Because of space, I am going to give you a sample of a menu plan for only 1 week and a list for 2 weeks worth of groceries just to show how I shop. Usually I do them both for 2 weeks. So when talking about money, the budget would just double with a different dinner menu, everything else would be the same. We alternate breakfasts and lunches every week, but dinner every two weeks for variety. (In other word's, we have 14 different dinner's every month.) Here it goes:
Menu~
Saturday:
Breakfast~ egg sandwiches, milk
Lunch~ lunchmeat sandwiches, fruit, cheese and crackers
Dinner~ homemade pizza, veggies/fruit
Sunday:
Breakfast~ cold cereal, p-nut butter toast, milk
Lunch~ pizza casserole, garlic biscuits, fruit
Dinner~ grilled cheese, fruit/veggies, chips
Monday:
Breakfast~ baked oatmeal, milk
Lunch~ quesadilla's, fruit, granola
Dinner~ beef stroganoff, homemade applesauce bread, veggies
Tuesday:
Breakfast~ smoothies, muffins, milk
Lunch~ homemade mac and cheese, fruit
Dinner~ taco's/fajita's, nacho cheese dip with tortilla chips, mexican rice, fruit
Wednesday:
Breakfast~ pancakes, milk
Lunch~ sandwiches, fruit, granola, nuts/raisins, veggies
Dinner~ burgers or grilled chicken, grilled potato's, baked beans, fruit/veggies
Thursday:
Breakfast~ cold cereal, p-nut butter toast, milk
Lunch~ left overs
Dinner~ spaghetti, garlic bread, veggies/fruit
Friday:
Breakfast~ french toast, milk
Lunch~ sandwiches, chips, fruit
Dinner~ Omelets, toast, fruit and veggies are IN the omelets!
*Not all my kids like lettuce, but salad is offered for every dinner!
*Water is served with every meal except breakfast and we have pop/kool-aid with pizza!
I have other meals that I alternate and they vary depending on the seasons! Chili and soups are HUGE at our house in the winter! Not so much in the summer! Grilling is done LOTS in the summer! This is just an example of a menu I use just to give you an idea how I plan.
Here are the items I would put on my list for my trip to the store (Remember this list is doubled and actually for 2 weeks budget BUT I would normally have other items because I would need them for my 2nd week menu.):
4 dozen eggs $4
8 loaves bread/2 texas toast $9
6 boxes cereal $8
yogurt ( 2 economy size) $4
yeast $2
soft taco shells (40) $4
granola (bulk 3lbs) $4
raisins (bulk 3lbs) $4
pasta (6 boxes multigrain) $6
hotdogs $3
crackers (2 boxes) $2
chips (2 bags) $3
peanuts/nuts $4
pizza sauce (3) $3
cheese $17
4 green peppers $3
2 onions $3
fresh fruit (seasonal) $35
apples for sauce $6
veggies $25
oatmeal (bulk 6 lbs) $6
sour cream $2
cream of chicken soup $2
milk $20
spaghetti sauce $6
butter $5
Subtotal: $191
Meat:
Brats $3
hamburger (6lbs) $10- deli meat $5
breakfast meat $5
pepperoni $3
Subtotal: $26
I am slightly under my $225 budget for the week but I intentionally do that in case I need items such as flour or baking items.
AND...
I put on my list the most economical prices. Sometimes depending on coupons and store sales, I pay even less! Remember, I also use my local 'bent and dent', Hostess discount store for bread items AND I plan my meals around the sales at the grocery stores for the week to make sure I get the most for my money! Sometimes very time consuming, but as they say, "Time is money!" :) I DO put the prices on my list when I shop just to keep me in check! I find out it helps keep me honest!
My family as of now, eats about 1 1/2 9X13 pan with at least 2 sides at our dinner meal! Our kids range from 16 down to 13 months. Keep that in mind!
Part 3 depends on you! If you have questions, hints, idea's you use or something else you want me to expand on, let me know! I would love to do another post on this topic!
