Here is what I have planned for the month of July. I will do our big shopping trip within the next few days, cast free, Lord willing! Our beverages will be the usual tea, coffee, juice and milk with the exception of water at lunch. I plan on soda just on the weekends, sparingly. The dollar amounts you see is what the cost would be out of pocket with the exception of beef, of which we have in the freezer. We already have some things on hand so this isn't what will actually be spent... after non-foods and allowing money for catching good deals, we should come around $350-$400 for the month.

Breakfast

• grits and eggs .75

• muffins .50

• oatmeal .75

• pancakes $2

• granola $2.50

• cinnamon rolls (whole wheat w/ cream cheese icing) $2.50

• Poptarts and milk $4

Total: $52.00

Lunch

• ramen $.70

• leftovers Free!

• bean burritos(leftover pintos, cheese, tortillas)$1.75

• mac n cheese $2.50(homemade, make ahead and freeze)

• tuna casserole $2.50

• sloppy joes and popcorn(make joe meat ahead and freeze)$2.00

• PB&J $2.00

Total: $45.80

Supper

• baked potatoes $4.50 (make chili meat)(3X)

• pintos, taters and cornbread $4.50 (3X)

• cabbage casserole$3 (3X)

• chicken bog, green beans $4.50

• spaghetti(seasoned reconstituted tom. paste, canned tomatoes,pasta)$3 (3X)(vary by adding cheese and baking. etc...make batch and freeze ahead)

• salmon patties, rice and gravy,veg. $4.50

• pizza(tomato paste for sauce, 1lb.cheese for two pizzas) $5.00 (3X)

• Bacon-bean soup (Not Just Beans)$2.50

• Steak, potato, salad (steak already bought) $7

• Chicken fried steak (NJB, p.111),rice and veggies $5

• Shepherd's Pie $5(3X, make and freeze ahead)

• cubed steak/roast and gravy, veggie (3x)$5.00

• taco/ grilled chicken salad $5.50 (3X)

• LCF (take baked beans and 2 desserts) $15.00

Total:$145.00

Snacks

• Cheddar puffs (p. 50, NJB)

• cookies (oatmeal, peanut butter, chocolate chip, sugar)

• Peanut butter crackers

• salsa & chips

• popcorn

• fruit

• cereal

Total: $40

Grand Total: $282.80

~ roast and veggies over rice

~ roast soup

~ stuffed manicotti and salad

~ pizza

~ chicken enchiladas and spanish rice

~ chicken and rice, green beans

~ pintos, fried smoked sausage and corn bread

~ turkey, stuffing, rice and gravy, green beans

~cubed steak, rice and gravy, broccoli casserole

~ church social meal

Breakfasts are simple cereals, oatmeal, cheese biscuits, eggs , breakfast burrito and grits.

Lunches will be leftovers, hot dogs, quesadillas, frozen pizza, ramen and soup.

It's that time again and I just had to go and finish out the month! I saw so many possiblities and so I couldn't resist in getting this out of the way. This is a pick and choose menu, meaning that there's more on here than what we will consume. Still yet, I wanted to have some more choices to accomodate my ever changing, very, very, very hormonally, psychopathic mood occurances, which are going on here as of late. I won't even try to edit that horrifically grammatical sentence! Ha! This is for the rest of the month.

Breakfast

cereal

eggs and grits

eggs and potatoes with sausage

egg biscuits

farmer's spread

omelets

muffins

oatmeal

pb and j

pancakes

Lunch

tacos and corn

sloppy joes and corn

ramen

bologna sandwiches

leftover shepherd's pie

grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup

baked beans and pasta salad

p, b and j

leftover beef stew and rice

baked potatoes with sloppy joe meat and cheese(make day after sloppy joes!)

baked potatoes w/ sour cream and cheese, broccoli, etc.

leftover chicken enchiladas and spanish rice

leftover crockpot chicken and butter beans, salad

leftover chili mac, corn

leftover spaghetti, garlic bread and salad

Supper

Hawaiian Chicken over rice with steamed veggies

Steak, baked potato, salad

shepherd's pie(make enough for leftovers)

