aldi: $151.66
Kroger: $146.88
Rebate: $6.20
IBOTTA: $2.95
Kroger Cash: $2.75
Checkout 51: $0.50
Week 4- $71.40
          Aldi: $71.40
Rebate:
Checkout 51: $0.75
IBOTTA:  $1.99
Total: $468.74
Rebate Total: $9.14
Final Total: $459.60

Grocery Shopping Tips:    I have started attaching prices to each one of my
items on the list.    This way I know how much money I will be spending and
can adjust my menu plan and grocery list prior to heading out to the store.   I
also have a back up list, so if there are items unavailable, I can swap out items
on my list easily.   
Let’s take a look at what we ate this week. 
Breakfast Options: 
Hard Boiled Eggs
Oatmeal Bake
Monday
Turkey Noodle Soup


Tuesday
Tacos
Salad
Chips and Salsa 
Wednesday
Jambalaya
Thursday
Pasta
Salad
Friday
Pizza
Salad
Saturday 
Grilled Sausage
Peppers and Onions
Stuffed Mushrooms
Salad
Sunday
Chicken Parmesan 
Pasta
Salad


This week’s rough plan: 
M- * Instant Pot Jambalaya 
T-  Black Bean Burgers & Hamburger
W-Black Bean Burgers & Hamburger
Th-*Chicken Marsala
F-Pizza 
Sat-  Chili
Sun- Kielbasa 

* Indicate that the recipe is a new one for our family.   

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