Our Frugal Journey

I’m feeling the need to be super organized this week so I thought I would share my menus with you. I almost always plan a week’s worth of dinners based on what I have in the pantry and freezer but (big confession here) I don’t always write them down. And if they’re not written down, they don’t always get made.

And if they don’t get made, we’re more likely to make less healthy choices. Or, in very weak moments, go out to eat, which, of course, is a fast and easy way to break the food budget.

In a nutshell, I’ve found menu planning saves time, aggravation and money. So with all this saving going on, I’m not sure why it seems like such a chore to write it down?

This week, my meals are based not only on what I have in the pantry and freezer, but what activities we have on the calendar.

Monday: Chicken Corn Soup. This is a favorite from my time growing up in Pennsylvania. My Mom made a great version of it and the cafeteria ladies at my elementary school cooked it up every week with giant dumplings. My version won’t be quite as good as the one I’ve glamorized in my memory, but tasty all the same. I’ll be using chicken left over from our Fourth of July picnic, a package of frozen corn I purchased on sale with a coupon and several cans of chicken broth I bought at Food Lion, which I’ve found has the lowest price on this staple item. (More on that in a later post.) I’ll stick all this in the crock pot in the morning and add egg noodles about a half hour before we eat. My 21-year-old, who has an internship in Charlotte this summer, will be in town for supper so it will be a chance for him to have a good home-cooked meal. With the soup, I’ll serve some delicious Asiago cheese bread from Panera that I received as a gift. And I’ve nominated my 11-year-old to make brownies for dessert.

Tuesday: Turkey sandwiches on whole wheat bread, fresh fruit, left-over brownies. This we will eat poolside during a swim meet, which is an every Tuesday night ritual in our neck of the woods. We could spend $20 to $25 at the concession stand for the three of us, but over six weeks time that would be $120 to $150.

Wednesday:Steaks on the grill, salad with tomatoes from our garden, corn on the cob. This is normally more of a weekend meal, but my second son, who is 19 and home after his first year of college, is working two jobs this summer and this happens to be one of his rare nights off so I’m planning this meal in his honor. My daughter will again make the dessert — this time cupcakes she got the idea for at a pool party. I won’t spoil it all but think teddy bears at the beach. I’ll post a photo later in the week.

Thursday: Baked oatmeal, Jello with fruit for dessert. I’ve written before about my baked oatmeal, which is one of our family’s favorite breakfast-for-dinner meals. Click here for the recipe. It is chockful of oats, apples and cranberries and tastes delicious. It’s quite filling so I usually don’t serve it with anything else.

Friday: Dinner out for me and my husband. My son will be at work and my daughter will be spending the night with Grandma.

Saturday: Grilled chicken breasts, salad, more corn on the cob. Dessert leftovers.

Sunday: Spaghetti with meatballs, homemade bread, salad. Dessert leftovers.

Following this menu, I will be using lots of food that I’ve purchased over the last few months during outstanding sales. For instance, my freezer is bulging with several bags of frozen chicken breasts that were purchased when Harris Teeter offered a “buy two bags, get three free” sale. My stash of ground beef was also purchased at Harris Teeter, where I paid $1.69 a pound. On top of that, I have a rebate offer that requires a receipt for meat, further reducing my out-of-pocket expense. My oatmeal, deli turkey, brownie mixes and other items also also part of my grocery stockpile. All were purchased at big discounts, often combined with coupons.

Buying groceries this way, I’ve found I can skip a big shopping trip every two to three weeks, freeing up some time and some extra money. This week turns out to be one of those “off” weeks. Fruits, veggies and the ingredients for my daughter’s cupcakes are about the only things I need to purchase. Those items, along with a few sale items to enhance the stockpile, make for a pretty short grocery list this week.

What’s on your menu this week? I’d love to add some new meals to our rotating menu. I’m sure my husband would hugely agree. So help me out here!