We are posting this mid-week as Thrifty Al and I were on a little getaway for a few days. We spent budgeted money for our road trip and paid with cash of course since we are debt free. So this did not count in this week’s menu. However, the kids were at home with 2-4 other adults as Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt and almost Uncle were here for the first half of the week and so we made a menu for them and have a price break-down of what they ate. We kept their meals simple, mostly heat and serve, so they could focus on the kids and not cooking! So not only did the kids get more cookies, snacks and treats than ever before, but family room forts, pirates, princess balls, games and straight play for a few days!! How are they ever going to survive with us back home!?!?
Here’s the Thrifty Menu for this week!!
As a recap of how our menu works:
- We don’t necessarily have a day-by-day plan for our lunches and breakfasts or snacks, just our dinners. We have a list of ideas for those meals that week, and so we wake up eating selections from the list. For lunches, we also have a list of possible lunch ideas for that week, but most lunches end up being leftovers, which is why we have a loose plan!
- Although we have stayed within our $240 per month budget (covers groceries, toiletries, household, and diapers), we haven’t necessarily tracked how much each meal costs us and thought it would be fun to figure it out and share it with you as well. We will be laying out the cost of our dinners!
- Desserts are planned last minute as well! We usually crack open a box of cookies, however, we lay out ideas and then sometimes make something special!
- Our Sunday dinner plans are varied, we try to have guests from church over every other week, if we know in advance, we usually put a roast in the crockpot, or prepare a casserole. If it is planned last minute (as many are) we have homemade chilis and stews in the freezer to heat up, frozen entrees and sides to heat up, or lots of pastas to quickly feed a crowd! Thank goodness for a full pantry! Anyway, if it is just us, we usually have leftovers, lunch or snack items, or simple prepared meals! So on our menu, you will find Sunday’s marked with a “?”
- Our goal for this site is to share the deals, freebies, hot finds; but we also want to share how we live as a larger family on a tight budget everyday and ways that we try to live thriftily in every area of life….. so this would be one of them!
Here are the ideas for breakfasts this week:
- Oatmeal (both instant and stove top)
- Muffins
- Bagels and Cream Cheese
- Cereals
Here are the ideas for lunches this week:
- Leftovers
- Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soups
- Sandwiches
- Cheese burritos
- Chicken Nuggets
Here are the snack ideas for this week:
- Crackers and cream cheese
- Fresh Fruit Tray
- Celery and cream cheese
- Yogurt
- Carrots and dip
Here are the dessert ideas this week:
- Organic Suckers
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Homemade Chocolate Malt Shakes
Dinner Menu:
- Monday: Kids have Pizza Party with Grandma/pa and aunt and soon-to-be uncle
- Tuesday: Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing
- Wednesday: Tacos and chips
- Thursday: Island Spaghetti, steamed Kale, and cottage cheese
- Friday: Family Dinner Out
- Saturday: Corned Beef, roasted red potatoes, green salad
- Sunday: Low key soups, sandwiches and leftovers!
Monday: Kids have Pizza Party with Grandma/pa and aunt and soon-to-be uncle
- 2 Red Baron Pizzas $2.87 each = $5.74
- Chips, veggies and Dip $2.50
Total Cost: $8.24 for the whole meal for 8 = about $1.03 per serving!
Tuesday: Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing
- Frozen Turkey and Gravy dish = $4
- Mashed Potatoes .75
- Stuffing .75
Total Cost: $5.50 for the whole meal for 6 = about .92 per serving!
Wednesday: Tacos and chips
- 1 lb. ground beef .99
- Tortilla chips .78
- Taco shells .78
- Ingredients to fill tacos (like cheese, sour cream, etc.) $1.87
- Taco seasoning packet .12
Total Cost: $4.54 for the whole meal for 6 = about .76 per serving!
Thursday: Island Spaghetti, steamed Kale, and cottage cheese (the first meal we had this week after a quick trip!)
- 1 box pasta .12
- 1 Jar Alfredo sauce .50
- 1 can crushed tomoatoes .50
- Cilantro and green onions about .20 worth (if that much!)
- Kale about $1.00
- Cottage Cheese .50
Total Cost: $2.82 for the whole meal for 6 = about .47 per serving!
Friday: Family Dinner Out – remember, this doesn’t come out of our grocery budget, but our eating out budget!
Saturday: Corned Beef, roasted red potatoes, green salad
- 1 package of Corned Beef $4.68
- Roasted Red Potatoes .50
- Green salad and dressings $1.00
Total Cost: $6.18 for the whole meal for 6 = about $1.03 per serving (plus lots of leftovers for Sunday’s dinner!)
Sunday: Low key sandwich, soups or leftovers! Cheap!
COST SUMMARY FOR THIS WEEK’S DINNERS: Cost for the dinners this week $27.28 for the 6 – 8!
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