I'm excited this week because I have a low cost menu plan worked out. And it's good food, too. Not only does this save me a ton of money, but it also helps so much to know what we'll be eating. For years and years I just bought all kinds of ingredients to have in the pantry/freezer, and would decide what to make each day based on what we had. It worked most of the time, but didn't save any money and took way more time. And when we are all busy going different directions, having a plan means one less thing to worry about. We also tend to eat out less when the menu is pre-planned.
One of the biggest savings comes from it being actually easier to eat at home when meals are planned than it is to eat out. Eating out now takes more time, more money, is more stressful, and generally is not as good. We do still like to eat out on special occasions or when we are away from the house for an extended period of time.
To buy all the ingredients this week would be around $55 for my family of 5. However, I had some of the stuff already. The menu plan and grocery list with prices are here.
To see what is working for others, go here.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
A Week's Menu for $50! (included shopping list)
Usually, I don't include lunches in our menu plans because we eat most of our lunches at school or at work and we don't all eat the same things. See this post about packing lunches for examples of the lunches we pack. This weeks dinner menu below will cover most of our lunches for the week since all the recipes will have a generous amount of leftovers after our family of 5 eats dinner.
For breakfast, we eat a lot of cereal (purchased free or nearly free when Safeway has it on sale and I have coupons), oatmeal, pancakes, homemade bread, and homemade muffins. We'll limit this to only a few items for this week to keep the cost down.
This week's dinner menu is fairly kid friendly. My kids will eat most dinners, but these are some of their favorites.
Most items should be easily found at Walmart for this price. If not, pick a few items at Dollar Tree if needed. It does end up being a little over $50, but most of us will already have at least a few of the items on hand. For an entire week's groceries, starting completely from scratch with nothing in the pantry, $54 is pretty good!
Breakfasts
eggs
homemade bread
muffins
milk (from powdered)
Lunches
leftovers with carrot sticks, fruit, pretzels
Snacks
applesauce
pretzels
crackers/chips
bread
muffins
leftovers
Dinners
Sloppy Joes and peas, $4.70
Chicken -n- Dumplings, $5.50
Chili, $4.50
Homemade Pizza and applesauce, $6.75 (including 3 big cheese pizzas)
Scalloped Tuna/Potato casserole, vegetable, $2.75
Spaghetti, Corn, $4 (with 1/2 lb. ground beef, $3 without)
Brown beans, homemade bread, vegetables, $2.50
Shopping List, $
eggs, 2
flour, 2
powdered milk, 4
yeast, 4
salt, 1
pepper, 1
chili powder, .50
margarine, .60
baking powder, 1.10
large bag carrots, 2 (for carrot sticks and grate up the rest to add to the recipes, will also add any leftover veggies in the freezer if they mesh well with the recipes)
fresh fruit, 4
pretzels, 1
canned, fresh, or frozen veggies for 5 meals, 3 (my family doesn't eat a *ton* of these, so I usually make sure there are veggies included in the main dish as well)
2 packages chips/crackers, 2
applesauce, 2
2.5 lbs. ground beef, 5
1 lb. chicken thighs, 2
2 16 oz. cans tomato sauce, 1.50
2 cans spaghetti sauce, 2
spaghetti noodles, 1.25
peas, 1.50
onion, .25
cream of chicken soup, 1.25 (one large can)
4 pack refrigerated biscuits, 2
dried chili beans, .90
dried brown beans, .90
mozzarella cheese, $5
tuna, .75
Total, $54!!!
For more menus, visit Organizing Junkie.
For breakfast, we eat a lot of cereal (purchased free or nearly free when Safeway has it on sale and I have coupons), oatmeal, pancakes, homemade bread, and homemade muffins. We'll limit this to only a few items for this week to keep the cost down.
This week's dinner menu is fairly kid friendly. My kids will eat most dinners, but these are some of their favorites.
Most items should be easily found at Walmart for this price. If not, pick a few items at Dollar Tree if needed. It does end up being a little over $50, but most of us will already have at least a few of the items on hand. For an entire week's groceries, starting completely from scratch with nothing in the pantry, $54 is pretty good!
