2013 $50 Weekly Menu Plan Week #1

2013 $50 Weekly Menu Plan Week #1
2013 $50 Weekly Menu Plan Week #1

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. SEE OUR DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

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2013 $50 Weekly Menu Plan Week #1: Welcome to week #1 of our 2013 $50 Budget Weekly Menu plan for a family of 4 (which in our home includes 2 adults and 2 teenage guys). Since the country seems to be up in arms over the fiscal cliff- wondering what will happen next and what the ramifications will be, we decided that we’d continue on for another year of sharing our budget menu plans. It is our intention and hope to help as many families as possible in the coming year and to continue to learn from each of our guests and members as well.

We anticipate a sharp increase in grocery prices this year, for several reasons. The first- due to the fiscal cliff; The second, to the severe drought that plagued the mid-west throughout 2012.

For this weeks menu plan we purchased the following: Powdered Milk (a rather LARGE Container)- in anticipation of projected $7 a gallon milk prices by February, fresh mushrooms, green peppers, onions, dry beans (navy, black, chickpeas, kidney), Dark Fudge Cake Mix, pineapple, pomegranates, yogurt, oatmeal, pepperoni, ground turkey (aldi $1.67 lb), milk, 15 Pkgs of Frozen Veggies (assorted), crushed tomatoes (4 cans), corn starch, Cantaloupe, avocado, grape tomatoes, celery, artisan lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, apples, unsweetened applesauce, hard cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, colby), Parmesan Cheese, powdered coffee creamer, potatoes, tea and bacon (marked on sale)- Total Spent $54.62

MondayDecember 31st, 2012: Happy New Years Eve! To those celebrating, please get home safely!

Tuesday 1st: Happy New Year!

Wednesday 1st:

Thursday 2nd:

Friday 3rd:

Saturday 4th:

Sunday 5th:

Various Snacks:

Drinks included:* Iced Tea (Sweet Tea)
* Coffee
* Hot Chocolate/Cocoa
* Copycat Gatorade
* CopyCat Arizona Green Tea
A few things we’d like to share with you:

If you’re just joining us there are a few things that you need to know. First, we raise our own chickens for fresh eggs, which is why you’ll never see them listed in the groceries purchased and why they are used abundantly. Our friends and neighbors drop in and pick up the extra eggs (which can range up to 8-10 dozen per week) and usually donate .50-$1 per dozen, which is how we cover the expense of supplemental grain. We also feed them all veggie/fruit kitchen scraps as well.

In addition to the above it has come to our attention that a few folks who are just joining us are getting the wrong impression that we purchase EVERYTHING at once for each weeks menu plan.
This is not the case at all, nor do we recommend it. We are incorporating items purchased or home canned weeks ago into the menu plan this week. For example, back on week #39 we purchased over 40 pounds of meat- I promise you we didn’t eat that all that week! For Further reading/help we recommend the following:

  • The 2012 Family Guide to Groceries under $250 a Month– a guide of how and where to cut grocery expenses to get spending under control while providing an eye-opening view of the dirty manipulation tactics retailers use to keep you spending

  • $50 Weekly Menu Plan Help across the USADo you find yourself struggling to reduce your grocery bill each month? Check out our Menu plan help across the USA to see if your area has been featured for more 1-on-1 help, if not, feel free to add your request to have your city/state featured.

  • Current Sales Trends-not sure what Should be on sale right now? Here is a list of the current Sales trends for the month of December, so you know what savings to expect

  • $50 Dollar Menu Frequently Asked Questions– a few of the most often asked questions regarding our $50 menu plans

    • Basic Questions Why we don’t provide a shopping list, Random ingredients that aren’t in the shopping list, are groceries cheaper , etc
    • More Questions– more in depth questions regarding dietary guidelines, dealing with picky eaters, junk food and more

© Can Stock Photo Inc. / JuriahMosin

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. SEE OUR DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

About GB101 719 Articles
Filled with an insatiable wanderlust to see the world, I've dedicated most of my life to saving money where I can so I can afford to see and do the things I want. I dug our family out of debt by reducing our grocery expense to less than $300 a month. You can too!

