All right. Good question. (The question, that is, of HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FEED YOUR FAMILY ON $60 A WEEK PLUS ONE MONTHLY TRIP TO COSTCO? Yes. That question.)
I have a few disclaimers, first.
1. I am a cooker. So, I can cook things. From ingredients. Which, you know, is cheaper (by a lot) than the alternative.
2. My Kids are big. They don’t need hourly snacks. They’re gone all day at school. They can wait till dinner. Like that.
3. I am a firm believer in the Food Storage. I have shelves of food, and I know how to use it. (Did that sound like a threat? It wasn’t meant to. More like a back-up to my #1, above.)
4. Moderation. That’s a ticket for us. We try to not overdo any one thing. A bit of meat, a bunch of vegetables, some rice or pasta, and maybe a whole lot of smoothies. But have you seen the replacement for the food guide pyramid? It’s a plate. Of food. Sort of.
Sorry, Kid 4. That so doesn’t resemble your dinner of choice (a huge steak, some sauteed mushrooms, and a pile of fried potatoes). But it’s not that far off from what we usually eat. So, you know, it’s spread around.
So, here is my meal plan for the week. Starting today. Ready?
Wednesday Breakfast: Waffles and Blueberry Syrup
Need to buy: Nothing. All on hand.
Waffles: I keep a mix in the freezer, but I had to refill it this morning. Here’s what’s in it.
7 cups wheat flour
2 and 1/4 cups cornmeal
3 cups “quick oats”
1/2 cup baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
Mix all that together and put in a gallon-sized ziplock. Write this on the label part: “Waffle Mix — 2 cups mix, 2 cups milk, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup oil.” That feeds my family of 6 waffles for breakfast, occasionally with a bit leftover for birdies.
The blueberry syrup recipe is HERE, and I had all those ingredients on hand this morning, too. If I didn’t have oranges, I could have used lemon juice or pineapple juice or probably something else. But I have oranges. So that’s what we (they) had for breakfast.
Wednesday Lunch: Kids and Husband packed sandwiches last night, I’ll have some manner of Green Smoothie, hopefully way tastier than the seriously yucky concoction that was my breakfast. *Shudder*.
After School Snack: Crackers (leftovers from New Year’s Eve) and cheese (always on hand, bought when ON SALE, don’t you know).
Wednesday Dinner: Cheese and Onion Enchiladas (Red) and Corn/Black Bean Salad
Enchiladas: All ingredients on hand. Here’s the Great Big Secret Recipe.
2 Large onions, chopped
1 or 2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 for us. We LOVE cheese)
1 can (14 ounce-ish) red enchilada sauce
12 corn tortillas
Simmer the onions in a lidded pan with about 3 tablespoons of water until soft. Pour enchilada sauce into a small pie plate or something. Spray a medium casserole dish (I like the round one for this) with pan spray. Dip a tortilla in the enchilada sauce, both sides. Put it in the sprayed dish. Do it again, and again, so you have 3 now-red tortillas in the bottom of the pan. Scoop in 1/3 of the onions and sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat layers. Pour any remaining sauce over the top. Put a lid or some foil on it and heat until it’s hot. The onions are already cooked, so you can do it fast. Even in the microwave, if you’re into that.
Salad:
(I need to buy cilantro, because I used too much in last night’s salad.)
1 can (14 ounce-ish) black beans
1 cup frozen corn (I like the Costco kind)
1 tomato, chopped
2 Tablespoons red onion, diced
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoons Italian or Vinegar-based salad dressing (I like that Brianna’s one with the artichoke on the front. Very peppery and delicious)
Stir it up. Inhale. Can use avocado to make it perfect, but I’m on a budget. Tell you what. I will buy an avocado if it’s less than a dollar.
(So, to get up to speed, today’s meals will cost me about $1.30 including the possible avocado, because I stored everything else.) After dinner, Kids will clean up, thank me, and, smiling, start making tomorrow’s lunches. Which will include a protein, a veg, a fruit, and a treat. For which everything is in the fridge and pantry.)
Want to hear tomorrow? All-righty.
Breakfast: Smoothie and Scrambled Eggs
Smoothies are our favorites. My Kids much prefer them orange, pink, or purple to green. Whatever. I can do that.
One Good Smoothie (feeds 6)
1 can pineapple (the 20-ounce size)
6-8 ounces vanilla yogurt (I’m a huge fan of the Mountain High – it feels like food)
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 can peaches (the 14-ounce size)
2 peeled oranges
(Then I splash in some rice milk, because I like it better than the cow kind.)
Blend it all up. Serve with straws, because everything tastes better when you drink it from a straw.
I don’t really need to tell you how to scramble eggs, right? Right?
Lunches were packed last night, remember?
