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Menu Planning- #134



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.  

The news is very scary at this time because of all the news of meat plants
shutting down, grocery stories limiting the amount of meat a family can
purchase and all of the talk about a depression on the horizon.    We have
decided to keep our grocery budget the same, but to economize any way we
can.     This week we tried to pick up some shrimp that was on sale, but the
store was out of shrimp and not expecting to get any more in.    We were
grateful to find wild caught salmon for the same price, so we picked that up
instead for our Mother’s Day Dinner.   
What did we spend? 
Week 1: $96.44
Kroger: $96.44
Rebates: $3.55
IBOTTA: $1.35
Kroger Cash: $0.45
Checkout 51: $1.75
Week 2- $99.34
Kroger: $99.34
Rebate: $2.69
IBOTTA: $2.44
Checkout 51: $0.25
Week 3-  $143.75
Kroger: $76.03
Aldi: $67.72
Rebate: $17.70
IBOTTA: $11.60
Kroger Cash: $5.00
Checkout 51: $0.25
Refund: $0.85
Week 4-$59.85
Giant Eagle: $18.00 (rounded up bc lost receipt) 
Kroger: $41.85
Rebate: $7.50
IBOTTA: $5.50
Kroger Cash: $2.00
Kroger Gift Card: $5.00 (Receipt mistake & forgotten coupons) 
Week 5: $101.49
Aldi: $91.00
CVS: $10.49
Rebate: $10.00
Listerine Rebate: $5.00
ECB: $5.00
           
Total: $501.02
Rebate Total: $41.44
Kroger Gift Card: $5.00
Final Total: $454.58
Grocery Shopping Tips:    One of our local grocery stores has a great price
on strawberries this week, so I am picking up several pounds. I am planning
on making some jam to last us throughout the next year and freezing several
pounds for smoothies. At the price of good jam and frozen fruit, I figure that I
am coming out ahead of the game.

Let’s take a look at what we ate this week. 
Breakfast Options: 
Yogurt
Bagels
Hard Boiled Eggs
Monday
Country Style Ribs
Corn on the Cob
Cole Slaw
Grilled Pineapple
Tuesday
Left Overs
Wednesday
Stuffed Shells 
Sausage
Salad
If you would like to checkout how to make gravy (AKA marinara sauce) then check out the link below: 


Thursday
Jambalaya
Green Beans
Salad 
Friday
Pizza
Salad
Saturday
Bratwurst
Green Beans
Sauerkraut
Pickles 
Sunday
Chicken Fajitas
Salad
Chips and Salsa
This week’s rough plan: 
M- Chicken Noodle Soup 
T- Burgers 
W- Ham
Th- Stir fry
F- Pizza 
Sat- Grilled Chicken
Sun- Mexican

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