2017 $50 Budget Menu Plan Week 3

2017 $50 Budget Menu Plan Week 3: There were some fantastic grocery deals this week and we took advantage of them to add to the freezer!

One simple way that we are able to save money on groceries is by taking a photograph of the inside of the fridge BEFORE we leave the house to go grocery shopping. That way when grocery shopping, it’s easy to know exactly what is on hand in the fridge, not sure if the kids used all the mayonnaise- take a peak at the photo, wondering whether you had a leftover bag of greens, look at the photo. You might be wondering, How does that save you money? Well, for starters, it keeps us from purchasing items we already have and don’t need (like an item you bought for your kids lunch only to discover they never ate it and it’s sitting in the back of the fridge going to waste!).

This week we purchased the following: Boneless Skinless chicken breast ($1.49 a pound!), fresh blueberries (pints for only .99¢, fresh mangoes, roma tomatoes, Fuji apples, bottom round beef roast, arugula, fresh spinach, bell peppers, mushrooms, cauliflower, whole milk, strawberries, Tortillas, lettuce, bananas, avocado

Total spent this week on groceries: $96.19 (We bought 41 pounds of chicken, due to the sale price). This brings our total for the month to $189.08 (Week #1 $54.67; Week #2 $38.22; Week #3 $96.19), leaving roughly $60 for the next two weeks, which should be fine seeing as we’ll only need fresh veggies to go with the meat and OAMC meals already in the freezer.

From our Backyard: Fresh Eggs

From our Windowsill/ Garden: a few fresh herbs in the windowsill– cilantro, basil, parsley, rosemary, scallions,

Using what you Have: This week you’ll notice that we have both crab and whitefish on the menu. We live within a couple hours of the coast and several times per year we go crabbing and fishing, then freeze our catch to enjoy throughout the rest of the year. Each area has it’s own unique resources and the opportunity for free food is out there!

Breakfast Options for this week:

• Fresh Fruit -Apples, Bananas
• Carrot Cake Pancakes
• Apple Flautas
• Espresso Mocha Oatmeal
• Eggs-poached, over-easy, hard boiled, scrambled with leftover sauteed veggies & a sprinkle of cheese, etc
• Instant Oatmeal (18 Flavors)
• Homemade Strawberry & Blueberry Yogurt
• 3-grain Muffins

Lunch Options for this week:

• Jamaican Jerk Chicken Tortilla Wraps using leftover Jamaican Chicken breast, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeno slices & shredded cheese
• Quickie Panini-Style Grilled Cheese
• Leftover Mexican Skillet (usually in a wrap to make it handy)
• Egg Salad
• Salad
• Pasta Salad

Sunday January 15th:

• Dinner: Mexican Fiesta Skillet

Monday January 16th: Meatless Monday

• Dinner: Tomato Basil Pasta w/ roasted garlic sauce, texas garlic toast

Tuesday January 17th:

• Dinner: Grilled Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Cauliflower Au Gratin, Salad

Wednesday January 18th:

• Dinner: Grilled Whitefish with Avocado Mango Salsa, baked sweet potato, salad

Thursday January 19th:

• Dinner: Impossibly Easy Anything & Everything Quiche (Time to clean out the fridge, lol!)

Friday January 20th:

• Dinner: Charleston Crab Cakes, roasted basil tarragon potatoes, steamed green beans (frozen veg)

Saturday January 21st:

• Dinner: Faux Prime Rib(using the round roast we got on sale!), roasted crispy sweet potato fries, salad

Various Snacks & Desserts:

• Fresh Fruit Choices Available– Home Canned Peaches, Frozen Strawberries/Blueberries
• High Protein Cinnamon Maple Crunchies
• Strawberry Clafoutis (use a heavy cream substitute)
• Sriracha Chickpeas
• Homemade Strawberry & Blueberry Yogurt
• 3-grain Muffins

Drinks Available:

• Coffee
• Hot Chocolate/Cocoa
• Iced Tea (Unsweetened or Sweet Tea)

Less Likely to be used, but still available:

• Copycat Gatorade
• CopyCat Arizona Green Tea
• Lemonade
• Iced Coffee Drinks
• Almond Milk

FYI: If you’re wondering why all the ingredients listed in the recipes aren’t necessarily showing in the “purchased groceries” list, please check out our Frequently Asked Questions!