After school snack shall be popcorn. Usually reserved for Sundays, because I tend to WAY overdo it, but I’m willing to celebrate. I’m a pushover that way.
Dinner is Aunt Abbi’s Tomato-Basil soup, food storage style, which means I have everything on hand (hers is classier than mine, using cream and stuff but either way, it tastes awful darn good):
1 onion, diced
3 cups chicken broth (made from water and bullion)
4 cans crushed tomatoes (the 14-ounce size, or use a big can if you have one)
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup basil pesto (I have some fresh-ish stuff from Costco in my fridge, and I have some bottled stuff in my pantry. Obviously, I’m going to use the fresh. Because… well, I am.)
Boil the onions in the broth till soft. Add tomatoes. Simmer for however long you have. 20 minutes? That’ll do. When you’re ready to eat, add evaporated milk and pesto, heat through and serve. It’s really good. We all like it, even Husband the Non-Soup Man.
Then I’ll probably make some bread to go with it, because who doesn’t like homemade bread with their soup? I have all the ingredients on hand to make all manner of wonderful breads, but that’s another post entirely.
So, Thursday’s meals cost a total of ($0) –nothing. I have it all on the shelves. Yea, me! Here’s what else I can make without going to the store:
Pizza, Chicken Scaloppine, Tacos, Tuna Sandwich Pitas, Sloppy Joes, Potato Salad, Egg Salad Sandwiches [ick], Fried Rice, Granola, Chicken Parmesan, French Toast, or Spagetti. Plus all manner of breads, cookies, pastries, and, always, popcorn.
So, Friday? Breakfast is German Pancakes and Orange Juice. Lunches? Made. Dinner? Pizzas. Two. One cheese, one cheese and pepperoni. That leaves enough leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. Also a big fat green salad for which I think I have plenty on hand.
Saturday? Usually my day off. Cold cereal and an apple or toast. This week is different, because we’re having a party. I’ll tell you about it soon. Lunch is leftover pizza, remember? And fried rice and perhaps frozen potstickers for dinner. All on hand.
Sunday? I’ll beg Husband to grill his famous Dad-burgers. I’ll need to buy meat for that. I’ll do some baked “fries” and a bunch of veg-ish toppings for the burgers (tomatoes, grilled onion, lettuce, mushrooms) and I’ll need to buy the mushrooms.
So the list for today: Cilantro. Avocado, if it’s a good price. Hamburger meat. Mushrooms. (Plus Party Food, but I’m not taking that from the normal grocery budget.) And that will take us through Sunday. For something like $16. So I’ll add on some fruits for school lunches and snacking purposes, and smile to myself. $30 easy.
(Grocery-shopping/budgeting disclaimer: I know it’s not an easy thing. I do. And the simple secret is this: Shop the perimeter. Go to produce, meat, dairy and then go home. I am lucky to live in a town that believes in Case Lot Sales, which is the time I buy almost everything I may need that lives on inside-the-maze grocery shelves, like canned veg and beans, tuna, flour/sugar and canned fruit [for smoothies]. I make a menu. I make a list of what I need. I go to the store and I buy ONLY WHAT’S ON THE LIST. <– that’s the hard part. And that’s me, taking back the budget.)
(22) Comments for this blog
Not to be the party pooper (because I so enjoyed reading this and have to give you props) but at some point you have to replenish the food storage. (We too have tons of food stored and eat it on a daily basis.) Where does that fit into the budget? With the way food has gone up in price I find myself struggling to eat under $600 a month. How do you get your kids to skip the after-school snack? My three oldest go to school (all day) and by the time they get home they are ravished. Seriously, you’d think I was the meanest mom on earth if I tell them to wait for dinner. To be fair, my husband doesn’t get home until 6, which feels really late in the winter. And we wait for him before we eat.
I might have to give myself a challenge and see if we can eat as cheaply as the Wilhites.
Not to be the party pooper (because I so enjoyed reading this and have to give you props) but at some point you have to replenish the food storage. (We too have tons of food stored and eat it on a daily basis.) Where does that fit into the budget? With the way food has gone up in price I find myself struggling to eat under $600 a month. How do you get your kids to skip the after-school snack? My three oldest go to school (all day) and by the time they get home they are ravished. Seriously, you’d think I was the meanest mom on earth if I tell them to wait for dinner. To be fair, my husband doesn’t get home until 6, which feels really late in the winter. And we wait for him before we eat.
I might have to give myself a challenge and see if we can eat as cheaply as the Wilhites.