12 Comments

  1. I live in the Northwest (Seattle) where do I find ground turkey for les than $4.99 a pound? We have Albertsons, Target, Fred Meyer, QFC and Safeway but none of those places sell ground turkey for less than $4.99. 🙁

    • I live in the Northwest (Seattle) where do I find ground turkey for les than $4.99 a pound? We have Albertsons, Target, Fred Meyer, QFC and Safeway but none of those places sell ground turkey for less than $4.99. 🙁

      Hi Susana, I’m in the Portland area and Fred Meyer down here will have the 20 ounce packs of fresh ground turkey breast on sale for $4.88 from time to time (there’s a coupon in this week’s flyer, as a matter of fact), and the ground turkey with dark meat is usually a little under $4 for the 20 ounce. Don’t know how much more things cost up your way.

      Not the prices they get at Aldi, by any stretch (wish we had those here!), but a little better.

    • I live in the Northwest (Seattle) where do I find ground turkey for les than $4.99 a pound? We have Albertsons, Target, Fred Meyer, QFC and Safeway but none of those places sell ground turkey for less than $4.99. 🙁

      If you go to the Sams Club right there in Seattle you can buy Jennie O Ground Turkey (93% Lean)- it is $13.75 for 2 80 oz packages- which = 5 lbs total = $2.75 per pound. That’s today’s price 4/24/13

  2. Interesting concept, but… I am yet to meet a “ravenous” teenage boy that will be satisfied with cantaloupe and yoghurt for breakfast and a piece of toast or soup for lunch. Geez, I would be hungry eating just that and I’m a woman in my mid-twenties, not exactly a big eater.

    • Interesting concept, but… I am yet to meet a “ravenous” teenage boy that will be satisfied with cantaloupe and yoghurt for breakfast and a piece of toast or soup for lunch. Geez, I would be hungry eating just that and I’m a woman in my mid-twenties, not exactly a big eater.

      Sorry to hear that, both of mine weight-lift/ workout and eat very little Junk/Crap foods. They devour cantaloupe and yogurt parfaits in the morning, although our oldest has taken to adding egg whites to his breakfast for the protein. But, I’d be very happy to introduce you to them and several of their friends so you can meet kids that know how to eat well within a budget!
      Unfortunately for many parents, their kids are picky and prefer sugar smack style cereals and pop-tarts, which makes it very difficult to live within a low grocery budget.

      Come to think of it Lucie, that statement is really, really sad to me. It makes me wonder what you consider to be a “real” breakfast . . .

      what type of menu plan do you serve and what is your grocery budget?

    • Interesting concept, but… I am yet to meet a “ravenous” teenage boy that will be satisfied with cantaloupe and yoghurt for breakfast and a piece of toast or soup for lunch. Geez, I would be hungry eating just that and I’m a woman in my mid-twenties, not exactly a big eater.

      :blink: Oh My Gosh Lucie, I hate that for you! I couldn’t imagine not being satisfied with homemade soups or stews of fresh cantaloupe.

      You sound like my sister, she’s around your age, about 200 lbs or so and feels like she needs to eat out every day for lunch or she’s going to “waste away to nothing”.
      She complains about her weight all the time but she won’t touch fruit for breakfast either. My own kids balked when we first switched our way of eating over to more fresh fruits and vegetables, but now they adore it!

      It might be worth it for you to read through the older menu plans so you can adjust your dietary habits. There are some great workout plans on the sister site too, http://fitness.budget101.com

      susana I live in the Northwest (Seattle) where do I find ground turkey for les than $4.99 a pound? We have Albertsons, Target, Fred Meyer, QFC and Safeway but none of those places sell ground turkey for less than $4.99. 🙁

      What is your zip code? I’ll see what I can find for you!

      GB101 gets theirs at Aldi in the frozen section for $1.49-$1.67 depending on the time of year.

      • :blink: Oh My Gosh Lucie, I hate that for you!
        It might be worth it for you to read through the older menu plans so you can adjust your dietary habits. There are some great workout plans on the sister site too, http://fitness.budget101.com

        What is your zip code? I’ll see what I can find for you! GB101 gets theirs at Aldi in the frozen section for $1.49-$1.67 depending on the time of year.

        fat chance, I pretty much came here to tear apart the site. I think it’s dumb that a bunch of house cows sit around talking about food and running their mouths.

