Menu Planning: #254

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.

April USDA Low Food Plan

According to this plan, our family would have a budget of $191.80 per week. Given our health concerns, we struggle to maintain this budget, but I will try to make this happen.

Cost-Saving Tip of the Week: Cook once eat twice. This week I had a few personal goals that I wanted to accomplish, so planning and cooking needed to be streamlined, so we can get dinner on the table by 6:30 every night and decrease the number of times we eat out. My solution is to cook once and eat twice. We are cooking beef in the crock pot and eating it over salad another night. In addition, on pasta night, I am making extra pasta and turned it into a salad for lunches.

Here is what we did this week to make our week easier:

Breakfast Options:

Hard Boiled Eggs

Yogurt

Cereal

Monday

Mississippi Pot Roast

Salad

Vegetables w/ Dip

Tuesday

Fajitas

Salad

Chips w/ Salsa

Wednesday

Salad Topped w/ Beef

Thursday

Leftovers

Friday

Pasta

Homemade Gravy

Chicken Parmesan

Salad

Saturday

Steak

Salad

Broccoli

Sunday

Sandwiches

Salad

M- Salmon Cakes

T- Salmon Cakes W- Grilled Shrimp Th- Grilled Chicken Fri- Picnic Dinner Sat- Pizza Sun- Pork Chops * Indicate that the recipe is a new one for our family. The link is below if you are interested in last week’s Menu Plan.

What is your meal plan for this week?

Comments

Menu Planning #132

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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 ...

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...

The Sweet Life On A Budget

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