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Menu Plan #339

 

Menu Plan #339

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.  In addition, Mother’s Day is this month and we usually pick up a treat meal to make at home, so we avoid going out to celebrate.  Finally, graduation and Memorial Day is this month.     I am trying to absorb these events into my grocery budget but this may break my budget.   I am tracking my weekly spending to see how close we are able to get to the thrifty budget of $954.50.      


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:    

  • Leverage a store sale with a coupon:    This week Kroger had pork loin on sale for $1.99 per pound, and I stacked a $1.00 digital coupon on top of the sale. That little bit of savings brought my out‑of‑pocket cost down even further, and now I’ve got a pork loin that will stretch into several meals at a fantastic price.  


Budget Tracking: 

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

  • Week 2: $120.68

  • Week 3: $95.84 + $67.54= $166.38

  • Week 4: 55.68+ $54.24= $109.92

  • Week 5: $32.04 + $53.03 + $7.35 = $92.42


Running Total: $738.07

Savings:  $954.50- $738.07= $216.43


Although we came in under the USDA Thrifty Budget numbers, my per week average is higher than April.


April’s per week average= $125.48

May’s per week average= $147,62


June has 4 Sunday’s and I am going to try to keep the budget as low as possible.    According to the USDA’s Thrifty Budget numbers come in at $192.80 per week, but I think I can do better.      In addition, we are planning my son’s Court of Honor and that will be an additional expense to save for.      


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

  • Meal Plan 

  • Clean the Refrigerator

  • Brownies and Flat Bread

  • Make Yogurt

  • Pre-cook proteins for lunches (Chicken and Sausage)

  • Cut celery



Breakfast Options: 

Yogurt

Bagels w/ Cream Cheese

Avocado Toast


Lunch Options:

Left Overs

Grilled Chicken

Salads


Monday

Pork Chops

Roasted Potatoes

Broccoli and Cauliflower


Tuesday

Chicken Fajitas

Salad

Chips w/ Salsa


Wednesday

LO Chicken

Salad

Bread


Thursday

Sandwiches

Salad


Friday

Left Over 

Night


Saturday

Greek Chicken

Salad

Flat Bread


Sunday

 

Steak

Roasted Potatoes

Mushrooms

Salad



M- Shrimp Fried Rice

T-  Tacos

W- Sausage w/ Peppers & Onions

TH- Pork Chops

Fri- Cajun Chicken Pasta

Sat- Grilled Chicken

Sun- Salmon


* 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 #338


What is your meal plan for this week?


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