        My “life” partner and I live in Europe anyway, I was just comparing prices and we already eat better than what this menu plan shows. I just wanted to see if anyone would respond, I didn’t really expect that they would. :poke:

        besides, I hate the google ads that are everywhere, a site should be completely free I shouldn’t have to view any ads at all. :angry:

        • fat chance, I pretty much came here to tear apart the site.

          We all kind of gathered that from your first nasty post. I guess I don’t understand people very well these days, if you see a website and it doesn’t meet your expectations or needs, why don’t you just close your browser window?

          Why do these kinds of people (trolls) feel the need to go through the journey of registering so they can bash others who are trying to help people. Isn’t it interesting how much time some young people have to sit around and complain and wait for the world to change to suit their needs, rather than doing something positive to change the world.

        • besides, I hate the google ads that are everywhere, a site should be completely free I shouldn’t have to view any ads at all. :angry:

          We’re sorry that you didn’t enjoy your experience here on the site. Since we strive to keep the site 100% free for everyone to use and enjoy, we do display google ads to help offset our server expenses. Unfortunately, this doesn’t cover all of our monthly expenses for running the site, which is more of a labor of Love than anything.

          Best wishes and I hope you are able to find what you’re looking for!

        • fat chance, I pretty much came here to tear apart the site. I think it’s dumb that a bunch of house cows sit around talking about food and running their mouths.

          My “life” partner and I live in Europe anyway, I was just comparing prices and we already eat better than what this menu plan shows. I just wanted to see if anyone would respond, I didn’t really expect that they would. :poke:

          besides, I hate the google ads that are everywhere, a site should be completely free I shouldn’t have to view any ads at all. :angry:

          Wow Lucie, I guess your response just goes to show how shallow you are. As for us bunch of house cows, I would rather be that than throw a virtual temper tantrum like you just did. We use this site to help each other not to blast each other.

          I hope that you learn something from the advice here, because you never know when you might end up off your high horse and have your feet here on the ground with the rest of us.

    • Interesting concept, but… I am yet to meet a “ravenous” teenage boy that will be satisfied with cantaloupe and yoghurt for breakfast and a piece of toast or soup for lunch. Geez, I would be hungry eating just that and I’m a woman in my mid-twenties, not exactly a big eater.

      I normally just lurk here absorbing all I can, but this lady’s post just aggravated me.

      I’m trying to figure out where you got the “piece of toast” for lunch thought from, I just don’t see that in the menu.

      It sounds like you don’t have any kids of your own. We have 4 teens, 13-19 including 2 girls and 2 boys. I can say without hesitation that this menu plan feeds them just fine. We’ve been using the menu plans on the site for well over a year, adapting them slightly (aka doubling some ingredients!!) to fit our family.

      One of our boys won’t even touch breakfast before 10 or so in the morning he prefers coffee. Eating before then makes him sick to his stomach and he’s our early riser, up by 5 everyday.

      The canataloupe chunks and honey lime yogurt are the favorite of my 17 yo daughter. She absolutely loves them and eats them in the homemade 100 calorie cups my wife prepares each week. She’s a cheerleader and likes being able to count the calories/sugars she’s eating, plus she brings a pack to school for midday snacking.
      :fryingegg: Our 15 yr old son usually adds scrambled eggs with his in the morning or he eats 2 of the packs. Then again, he plays football, baseball, soccer and doesn’t sit down a second.

      My kids don’t complain about any of the meals and they’re perfectly healthy.
      It seems to me that some people see the menu and start thinking, ok, they’re eating 1/4 cup of food so its bad or oh, theres a donut in the breakfast plan and that’s bad.

      IMHO, This stems from some people having a constant NEED to have Everything spelled out for them step by step and their own inability to adapt something to suit their family. Use common sense peeps, if your kids eat more or need steak and eggs, then feed it to them, but don’t condemn someone elses menu choice because your own kids are picky or heavy eaters; Or because you don’t even have kids and you think you know what’s best for someone else’s because of what you see on tv or read.

  3. I have to agree, some of these meals are unrealistic for growing kids. My kids love vegetables and fruit but they need something more substantial for breakfast and lunch.

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