Meal Planning

Another week has flown by, and that means it is time for a new weekly meal plan. Remember to really see your grocery bill go down, you need to have a plan. I encourage you to sit down and make a weekly meal plan. This will allow you to use food you already have on hand and make the most of store specials for the week. After you have shopped for the items your family NEEDS for the week, you can then spend any money you have left over from your budget to stock up on items that are at rock bottom prices. If you are just starting out, then you might not have more than a few dollars to use to stock up on items. Don't get discouraged. After you have been doing this for a few weeks, you should really start to see a big difference in the amount you are spending on needs versus stock up items.



My weekly meal plan:
(This includes suppers only. Breakfast usually consists of cereal, waffles, toast, eggs, or yogurt, and lunches are usually sandwiches or leftovers.)

Thursday (September 15):
Tacos, Beans, Rice (Once again, I didn't cook this last week so it is going back on the meal plan for this week).

Friday (September 16):
Fish Sticks, Macaroni and Cheese, Carrot Sticks/Broccoli (I can't stand fish sticks, but my boys love them. I'll be out of the house at supper, so a perfect time to have hubby cook them. :)

Saturday (September 17):
Eat with in laws

Sunday (September 18):
Sandwiches with Broccoli/Raisin Salad

Monday (September 19):
Santa Fe Skillet Casserole

Tuesday (September 20):
Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry over Pasta

Wednesday (September 21):
Leftovers or Sandwiches

Before I made my meal plan, I looked through my refrigerator, freezer, and pantry so I could use items that we already have on hand for meals this week. Doing this allows me to not waste food that we already have and to spend the least amount of money on our weekly NEEDS. I will then take the remainder of our food budget to stock up on items at their rock bottom prices.

My Grocery List for our Weekly Needs:

Bread (2 loaves)
Milk (1 gallon...$2.99 price match CVS ad)
Fresh Fruit/Veggies
-Broccoli ($0.99/lb. at Lowe's)
-Carrots ($0.99/lb. at Lowe's)
-Kiwi ($0.25 each at Lowe's)
-Onions ($0.29/lb. at Lowe's)
-Tomatoes ($0.78/lb. at Lowe's)
-Bananas ($0.48/lb.)
-Apples or Oranges

What does your meal plan look like? Are you starting to notice a difference in the amount of items you NEED each week?