15 Bean soup

Beef stew and rice

spaghetti(make enough for leftovers)

vegetable soup and cornbread

chicken enchiladas, spanish rice and corn (make enough for leftovers)

pinto bean casserole and salad (make enough for leftovers)

crockpot chicken, beans, salad

cubed steak, mashed potatoes, steamed veggies

chili mac and corn

leftovers

Snacks

graham crackers(with or without peanut butter)

goldfish

saltines and cheese

saltines and peanut butter

cookies (sugar, oatmeal, peanut butter)

cake

marshmallows

canned fruit

pop biscuits and jelly

popcorn(lemon pepper, barbque, sweetened, ranch, cajun, plain, yadda-yadda, etc.)

brownies

Beverages

tea

soda

lemonaid

punch

Kool Aid

coffee

milk

I think that'll do it for the rest of the month unless I forgot something. We ate out at Cracker Barrell a few weeks back and at Burger King last night. So that's our limit for the month on eating out. Even though we didn't have to pay for Cracker Barrell due to a gift.

Per request I am posting this a little early.

 Here is our menu for May 1-May 8. I have the snacks more organized this time, albeit the snacks were more expensive than I thought they should be. I'll tweak it in the following weeks, hopefully. I typed in some side notes to help my thoughts with getting things done more smoothly.  While I put in the total cost of the meals, this is not how much we actually have to spend. We have a freezer full of beef and a stockpile of frozen chicken. I buy the chicken in bulk once it's on sale. I also have quite a bit of oatmeal on hand as well. This week would actually cost about $76.05   after you take out the beef cost. Of course, for our total grocery costs, we have cleaners, "g'nites" for one child to buy(I use cloth diapers and washable g'nites for the other two bedwetters), health and beauty aids, etc. With all that said, my goal still is $350 for May.

Breakfast

muffins and bacon (make muffins and fry bacon on Saturday for another day) $2.50

eggs, bacon and cheese grits with biscuits(scramble eggs and mix biscuits night before and put in 'fridge to cook next morning) $3.00

cereal 2X $2.75

doughnuts before church visitation

oatmeal 2X $1.25

Breakfast Total: $12.50

Lunch

soup and crackers $2.50

hot dogs and popcorn $2.50

quesadillas $3.00

bologna and cheese sandwiches, popcorn $2.25

egg salad sandwiches, popcorn $1.00

spaghetti, garlic bread $2.25

leftovers Free!

Lunch Total: $13.50

Supper

chicken pot pie $4.50

pizza and breadsticks $6.50

shrimp gumbo casserole $7.00

crockpot chicken,  green beans (take to church Homecoming) $8.00

15 Bean soup, cornbread $4.75

roast and veggies, served over rice $8.75

leftovers Free!

Supper Total: $39.75

Snacks

oranges 2X $4.00

chips and cookies $1.50

chips and  homemade oatmeal cookies $.1.00

Townhouse crackers and Fig Newtons $1.40

Townhouse Crackers and Strawberry Newtons $1.40

popcorn, bologna and cheese crackers $1.00

Snack Total: $10.30

Beverages

Tea $2.50

Juice $2.50

coffee $2.50

Beverage Total: $7.50

 Grand Total: $83.55

Breakfast

cereal (4X)**4/3,4/4,4/7,4/9

smoothies( 4X)

oatmeal (4X)*4/6

muffins (4X)

yogurt topped with granola(4X)*4/8

peanut butter toast(3X)*4/1 *4/2

eggs and grits (4X)*4/5

Lunch

chicken nugget wraps(2X)*4/1

Ramen(2X)*4/4

Nachos(2X)*4/2*4/9(in combo w/ leftovers)

soup(2X)

mac n cheese(4X)*4/3

fruit smoothies

quesadillas(2X)*4/7

sandwiches(2X)

baked potatoes(2X)

baked beans(used w/ nachos one night instead)*

leftovers*4/5*4/6*4/8*4/9

Supper or Sunday Dinner

Chicken and Tortillas, spanish rice, salad*4/13

Pintos, sausage, potatoes and cornbread*4/5

spaghetti, salad, garlic bread*4/9

grilled chicken salad*4/7

pizza(3X)*4/4,*4/11,4/18

Marlboro Man's Sandwiches*4/26

chicken enchiladas, spanish rice and corn*made 4/1

nachos*4/2(w/ baked beans)

Chicken Bog, green beans*4/10

baked potatoes*4/25

Ham(2X), brocolli and cheese, rice and gravy*4/6

Steak, salad, baked potato*4/19

Chili Mac(make with tomato paste) and corn*4/17

Chicken nuggets, ???*4/16

deli sandwiches(2X)*4/9

manwiches(make with tomato paste) and fries*4/15

salmon patties, steamed veggies, rice and gravy*4/20

meatloaf, mashed taters', steamed veggies or salad*4/24

BBQ Leg quarters, coleslaw and green beans *4/12

leftovers*4/3,4/14,4/27

Maybe one night out as a celebration of finishing the home addition and our 18th anniversary???