Breakfasts
eggs
homemade bread
muffins
milk (from powdered)
Lunches
leftovers with carrot sticks, fruit, pretzels
Snacks
applesauce
pretzels
crackers/chips
bread
muffins
leftovers
Dinners
Sloppy Joes and peas, $4.70
Chicken -n- Dumplings, $5.50
Chili, $4.50
Homemade Pizza and applesauce, $6.75 (including 3 big cheese pizzas)
Scalloped Tuna/Potato casserole, vegetable, $2.75
Spaghetti, Corn, $4 (with 1/2 lb. ground beef, $3 without)
Brown beans, homemade bread, vegetables, $2.50
Shopping List, $
eggs, 2
flour, 2
powdered milk, 4
yeast, 4
salt, 1
pepper, 1
chili powder, .50
margarine, .60
baking powder, 1.10
large bag carrots, 2 (for carrot sticks and grate up the rest to add to the recipes, will also add any leftover veggies in the freezer if they mesh well with the recipes)
fresh fruit, 4
pretzels, 1
canned, fresh, or frozen veggies for 5 meals, 3 (my family doesn't eat a *ton* of these, so I usually make sure there are veggies included in the main dish as well)
2 packages chips/crackers, 2
applesauce, 2
2.5 lbs. ground beef, 5
1 lb. chicken thighs, 2
2 16 oz. cans tomato sauce, 1.50
2 cans spaghetti sauce, 2
spaghetti noodles, 1.25
peas, 1.50
onion, .25
cream of chicken soup, 1.25 (one large can)
4 pack refrigerated biscuits, 2
dried chili beans, .90
dried brown beans, .90
mozzarella cheese, $5
tuna, .75
Total, $54!!!
For more menus, visit Organizing Junkie.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Complete Weekly Menu
Dinners
Creamed Tuna and Peas with noodles, applesauce
Butter beans, cornbread, applesauce
Impossible cheeseburger pie, creamed peas
Meatloaf, Carrot and Raisin Salad
Sloppy Joes, peas
Homemade pizza
Cheesy hamburger maccaroni, carrot sticks
Breakfasts
Oatmeal
Biscuits with Jelly
Homemade raisin bread
Oatmeal
Biscuits with Jelly
Homemade raisin bread
Oatmeal
Lunches
Tuna Sandwiches, carrot sticks
Maccaroni and Cheese, peas
Canned soup, crackers
Leftover meatloaf, carrots
Scrambled or fried eggs, toast
Leftover pizza
Mini pizzas
Snacks
Pretzels
Carrot sticks
Raisins
Applesauce
Bread or toast
Oatmeal Cookies
Applesauce Muffins
Check out more menus here!
Creamed Tuna and Peas with noodles, applesauce
Butter beans, cornbread, applesauce
Impossible cheeseburger pie, creamed peas
Meatloaf, Carrot and Raisin Salad
Sloppy Joes, peas
Homemade pizza
Cheesy hamburger maccaroni, carrot sticks
Breakfasts
Oatmeal
Biscuits with Jelly
Homemade raisin bread
Oatmeal
Biscuits with Jelly
Homemade raisin bread
Oatmeal
Lunches
Tuna Sandwiches, carrot sticks
Maccaroni and Cheese, peas
Canned soup, crackers
Leftover meatloaf, carrots
Scrambled or fried eggs, toast
Leftover pizza
Mini pizzas
Snacks
Pretzels
Carrot sticks
Raisins
Applesauce
Bread or toast
Oatmeal Cookies
Applesauce Muffins
Check out more menus here!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The Illusive Cabbage
Ever since I've had kids, since kid #1 has always been particularly picky regarding the entrees we serve, I've been perfecting the skill of hiding veggies in food.
For the most part, zucchini has always been my favorite. Shredded, the stuff can be put in most anything and not be detected. If the green bits from the peel give it away, then peel the zucchini before grating it up. Zucchini bread, brownies, pancakes, oatmeal, cookies, muffins, meatloaf and pasta sauce all hide zucchini well. No taste difference at all.