No, Susan – Good question. I do the replenishing of the food storage at the Sale Time, which is usually Spring and Fall. And I take that $$ out of a separate budget, which is good, because if I can actually keep it to $60 a week, there is plenty being funneled to that “extras” account. See? And I did put after-school snacks in the plan. Just not expensive ones. 🙂
No, Susan – Good question. I do the replenishing of the food storage at the Sale Time, which is usually Spring and Fall. And I take that $$ out of a separate budget, which is good, because if I can actually keep it to $60 a week, there is plenty being funneled to that “extras” account. See? And I did put after-school snacks in the plan. Just not expensive ones. 🙂
I put Abbi’s Soup on my menu for this week! I started planning my family’s dinner menu around themed days…which sounds kinda silly…but it keeps me from making the same things every few days! I mostly make everything from scratch…because I can…and yeah…it’s definitely cheaper!
Here’s what we do:
Mexican Monday: Chili, enchiladas, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, etc.
Take-Out Tuesday: Asian inspired meals, like stir-fry, egg rolls, and teriyaki chicken
Wait for it Wednesday: Slow-cooker fare, ’cause Wednesdays are crazy ’round here.
This n’ that Thursday: Usually leftovers from several different meals
Fast Food Friday: Fast Food inspired meals, like hamburgers or pizza
Simple Saturday: Usually something quick-ish, like tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, or Breakfast for dinner
Soup Sunday: ‘Cause I don’t want to spend the whole Sabbath cooking, and soup and bread are sooooo easy.
It’s been working out really well for us…and now I have a couple more recipes to add to the mix, thanks to you!! ;D
I put Abbi’s Soup on my menu for this week! I started planning my family’s dinner menu around themed days…which sounds kinda silly…but it keeps me from making the same things every few days! I mostly make everything from scratch…because I can…and yeah…it’s definitely cheaper!
Here’s what we do:
Mexican Monday: Chili, enchiladas, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, etc.
Take-Out Tuesday: Asian inspired meals, like stir-fry, egg rolls, and teriyaki chicken
Wait for it Wednesday: Slow-cooker fare, ’cause Wednesdays are crazy ’round here.
This n’ that Thursday: Usually leftovers from several different meals
Fast Food Friday: Fast Food inspired meals, like hamburgers or pizza
Simple Saturday: Usually something quick-ish, like tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, or Breakfast for dinner
Soup Sunday: ‘Cause I don’t want to spend the whole Sabbath cooking, and soup and bread are sooooo easy.
It’s been working out really well for us…and now I have a couple more recipes to add to the mix, thanks to you!! ;D
I want to come to your house! It all sounds so good!!! I had a green smoothie for breakfast/lunch (it was a large one). I love your shopping secret. I’m going to have to try that one out! 😉
I want to come to your house! It all sounds so good!!! I had a green smoothie for breakfast/lunch (it was a large one). I love your shopping secret. I’m going to have to try that one out! 😉
Then the next question I have is if you buy the organic and/or non-hormone milks and meats and veggies? I feel those are necessary expenses and makes for a hefty bill. Also, living in NH, food costs are more out here. My folks live in St. George, so I know that competition keeps the costs down better.
Then the next question I have is if you buy the organic and/or non-hormone milks and meats and veggies? I feel those are necessary expenses and makes for a hefty bill. Also, living in NH, food costs are more out here. My folks live in St. George, so I know that competition keeps the costs down better.
I have found that I spend much less when I think week by week. I evaluate what I have before buying more.
We only have two kids at home now, so I spend about $50/week.
I like your menu. Yum!
I have found that I spend much less when I think week by week. I evaluate what I have before buying more.
We only have two kids at home now, so I spend about $50/week.
I like your menu. Yum!
I’m totally amazed at this and slightly hungry now (although I’m also on the pound a week challenge). Can those waffles be pancakes, or do you have a pancake recipe similar to it?? I need it. Stat.
I’m totally amazed at this and slightly hungry now (although I’m also on the pound a week challenge). Can those waffles be pancakes, or do you have a pancake recipe similar to it?? I need it. Stat.
I am SO stealing some ideas from this. Luuurve.
I am SO stealing some ideas from this. Luuurve.
You have inspired me to hit the case-lot sales this year 🙂
Thanks for sharing…
You have inspired me to hit the case-lot sales this year 🙂
Thanks for sharing…
Oh, you’re making me starving. All of that sounds so yummalicious!!! I love case lot sales. I totally stock up during those, too. Big favs around here are tomato sauce (for everything from curry to spaghetti) and well, pretty much everything I can nab!
Oh, you’re making me starving. All of that sounds so yummalicious!!! I love case lot sales. I totally stock up during those, too. Big favs around here are tomato sauce (for everything from curry to spaghetti) and well, pretty much everything I can nab!
I really need to be better and planning. It makes a big difference in a budget!
I really need to be better and planning. It makes a big difference in a budget!