We have everything listed except for salad stuff, cabbage, leg quarters, and beef. We are expecting our cow to be processed next week and Food Lion has leg quarters on sale for .39/lb. this week~! I have over $40  cash and almost $30 in CVS ECB plus a $3 off a BiLo grocery order coupon for the rest of the month. I am expecting to make our goal for the month with no problems. I said that last month and went over about $2.50.

Okay, so I need to catch up on what we've had the past few days! I am sorry for the delay. Things have been very busy (what's new?).

Today we had:

Breakfast: cereal, Lunch: quesadillas, Supper: cabbage casserole

Yesterday(5th) we had:

Breakfast: Breakfast: poptarts, Lunch: pb&j , Supper: Leftovers

Tuesday(4th) we had: breakfast: bagels and cream cheese, lunch: leftovers(me), ramen for the children, Supper: Pinto beans, fried sausage, fried potatoes and onions with cornbread.

Here is what I have planned for the rest of the month...subject to change. This is in no particular order but this is what I have planned for the rest of the month. If our electric bill comes in lower than budgetted, then we will eat out with that. If there's enough in that envelope then. If not, then there's always next month. Could we go out and eat without doing this. Yep. But, I like self denial. It makes me feel better.

Main Meal
1. vegetable soup
2 spaghetti
3 spaghetti
4 pintos, potatoes, cornbread
5 pork loin, seasoned rice, green beans
6 Roast soup
7 Hamburger Helper
8 Chicken Helper
9 Church social after evening service(take bacon wraps and brownies)
10 pizza
11 pizza
12 pizza
13 tatertot casserole
14 cabbage casserole
15 baked chicken, rice and green beans
16 chicken and dumplins, peas, salad
17 potato soup, cornbread
18 BBQ leg quarters, coleslaw, baked beans
19 Ritzy chicken, steamed veggies
20 pork fried rice and peas
21 Chicken bog (chicken and rice, seasoned, with smoked sausage), black eye peas
22 Church Outing (social fund provides cost of meal, might take lettuce and tomatoes for burgers)
23 pinto bean bake
24 baked beans with ground beef added, slaw
25 Crockpot chicken and tortillas
26 Easter meal at parents house

Today has been a whacky day so far. Productive, yes, but it's been wacky. So, this explains the different foods for breakfast and lunch.

Breakfast: a combination of peanut butter on Ritz type crackers and one cheese burrito with mayonnaise for Dalton(yes, this is gross). Oh yeah, one child had the very last bit of precious cereal out of a bag. Most drank milk with their,uuummmm, breakfast. They were too impatient to wait for the to fix grits and eggs.  Brittany and I did not eat breakfast this morning. $1.50

Lunch: Ramen noodles and soup with crackers. $2.00

Snack: Popcorn balls .50

Supper: Pork Loin, broccoli casserole(with either/and mozzerella cheese/Velveeta. I am out of cheddar) and rice and gravy. $6.75

Tea: .50

Total: $11.25

Today's menu is:

Breakfast: blueberry muffins and milk $1.50

Lunch: Leftovers(FREE!) We had leftover Hamburger Helper and lasagna.

Supper: Baked potatoes with chili meat, cheese, sour cream, and butter ($4.00)

Tea(.50)

I also forgot that yesterday day Brittany made a yummy snack of rice crispy treats so I will add that today's menu. ($2.15)

Total for today: $8.15

For at least this month, I want to post what we have spent and what our menu is, daily. Some people are wondering, "`What in the world do they eat on such a low budget?".  We eat very normal stuff. We don't eat all beans, but some. We don't eat all from scratch, but most. We don't eat all at home, but most. We don't eat all ramen, but a few times a month.  It's just that I am vvverrrrryyyyyy caaaarrrreeeffffuuullll with the money, I pray and I keep my eyes open on the deals. So, hopefully we will make goal this month! I am thrilled that I only had to spend $23.71 for the week. As I looked in the pantry, 'fridge, freezer and children's personal supplies I realized that we had a good bit of everything. Glory!

