Meal planning is my thing ya’ll. I admit the 90 degree weather has really put a stop to meal planning in knowing exactly what we are having to just throw whatever is on the garden and meat we have on the grill, but meal planning has been such a huge part in allowing my husband and I to pay off our debt. In 18 months we paid off all of our debt except for our mortgage. It didn’t just come by my husband getting a new job that pays well, nope it came with a game plan and being resourceful and knowing where every dollar came in and went out. My baby blog I talked more about meal planning. In fact I shared out $45 a week meal plan there every week. I hope to share more with you here on Mondays.
I even did a few presentations about meal planning and I was flooded with questions because so many others want to save by really understanding how to meal plan.
We were on a 6 month spending freeze and meal planning and couponing was critical for me. If you missed those posts I shared them here on Frugal Fridays. You will save so much money when you plan your meals.
Every Sunday I take about 10-15 minutes to get a dinner menu written down for the week. I try to buy meats every other week.
Last week I bought chicken breasts at BJ’s for $1.99/lb. So we still have a package of chicken to use this week. THey also have bone in chicken breasts for $1.79/lb. Which is a great way to grill breasts and keep in the flavor and not dry them out.
Another way we save on meat costs is my husband hunts and we use venison in place of beef for many recipes. Shopping the sales for meats helps cut down costs. If you are a BJ’s member in a price comparison they actually had the cheapest price per pound. So if you want to do your one stop shopping you will still get a good deal on meats at BJ’s. Every 4-6 weeks your local grocery store will most likely run similar sale prices on meats and sometimes even cheaper. I love the quality of meat at BJ’s honestly though.
This will be the last time we buy chicken from the store. Since we are raising our own meat we have enough chicken to get us through the spring- I hope!
My daughter is loving tacos so we are sticking with Taco Tuesdays. I think younger kids like to have a couple meals a week that are familiar. When it’s warmer out I’m inspired to try new things and use the grill as much as possible. Our weekly budget for groceries is $60 for a family of four.
Need more tips on meal planning and budgeting for groceries? Head on over here.
Here’s the menu for the week:
Monday: Eggplant Parmesan ( grew in the garden)
Tuesday: Tacos with homemade tortilla shells( My kids are loving tacos right now so I’m sticking with Taco Tuesday!)
Wednesday: Bacon Lettuce Tomato Sandwiches (So many tomatoes in the garden!)
Thursday: Crispy Chicken Ranch Cutlet Sandwiches ( Bone in Chicken Breasts are just a $1.79/lb. at BJ’s!)
Friday: Double Bacon Beer Braised Burgers with steamed broccoli
Saturday: Lemon Butter Pan seared Tilapia with rice
Sunday: Chef Salad with homemade crusty bread and fruit salad ( again use what I can in the garden)
Print $5 off Culturelle Coupon + Deal at BJ’s
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