Skip to main content

Menu Planning #155

 


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.  We try hard to keep our

total food and household products to under $100.00 per week.  


Goal: $400.00 

What did we spend? 


Week 1- $127.50

Kroger: $44.77

Aldi: $82.73

Rebates

IBOTTA: 


Week 2- $53.15

Kroger: $19.82

Meijer: $33.33

Rebates: 

IBOTTA: 


Week 3-186.92

Kroger: $166.42

Meijer: $20.50

Rebates: 

IBOTTA:$4.70


Week 4- (Goal - $32.43)

Kroger: 

CVS: 

Rebates: 

IBOTTA: 


Total: $367.57

Rebate Total: $4.70

Final Total:


NOTE: Rebate total DOESN’T include Kroger Cash or Refunds because they

will come off of the Kroger Bill automatically the following week.   In addition, I

don’t count CVS as part of the grocery bill because I normally use gift cards and

ECB to get my items for free, so in the end the money is usually to my benefit.   


Grocery Shopping Tips:    This week was an incredible Thanksgiving sale on

canned vegetables, broth, hot chocolate, cereal, etc.     Kroger also ran a special

that when you purchased $125.00 worth of groceries, you got a turkey for free.  

  I took advantage of the rock bottom prices and picked up my Thanksgiving

Turkey for FREE!  Now this will leave next week’s budget a little slim, but our

pantry is full, so I am not worried. 


In addition, I saved a little bit from my budget last week because they were out of

tissues and wanted to take advantage of the Meijer’s 10/10 get 1 free sale which

was continued this week.   This week they had some, so I picked up a bunch.  

Yippie!  


Let’s take a look at what we ate this week. 



Breakfast Options: 


Yogurt

Cereal

Bagels


Monday

Kielbasa

Peppers and Onions

Roasted Potatoes


Tuesday

Tacos

Salad

Chips w/ Salsa

 

Wednesday


Jambalaya

Salad


Thursday

Jambalaya

Salad



Friday


Pizza

Stuffed Mushrooms

Jalapeno Poppers

Salad


Saturday


Smoked Pork Loin

Cole Slaw

Roasted Potatoes

Green Beans 


Sunday

Broccoli Soup

Choice of Salad



This week’s rough plan: 


M- Soup and Sandwiches

T- Enchilada Casserole *

W- Mississippi Roast 

TH- Leftover Night w/ Salad

F- Pizza

Sat- Hamburgers

Sun- Pasta


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


What is your family having this week for dinner?


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Menu Planning #132

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 ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Menu Plan #322

  NOTE-  1- Click on the picture and get a link to a post sharing the recipe.  2- Although all prices were correct at the time of the blog postings, the current cost of these dishes may be higher due to inflation and/or location.      Published September 2025:  USDA Thrifty Food Plan According to this plan, our family has a weekly budget of $190.50. Since  October has 5 weeks, our monthly budget is $952.50.   We elevate our dining experiences by including fresh fruits, vegetables, and higher-quality meats.  Since our family has specific dietary needs, we limit our consumption of highly processed food.   Grocery Shopping Tip:     Rethink lunchmeat.     The deli will provide you with thin-sliced meat or presliced deli meat, but you will pay a premium per pound.     ($6.49 to $15.00 per pound) However, if you buy a ½ boneless ham (unsliced or presliced), the price point will drop to between ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Frugal Five: #133

  With inflation rising and salaries staying the same, our ability to make ends meet is becoming increasingly difficult. Therefore, we must be more careful with our money. The Frugal Five is a series that celebrates the daily or weekly activities that help us live a frugal life.     This year, my focus is on Simple Abundance , so finding ways to live well while staying on budget will be challenging.    Come along and enjoy my journey of elevating joy, enjoying what you have, and finding luxury in my local area.    1- Giving Back to the Community  Supporting your community can take countless shapes. Some people choose to write a check, and that generosity absolutely matters. But many outreach efforts require more than funding—they need time, hands, and hearts willing to show up. I’m grateful that I’m able to participate in several programs that make a real difference for the people around me. One of the most meaningful ways I give b...
Post a Comment
Read more