Menu Planning #156

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: $500.00

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- $12.78

Kroger: $12.78

CVS:

Rebates:

IBOTTA: $2.60

Week 5 (Goal- $100.00)

Kroger:

CVS:

Rebates:
IBOTTA:

Total: $380.35

Rebate Total: $7.30

Final Total: $373.05

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: Check your receipt! Last week, I thought that I

spent a lot more than my original calculations, so I checked my receipt. The

store’s computer system failed to operate properly and only a small portion of my

discounts were applied. This week, when I asked about my receipt the store

immediately recognized the error and provided me with a gift card for the

amount that should have been discounted last week. As a result, I was able to

take advantage of a few sale items this week and even purchased a treat for my

son. The best thing is that I ended up under budget for the month!

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

Breakfast Options:

Yogurt

Cereal

Bagels

Monday

Leftover Soup

Sandwhiches

Tuesday

Tacos

Salad

Chips w/ Salsa

Wednesday

Mississippi Beef

Mashed Potatoes

Green Beans

Thursday

Leftover Mississippi Beef

Leftover Vegetables

Friday

French Bread Pizza

Stuffed Mushrooms

Jalapeno Poppers

Salad

Saturday

Buffalo Chicken

Roasted Potatoes

Salad

Sunday

Pasta

Salad

Bread

This week’s rough plan:

M- Dragon Noodles

T- Pizza

W- Pasta

TH- Turkey

F- Leftovers

Sat- Jambalaya

Sun- Turkey Soup

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

What is your family having this week for dinner?

Comments

Menu Planning: #245

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 preparation of these dishes may be higher due to inflation and/or location. March USDA Thrifty Food Plan ccording to this plan our family would have a budget of $186.20 per week. Given our health concerns, we struggle to maintain this budget, but I am going to try to make this happen. Cost Saving Tip of the Week: Check your sale flyers for loss leaders. Each week grocery stores advertise specific products at a great price to get you in the store. Recently, I have noticed a very specific time frame for getting these deals. Good luck and happy hunting. Here is what we did this week to make our week easier: Refrigerator Clean Out Pre-cut all vegetables for the week Pulled older items to the front for easier consumption C...

Menu Planning: #250

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 preparation of these dishes may be higher due to inflation and/or location. March USDA Thrifty Food Plan According to this plan our family would have a budget of $186.20 per week. Given our health concerns, we struggle to maintain this budget, but I am going to try to make this happen. Cost Saving Tip of the Week: When I purchase fruit for the week, it helps to calculate the cost per serving vs. the cost in general. For example, this week a whole watermelon was on sale for $3.99 each. When it is cut up, the watermelon will yield at least 20 servings which will place the cost per serving at $0.20. Here is what we did this week to make our week easier: Breakfast Options: Hard Boiled Eggs Yogurt Homemade Breakfast ba...

2025 Updated Breakfast Under $1.00

On the USDA Website, their thrifty grocery budgets range from $25.70 to $72.80 per week ($3.67 - $10.40 per day) per person. The two factors that determine the amount allocated are age and sex. With such a small amount of money allocated daily for food and my attempt to eat healthily, I need to plan each week carefully. With the Bird Flu hitting America hard recently, the egg is no longer a humble star but is turning into a luxury. A dozen eggs cost $5.49 or $0.46 each. At this price, I am looking at other options for breakfast. Breakfast is a great place to add value to your meal planning. It can be the cheapest or most expensive meal. The choice is up to you. NOTE: Prices are for the Northeast area for March 1, 2025 Let’s look at breakfasts that come in at or under $1.00. Beagle and Cream Cheese ($0.69 per serving) Kroger Prices Bagels (6ct)- $2...

The Sweet Life On A Budget

Search This Blog