Meal Planning

Can you believe that it is already the second week of September? That means that 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:

Thursday (September 8):
Chicken Strips, Potatoes, Salad

Friday (September 9):
BLT Sandwiches, Soup, Carrot Sticks

Saturday (September 10):
Eat at In Laws' House

Sunday (September 11):
Leftovers/Sandwiches

Monday (September 12):
Tacos, Rice and Beans (I didn't cook the tacos that were on the schedule for this past week, so I already have all the ingredients)

Tuesday (September 13):
Bacon Cheeseburger Calzone, Salad

Wednesday (September 14):
Leftovers/Sandwiches

My grocery list for items I NEED for all snacks/meals for the week:
-Milk (2 gallons)
-Lettuce ($0.50--price match Lowe's ad)
-Tomatoes ($0.50/lb.--price match Lowe's ad)
-Pizza Crust
-Sliced Cheese
-Fruit (Bananas, Apples, Pears...any other fruit that is on sale this week)

I should be able to buy all of the items on my list for under $20.00...freeing up the remainder of my budget to stock up on items that are on sale.

What about you? How are you doing with meal planning and shrinking your grocery budget?