Skip to main content

Menu Plan #338

 

Menu Plan #338

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 March 2026:  USDA Thrifty Food Plan

According to this plan, our family’s weekly budget is $190.90.  Since May  has 5 Sundays, our monthly budget is $954.50.   My son is hosting a game night which we need to provide 7 teens with dinner, snacks and dessert.  I am trying to absorb this event into my grocery budget, but it may break my budget.   I am tracking my weekly spending to see how close we are able to get to the thrifty budget.   Currently, I budget $200 per week.    


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:    

  • Shop Intentionally:  Last month I really leaned into intentional shopping to keep my grocery spending under control, and it paid off. I spent $501.89 compared to the USDA’s thrifty budget of $764.40, which means I saved $262.51 just by being more mindful about what I bought. 


Budget Tracking: 

  • Week 1: Kroger: $38.56 + $40.80 + $48.11 +Costco: 104.88 + Meijer: $16.32 = $248.67


Running Total: $248.67


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

  • Meal Plan 

  • Clean the Refrigerator

  • Plant to use perishables in the meal plan

  • Pancakes

  • Oatmeal Bake

  • Black bean and Corn Salad


Breakfast Options: 

Yogurt

Pancakes

Oatmeal Bake

Avocado Toast


Lunch Options:

Left Overs

Sandwiches

Salads


Monday

Pork Chops

Roasted Potatoes

Broccoli

Sauteed Apples


Tuesday

Tacos

Salad

Chips w/ Salsa


Wednesday

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Salad

Bread


Thursday

Sausage

Stuffed Shells

Salad


Friday

Fajitas

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Cilantro Lime Rice 

Chips w/ Salsa


Saturday

Greek Chicken

Salad

Flat Bread


Sunday

 

Dinner Bowls

LO Rice

Bean Salad



M- Pork Chops

T-  Tacos

W- Cajun Chicken Pasta

TH- Sammies

Fri- Pizza

Sat- Greek Chicken

Sun- Bratwurst 


* Indicate that this recipe is new to our family.    

Flexible Meals indicate using up what is in our refrigerator and/or pantry. 


If you are interested in last week’s Plan,  the link is below. 


Menu Plan #337


What is your meal plan for this week?


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

Crocktober Day 3==> Sloppy Joes

  The leaves are turning colors and starting to drop.   In addition, the weather is turning cool and October is Crock Pot Month. So dust off your slow cookers and start using them to help get dinner on the table this month.     My slow cooker is a big asset and gets a lot of use over the fall and winter months.    When it is cold outside I use my slow cooker to make soups, stews, sauces, and one-pot meals.      Since school is in full swing, I can get my dinner going in the morning when I have more time.   Then, dinner is done when I am exhausted and this avoids the desire to eat out.    Crocktober is a challenge, to use your crock pot every day in October.    Although I will not use my crock pot daily, I will use it more this month and post several recipes.    Come along for the month and see what is cooking.    Day 3 Our third recipe is homemade Barbeque or Sloppy Joe....
Post a Comment
Read more