2014 $50 Budget Menu Plan Weeks #36 and #37:At some times of the year it’s just not feasible to shop on a weekly basis. During these times we like to use bi-weekly or monthly menu plans. The next few weeks we’ll be sharing bi-weekly menus with you . . .
In the past we’ve looked forward to the shop trip that follows labor day weekend because it generally means decent sales on meat, this year the sales were pitiful, seemingly everywhere we looked. We did manage to find some Boston Butts on sale, which is pork for those of you that aren’t overly familiar with your cuts of meat. September is also national Chicken month, so at some point we should still be able to score a good stock-up deal on chicken, preferably boneless and skinless! I haven’t dug through the garden yet, but I’m really hoping that our sweet potatoes have done well, they should be ready in a couple more weeks!
This week we purchased the following: 25# Boston Butt on Sale ($1.48lb), 2 whole chickens, 2 pork loins, Quinoa, greek yogurt, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, avocado, cabbage, bok choy, Milk, 10 packages frozen veggies (various- corn, peas, green beans, etc), yeast, bananas, cantaloupe, portabella mushrooms, total spent $101.12
Freebies we picked up this week: Turkey Hill Ice Cream (Free Coupon) (vanilla)
From our Backyard: Fresh Eggs (approximately 18-30 per Day)
From our Windowsill/ Garden: Fresh Herbs(Cilantro, Parsley, Rosemary, dill, oregano, basil, mint), green peppers, jalapeno peppers, Butternut Squash, Hubbard Squash, carrots
Breakfast Ideas:
- Breakfast Burritos
- Cantaloupe Chunks
- Eggs: hard-boiled, poached, over easy, fried, omelets, Frittatas
- Toasted Apple Cider Bread
- Waffles
- Bananas or Peaches, Apples, Cut Melon Chunks, etc
Lunches:As we’ve mentioned in the past, we’re really not big lunch eaters, but here are a few options that are available: Leftovers, PB & J, Egg Salad Wraps, Chicken Salad Wraps (from the leftover chicken).
Week #36
Monday September 8th:
- Dinner: Beef & Bean Burrito Casserole style (make the burritos, line them in a 9×13 dish, dump some salsa on top, sprinkle lightly with cheese, bake)
TuesdaySeptember9th:
- Dinner: Grilled Pork Loin, Grilled Twice Baked Potatoes(kind of a lie, they’re once baked, once grilled- haha), homemade applesauce
WednesdaySeptember 10th:
- Dinner: Pork Stir Fry (using leftover pork loin from previous night) over steamed Jasmine rice with homemade Egg Rolls
ThursdaySeptember11th:
- Dinner: Broccoli Garlic Penne, crusty french bread
Friday September 12th:
- Dinner: Bacon Corn Chowder, Biscuits
SaturdaySeptember13th: Gathering with friends, Potluck- bringing a hot dish-
- Dinner: Puerto Rican Bacon Rice
Sunday September 14th:
- Dinner: Sesame Portabella Bok Choy over quinoa(There’s no real recipe for this one, just slice the bok choy & mushrooms thinly, saute them in a couple tablespoons of sesame oil, toss in a Tbs of minced garlic, add a TBS or so of Soy sauce, an onion sliced thinly and a couple cups of fresh or frozen green beans. Mix it into some hot cooked quinoa or dump it on top. The entire dish takes about 20 minutes, lots of flavor, pretty cheap.
Week #37
Monday September 15th:
- Dinner: Roasted Chicken, Lemon Dill Rice, steamed squash
TuesdaySeptember16th:
- Dinner: Homemade Pizza/Calzones
WednesdaySeptember17th:
- Dinner: Chicken Pot Piefilling over Biscuits (using leftover chicken from the roasted chicken Dinner)
ThursdaySeptember18th:
- Dinner: Chili Mac, steamed broccoli
Friday September 19th:
- Dinner: Breakfast, for dinner- Copycat Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole& Scrambled Eggs
SaturdaySeptember20th:
- Dinner: Anything & Everything Quiche
Sunday September 21st:
- Dinner: Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls, Corn Bread
Various Snacks & Desserts:
- Fresh Fruit Choices Available– Apples, Apples and more Apples, Home Canned Peaches
- Bacon Avocado Deviled Eggs
- Crispy Grab & Go Granola Bars
- Copycat DQ Pumpkin Blizzard
- Yogurt Parfaits
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
FYI: Wraps mentioned are tortillas that we make ahead of time. Various flavors include sun-dried tomato, spinach wraps, bacon tortillas(usually used for scrambled egg burritos!), etc.
It’s a little bit harder to have fresh veggies on a bi-weekly menu plan so we end up using veggies that have a longer “shelf” life, like cabbage, sweet potatoes, carrots, etc.
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
- September Sales Trends-not sure what Should be on sale right now? Here is a list of the current Sales trends throughout the month of July 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
© Can Stock Photo Inc. / FomaA
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