2014 $50 Budget Menu Plan Week #14: Spring has finally arrived the South (with a few PMS-type Moments on Mother Nature’s behalf!), but it’s here -nonetheless. For this weeks menu . . .
We purchased the following: Asparagus, Tomatoes, Avocados, Baby Spinach, Artisan Lettuce, Tuna-Fish, carrots, bell peppers, onions, black olives, Sriracha sauce, apples, pineapple, cantaloupe, sour cream, yogurt, popcorn, grapes, tea bags, mayonnaise, Almond Milk (purchased 3 w/coupons = less than .50 each!)
From our Backyard: Fresh Eggs (Getting nearly 3 dozen per day)
From our Windowsill: Fresh Scallions, Fresh Basil, Fresh Cilantro, Fresh Thyme
Total spent this week on groceries $48.79
Breakfast Options for this week: we made several different types of muffins over the weekend, wrapped them individually with plastic wrap and froze them. They’ve been placed in the door of the fridge, simply remove plastic wrap, wrap the muffin in a paper towel and hit 18-20 seconds on the microwave for an instant, hot breakfast on the go in less than a minute.
Fresh Fruit Choices include: bananas, cantaloupe, apples, Pineapple
- Veggie & Cheese Omelets
- Muffins –
- Egg White Omelets (Egg whites, diced veggies, seasonings)
- Homemade Bagels-Blueberry, Cinnamon Raisin or Onion
- Poached Eggs on Toast
- Fruit Kebabs(Cantaloupe, Pineapple, Apple Chunks) w/ Yogurt Dip
Monday March 31st:
- Lunch: Garden Salad
- Dinner: Italian Marinated Dijon Pepper Steak, Baked Potato, Steamed Broccoli
Tuesday April 1st:
- Lunch: Tuna Salad Wrap
- Dinner: Tomato, Basil Garlic Pasta& Garlic Bread, Salad
Wednesday April 2nd:
- Lunch: Dilled Egg Salad
- Dinner: Puerto Rican Bacon Rice,Salad
Thursday April 3rd:
- Lunch: Blt’s
- Dinner: Taco Night– corn tortillas, Seasoned Tacomeat (using ground turkey), lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, tomatoes, black olives, avocado slices
Friday April 4th:
- Lunch: Tuna Grape Salad on a bed of shredded lettuce
- Dinner: Sriracha Honey Chicken Wings, Twice Baked Potatoes, Salad
Saturday April 5th:
- Lunch: Fire Roasted Asparagus Dip Filled Bell Peppers, salad
- Dinner: Bacon Spinach Rotini
Sunday April 6th:
- Lunch: Leftover Rotini
- Dinner: Santa Fe Chili Casserole, salad
Various Snacks & Desserts:
- Fresh Fruit Choices Available– Apples, Bananas, Fresh Pineapple
- Honey Crunch Granola Bars
- Homemade Chips & Vidalia Onion Dip
- Microwave Popcorn
- Banana’s Foster
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:We’ve started more seedlings indoors with homemade junk mail pots (aka flyers!) and we’ve decided that in order to keep getting organic veggies cheap enough, we’ll need to build a small greenhouse. That project will be appearing on our sister site, Budget101.com soon!
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
- March Sales Trends–not sure what Should be on sale right now? Here is a list of the current Sales trends throughout the month of March 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
What is the recipe for fire roasted asparagus dip filled bell peppers? I’ve looked all over the internet and can’t find it anywhere. Also, which stores do you shop at? My grocery bill is 2-3 times larger than yours.