The Sweet Life On A Budget

  Menu Plan #320 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 June 2025:  USDA Thrifty Food Plan According to this plan, our family has a weekly budget of $189.40. Since  August has 5 weeks, our monthly budget is $947.00.   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:     Work towards a zero-waste kitchen.   By utilizing the food we have already purchased, we reduce future grocery bills.    For example, I found 3 very ripe bananas, so I made banana bread for breakfast.    Here is what we did this week to make our...

  Menu Plan #319 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 June 2025:  USDA Thrifty Food Plan According to this plan, our family has a weekly budget of $189.30. Since June has 5 weeks, our monthly budget is $946.50.   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:     Sales Cycles: Sales run in cycles, much like the weather or seasons.     Systematically, I purchase multiple sale items to hold me over until the next sale cycle, ensuring I consistently buy items at their lowest prices.    Back-to-school shopping has already beg...

  Menu Plan #318 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 June 2025:  USDA Thrifty Food Plan According to this plan, our family has a budget of $189.30 weekly. Since June has 5 weeks, our monthly budget is $946.50.   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:     Where you shop is becoming increasingly important in saving money. Grocery stores are becoming tricky with their pricing and policies, so I will create a grocery shopping list and then price-check every store on my route. Knowing the price point of every item on the list is helpful ...