Grated carrots and fresh spinach leaves that have been frozen and crumbled (grab a handful of frozen spinach leaves and crumble into anything you are making) are other favorites. Cauliflower that has been pureed or chopped finely works good since it's white.
BUT. I can't believe I've overlooked one of the most versatile veggies all these years. My oldest child is 11 and 1/2, so that's a lot of years. CABBAGE. Yes, cabbage, folks. Cabbage is inexpensive as well. Use some of the head to make cole slaw if your family likes that. The rest can be shredded or chopped and added to recipes. I added some to Rice-a-Roni fried rice flavor and my kids didn't even notice it was there. Dh liked it better with the cabbage than without. Add it to soups, casseroles, and stir-frys. You can buy the already shredded coleslaw mix if you wish, but I just buy a whole head. It will last for a while. Cabbage is fairly easy to chop, or it can be grated in the food processor and stored in a Ziploc bag.
Yes, Cabbage Works For Me.
For the most part, zucchini has always been my favorite. Shredded, the stuff can be put in most anything and not be detected. If the green bits from the peel give it away, then peel the zucchini before grating it up. Zucchini bread, brownies, pancakes, oatmeal, cookies, muffins, meatloaf and pasta sauce all hide zucchini well. No taste difference at all.
Grated carrots and fresh spinach leaves that have been frozen and crumbled (grab a handful of frozen spinach leaves and crumble into anything you are making) are other favorites. Cauliflower that has been pureed or chopped finely works good since it's white.
BUT. I can't believe I've overlooked one of the most versatile veggies all these years. My oldest child is 11 and 1/2, so that's a lot of years. CABBAGE. Yes, cabbage, folks. Cabbage is inexpensive as well. Use some of the head to make cole slaw if your family likes that. The rest can be shredded or chopped and added to recipes. I added some to Rice-a-Roni fried rice flavor and my kids didn't even notice it was there. Dh liked it better with the cabbage than without. Add it to soups, casseroles, and stir-frys. You can buy the already shredded coleslaw mix if you wish, but I just buy a whole head. It will last for a while. Cabbage is fairly easy to chop, or it can be grated in the food processor and stored in a Ziploc bag.
Yes, Cabbage Works For Me.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Quick Garlic Bread Sticks
This recipe I used directly from Hillbilly Housewife, so I am going to direct you over there to get the recipe. My 3yo especially liked these dipped in spaghetti sauce.
Carrot Raisin Salad
This salad wasn't terribly liked by my kids, only slightly tolerated. I'm posting it here anyhow because it is one of my favorites. Oh, I am craving it right now! I think that most kids would actually like it since it is sweet.
3 cups shredded carrots
1 cup raisins
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 T. lemon juice
2 T. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
I shred the carrots in the food processor. If you don't have one, use a cheese grater. Put the carrots and raisins in a bowl. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a cup to make the dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix. If you want your raisins to be softer, soak them in some water for a few minutes and drain before adding them to the salad. Oh, how I love this salad!
3 cups shredded carrots
1 cup raisins
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 T. lemon juice
2 T. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
I shred the carrots in the food processor. If you don't have one, use a cheese grater. Put the carrots and raisins in a bowl. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a cup to make the dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix. If you want your raisins to be softer, soak them in some water for a few minutes and drain before adding them to the salad. Oh, how I love this salad!
Creamed Peas
2 T. margarine
2 T. flour
1 c. milk (I use reconstituted dry milk)
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. frozen peas
Melt margarine in saucepan over medium heat. Stir the flour into the melted margarine until it is smooth. Stir in the milk, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil. After a minute or so add the peas. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 5 minutes or so. The "cream" will thicken up a bit after you remove the pan from the heat. Enjoy!
2 T. flour
1 c. milk (I use reconstituted dry milk)
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. frozen peas
Melt margarine in saucepan over medium heat. Stir the flour into the melted margarine until it is smooth. Stir in the milk, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil. After a minute or so add the peas. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 5 minutes or so. The "cream" will thicken up a bit after you remove the pan from the heat. Enjoy!
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