2014 $50 Budget Menu Plan Week #6: The problem with this time of year is that for many folks, getting fresh vegetables is a an expensive chore. If you were lucky enough to have a small garden and put away some homegrown veggies, you’re ahead of the game and I commend you! If not, take heart, here are some tips for still eating decent healthy meals in the dead of winter . . .
If you don’t already follow our monthly sales cycle trends, we highly recommend you give them a view- by knowing the sales cycles of various products and produce you’ll be able to plan ahead to stock up on the certain items when you can purchase them at their peak flavor and best price. Since the Chinese New Year is upon us, we took advantage of sales on Soy Sauce, Teriyaki sauce, water chestnuts to stock up. These make fantastic marinades for meat and vegetables throughout the year. We’ll be purchasing lobster and scallops later this month as well- as those both tend to drop in price considerably. Living in the South, strawberries are starting to appear on the shelves at decent prices, as are various types of oranges and grapefruit. Steaks (New York, Ribe-eye, Tri-tips) are usually on sale in February too!
This week we purchased the following: strawberries, bananas, apples, cantaloupe, artisan lettuce, cucumbers, raspberries, 10 lbs of Pork Ribs (on sale), 10 bags frozen veggies ($1 a bag), lemon yogurt, Total Spent $48.63
From our Backyard: Fresh Eggs (Getting nearly 2 dozen per day again!)
Breakfast
Options for this week: Fresh Fruit – Apples, Bananas, Fresh Berries, Cantaloupe – We’ll throw together a fruit salad to snack on and eat for breakfast, along with the following choices:
- Egg White Omelets (Egg whites, diced veggies, seasonings)
- Cinnamon Apple Breakfast Quesadillas
- Cinnamon Cherry Cheeseball & Apple Slices
- Poached eggs on toast
- Cinnamon Peach Muffins (same recipe as mango muffins, just use home-canned peaches instead of mango)
- Cantaloupe Chunks with Honey-Lime Dip
- Scrambled eggs & Toast
- Egg McMuffins (on homemade english Muffins)
- Waffles w/ homemade jam or strawberries
Monday February 3rd:
- Lunch: Pulled Pork Sandwiches (leftovers from Superbowl Get together)
- Dinner: Meatloaf, Baked Potato, Steamed Asparagus (frozen)
Tuesday Feb 4th:
- Lunch: Strawberry Melon Salad
- Dinner: Sesame Chicken, Jasmine Rice, Steamed Broccoli
Wednesday Feb 5th:
- Lunch: Meatloaf Sandwiches
- Dinner:Beef & Broccoli Casserole
Thursday Feb 6th:
- Lunch: Sun-Dried Tomato Egg Salad Wraps
- Dinner: Healthy Loaded Nacho’s (make double the meat/seasoning for fast dinner tomorrow!)
Friday Feb 7th:
- Lunch: Leftover Beef/Broccoli Casserole
- Dinner: Cowboy Pork Chops, BBQ Rice, Steamed Spinach (Frozen)
Saturday Feb 8th:
- Midday: Fish Fry with Friends, we’re providing all the Fish! Friends are bring side dishes -This will be an all day/evening event with tons of friends/food.
Sunday Feb 9th:
- Lunch:Loaded Baked Tater Taco’s
- Dinner:“Restaurant Night” – this isn’t actually eating out, instead we use the individual portion size meals that have been vacuum sealed and frozen.
Various Snacks & Desserts:
- Fresh Fruit Choices Available– Apples, Bananas, Fresh Cantaloupe, Fresh Berries
- Pickled Eggs
- Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars
- Microwave Popcorn
Drinks Available:* Iced Tea (Unsweetened or Sweet Tea)
* Coffee
* Hot Chocolate/Cocoa
Less Likely to be used, but still available:
* Copycat Gatorade
* CopyCat Arizona Green Tea
* Lemonade
* Iced Coffee Drinks
* Almond Milk
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For Further reading/help we recommend the following:
- $50 Dollar Menu Frequently Asked Questions– There are certain questions that seem to pop up again and again, so rather than be redundant and repeat answers, we’ve put them all in one convenient place for you!
- 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
- It Doesn’t Add up– Learn why some items in the Menu plan aren’t listed in this weeks grocery purchase list & how it all comes together
- February Sales Trends–not sure what Should be on sale right now? Here is a list of the current Sales trends throughout the month of January so you know what savings to expect and look forward to.
- 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 USA–Do 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.
- Making Fruits & Veggies Last: At the beginning of each week we prepare the vegetables and fruits to make meal preparation easier during the week and to save money by preventing waste. You can read more about that here.
- How Spending $25 Now can save you Hundreds Later – if you gain nothing else from this site, don’t overlook this tip. It has been an EXTREME money-saver for our family
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