Week 2 of Oct challenge
We made it through last week with no supplemental grocery runs! Once again, I made a meal plan for the week. I took inventory of the pantry and freezer before making it. I made a very specific list with very specific meals in mind, and then went shopping. I spent $45 for this weeks groceries, and that included a bag of diapers. (Bell has a rash so I had to get disposables for until it clears up, then back to cloth.) So far, for 2 weeks of groceries, I am $141 below our normal budget! I rewarded myself for staying on track with a new shirt off the clearance rack at Fred Meyer ($10), so that makes our actual savings so far $131.
It is interesting to see how much better we ate last week too! Because I had a meal plan, I knew what was for dinner first thing in the morning instead of standing in front of the fridge with a blank stare at 5:30 PM. We ate beef stew, tacos, spaghetti, chicken and dumplings...all with very little effort because I planned ahead. I may not be able to get groceries for so little forever as the pantry will eventually run out, but I do think I will keep this new habit of meal planning for the week on Friday before I get our groceries.
This week, instead of buying boxed macaroni, I bought whole wheat noodles in bulk and bulk cheese sauce mix. Macaroni is so cheap that I don't know if it actually comes out cheaper that way, but I do like being able to make it a little more healthy with the whole wheat noodles. I also bought a tub of yogurt instead of the little containers. I am home all day, so we really don't need to spend that much more for the individual servings. I am perfectly capable of getting a scoop out of the tub and plopping it in a bowl for them instead.
This week's meal options
Breakfasts - oatmeal, cherrios, smoothies
Snacks - crackers, raisens, blueberry zucchini bread
Lunches - whole wheat macaroni, sandwich, string cheese, yogurt
Dinner - spaghetti, stir fry and rice, beef stew, roast, tacos, chicken and dumplings, steak and sweet potato fries
Currently, my garden is in it's final stages before winter. I think I may get 1 more zucchini if I am lucky. There are still a few tomatoes left, but I don't know if they will ripen. We are just starting to dig up our parsnips though, and they did very well this year! So now I am googling recipes that use parsnips so I can utilize what I have available for free in the garden. I can't wait to try them fried, boiled, baked, mashed, etc. From what I've read they are very versatile!
It is interesting to see how much better we ate last week too! Because I had a meal plan, I knew what was for dinner first thing in the morning instead of standing in front of the fridge with a blank stare at 5:30 PM. We ate beef stew, tacos, spaghetti, chicken and dumplings...all with very little effort because I planned ahead. I may not be able to get groceries for so little forever as the pantry will eventually run out, but I do think I will keep this new habit of meal planning for the week on Friday before I get our groceries.
This week, instead of buying boxed macaroni, I bought whole wheat noodles in bulk and bulk cheese sauce mix. Macaroni is so cheap that I don't know if it actually comes out cheaper that way, but I do like being able to make it a little more healthy with the whole wheat noodles. I also bought a tub of yogurt instead of the little containers. I am home all day, so we really don't need to spend that much more for the individual servings. I am perfectly capable of getting a scoop out of the tub and plopping it in a bowl for them instead.
This week's meal options
Breakfasts - oatmeal, cherrios, smoothies
Snacks - crackers, raisens, blueberry zucchini bread
Lunches - whole wheat macaroni, sandwich, string cheese, yogurt
Dinner - spaghetti, stir fry and rice, beef stew, roast, tacos, chicken and dumplings, steak and sweet potato fries
Currently, my garden is in it's final stages before winter. I think I may get 1 more zucchini if I am lucky. There are still a few tomatoes left, but I don't know if they will ripen. We are just starting to dig up our parsnips though, and they did very well this year! So now I am googling recipes that use parsnips so I can utilize what I have available for free in the garden. I can't wait to try them fried, boiled, baked, mashed, etc. From what I've read they are very versatile!
Comments