Monthly Menu Plan and Grocery Shop

Recently I’ve started reading a book called, America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money: Your Guide to Living Better, Spending Less, and Cashing in on Your Dreams, and I am really enjoying it. I found it through another blog, Holy Spirit Led Homeschooling, which I found through Pinterest……  Isn’t the internet great?  LOL

Anyway, one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to reduce my grocery/food spending, and the Book encourages you to shop once a month.  Now, I’ve been doing Weekly Menu Plans for a while now, and can throw together a weekly plan of dinners in about 10-15 minutes…  But a monthly one?  What’s more, they encourage you to plan all meals (so you’re sure you have enough food)…. 

Ok, I think I can try it, we’ll see how it goes.

They do say that they make a mid month trip for more fresh produce etc, which helps out a bit….  If I get to the month and realize I’m missing some stuff I can get it at the mid month milk and produce trip…  In fact I’ve already figured out something I missed when I shopped today LOL…

I figure this will be a learning curve and take some time, but I’m willing to tackle the task, since the blogger on Holy Spirit Led Homeschooling claims to feed HER family on less than $400 a month.  I average closer to $800, sometimes $1000 on groceries alone!  I have long known something needs to be done.  We do have 2 growing teenagers, and a family of 6, but this still seems like an awful lot to spend on groceries….  especially when I almost NEVER buy things like steak

So, as the book told me to do, I first set up and inventoried my pantry, snack cupboard, fridge, and freezers.  It seems I have quite a bit on hand, and that was a task in itself.  I’m hoping next time will not require an entire clean out of the pantry ….

Then, you are to sit with your inventory lists and the weekly sale paper and come up with a menu plan.  While I did use my inventory list, I did NOT use the sale papers, it was just TOO much for me to handle this first time around…  I needed much flexibility in what I was planning for food.  Maybe next month I’ll use the sale papers to save even more money…  Baby Steps

I found that Money Saving Mom had some great monthly menu printables that really helped me through this…

Here’s what I came up with for a Menu:

2
B: German Bread, Homemade Yogurt
L: Black Eyed Peas
S: Yogurt
D: Snack Dinner

3
B: Oatmeal
Gone for the rest of the day at MIL’s

4
B:Eggs, Toast, Bacon
L: Ramen Noodles (Don’t hate me for my nutritious lunches)
S: Goldfish
D: Spaghetti, Crazy Bread

5
B: Breakfast Tacos
L: Spaghetti
S: Goldfish
D: Brisket, Potato Salad, Green Beans

6
B: Cereal
L: Lunchables (church lets out at lunch time)
S: Grapes, Pretzels
D: Brisket Sandwiches, Trifle

7
B: Yogurt, Graham Crackers
L: Lunchables (Shea), Noodles (others)
S: Carrots and ranch
D: Turkey Soup, Rolls

8
B: Yogurt, Banana
L: Turkey Soup
S: Carrots and Ranch
D: Stuffed Baked Potatoes with Brisket

9
B:Yogurt, Granola
L: Turkey Soup
S: Carrots and Ranch
D: Snack Dinner (Left overs)

10
B: Cereal
L: Noodles
S: Carrots
D: Totinos Pizzas

11
B:Cereal
L: PB &J, Carrots
S: Yogurt
D: Pineapple Rum chicken over Rice (New Item)

12
B: Crock Pot French Toast (New Item)
L: Mac & Cheese
S: Gogurt (Homemade)
D: Burgers, Fries, Layered Salad

13
B: Cereal
L: Lunchables (After Church)
S: Gogurt
D: Mexican Beans and Rice, Dump Cake

14
B: Granola, Yogurt (Both Homemade)
L: Lunchables
S: Carrots
D: Snack Dinners (Pizza at scouts for older boys)

15
B: Granola
L: Layered Salad
S: Carrots
D: Beef Stroganoff

16
B: Cereal
L: Layered Salad
S: Chips and Queso
D: Snack Dinner

17
B: Cereal
L: Lunchables
S: Chips and Queso
D: Frozen Pizza

18
B: Eggs, Toast, Bacon
L: Noodles, Cheese
S: Carrots and Ranch
D: Taco Soup

19
B: Baked French Toast, Fruit
L: Taco Soup
S: Carrots ad Ranch
D: Chicken Salad, Fruit Salad

20
B: Cereal
L: Lunchables
S: Fruit Salad
D: Pizza, Birthday Cake (BDay Party for Shea)

21
B: Granola
L: Lunchables
S: Fruit Salad
D: Fish Tacos

22
B: Granola
L: Taco Soup
S: Apples
D: Pancake Supper

23
B: Breakfast Tacos
L: PB &J
S: Apples
D: Snack Dinner

24
B: Cereal
L: Lunchables
S: Applesauce
D: Nachos

25
B: Cereal
L: Mac and Cheese
S: Apple Sauce
D: Pizza, Brownies

26
B: Cereal
L: Noodles
S: Carrots
D: Corn Dogs, Fruit

27
B: Cereal
L: Noodles
S: Carrots
D: Mac and Cheese, Hot Dogs, Fruit

28
B: Scrambled Eggs
L: Lunchables
S: Gogurt
D: Lasagna, Garlic Break, Salad

29
B: Cereal
L: Lasagna
S: Applesauce
D: Mikey Throw Together, Chopped version

30
B: Granola
L: Lasagna
S: Oatmeal Cookie
D: Snack Dinner

31
B: Cereal
L: Lunchables
S: Oatmeal Cookie
D: Corn Dogs, Fries

Some things I did- Sundays we are always hungry when we leave church.  In order to avoid driving through, I just bought a bunch of the $1 Lunchables and I’ll supplement with water or capri suns.  Mondays, same problem, but only with Shea- the other three are home.  Some days I’ll let them all eat them just for fun   And Thursdays are particularly crazy, we have Bible Study and it lets out at nap time, so we have to eat…  So, we’ll use Lunchables to keep my self sane

Wednesday nights (and a couple others are Snack Dinner, meaning we try to eat some of the left overs

Also, the majority of our lunches are left overs.

I will have a paper on the fridge of what’s “free to eat” (meaning I don’t have it again on the menu), that way the kids can have some flexibility if they don’t want what’s listed for a meal or a snack.

Now, I mentioned that I normally spend between $800 and $1,000 on groceries a month.  I’ve budgeted $650 for this month.

I went shopping today, and here’s how it’s shaken down so far:

Bread store:  $8.19
Walmart: $459

My PLAN is to stay out of the store until the next paycheck (2 weeks), at which time I will pick up ONLY milk and fresh produce and any items I’ve noticed I forgot on my list…..  I’ll keep y’all posted!

I’d love to hear how y’all save money on your expenses too!