Anyway, here's today's menu.

Breakfast: doughnuts at church before visitation. Hey that was easy! (Free)

Lunch: Hamburger Helper(oh, oh, oh! I must tell this story! I just love stories! Don't you?), corn ($2.50 TOTAL!!!! )

Supper: Lasagna but with spaghetti noodles, garlic bread ( $6.76)

Total for the day: $9.26

I put the leftover corn in the freezer, in a freezer bag labeled soup. This is a special concoction that is made up of a cornucopia of leftovers. Once the container looks big enough for a good pot of soup, then I set to work. I have made some of our best soups this way!

Okay, the Hamburger Helper story:

When we get this, it is a treat for us because normally we can make these type dishes from scratch. But, I do keep my eyes open and when I find a good deal and we are open to eating it I try to get it. Hamburger Helper is a treat at our house. So, I saw it on sale for $1 a box at Food Lion. I had two coupons for .75/3 and so decided to buy six boxes(two of each kind since we need to use two boxes to feed our crowd). So this would make each box come out to .75 each. Cool. So I am checking out at the register and the cashier hands me a coupon for $2.50 off my next meat order. Sweet! Apparently they are holding a deal that if you buy 3 boxes of HH you get a coup for $1.50, buy 4 and get $2.00 or buy 5 or more and get one for $2.50. So, for six boxes at .75 each, it would be $4.50. But since I have that coupon, it basically knocked the price per box down to .33 cents. I am thrilled, to say the least. End of the Hamburger Helper story.

This is our menu for the next seven days.

Lunch   (In no particular order)

Ramen, Quesadillas, canned soup and crackers, leftovers

Supper

Spaghetti, breadsticks, salad

Quiche Lorraine

Cabbage Casserole

Chicken and dumplings

Vegetable Soup and cornbread

Southwestern Beefbake

Leftovers

I did have tacos planned for one of the following seven days but we had them last night. It was a complete taco day with having it for lunch and supper. I can honestly say that I've had my feel of tacos for a while. Although we are still having our share of Mexican food.

Here's the menu for the last several days of October. We have already ate a few of them already and will be having pizza tonight. I have not, yet, put these in order as to when to eat what.

Supper

1. Beef patties and saut'ed onions with mashed potatoes and gravy, collard greens

2. cabbage casserole

3. Middle Eastern Lentil soup

4. Pizza

5. Chili(made from dried kidney beans) and cornbread

6. Roast and veggies with rice

7. Roast Soup

8. Vegetable soup and cornbread

9. Country Bean Soup

10. Chicken Casserole

11. Potato Soup

Lunch

baked potatoes

leftovers(whenever possible, planning on it being often)

egg salad sandwiches

tuna salad sandwiches(twice)

Ramen(twice)

Fish sandwiches and fries

Breakfast

baked oatmeal(twice)

cereal (twice)

cinnamon rolls

cheese biscuits

pancakes

muffins

eggs and grits

Farmer's Delight(eggs, bacon, biscuits, grits)

A homemade copy of Bojangles Boberry Biscuits

Beverages

tea, Koolaid, coffee, juice, milk

Snacks

Homemade treats such as cookies, brownies, muffins, popcorn, pretzels, canned fruit, peanut butter crackers... Our oldest is good at fixing the sweet, fattening stuff that we just can't resist.

I put us on a VERY tight budget this month! It's been fun and challenging to come to a new horizon in the food budget world. I'll go ahead and say that I am hoping to make it at $350 for this month. This includes all household consumables. I will throw in that we were gone for a day trip and ate out for breakfast and lunch, of which is not included on this budget. We ate out one other time which was included on this budget.  We have not bought any beef as we still have some in the freezer. I use disposable diapers and "goodnights" for the children on a part time basis.  We have chickens but their feed does not come from our grocery budget.  The menu above has a lot of soups in it! Hopefully we won't get burned out on soup. Next month I hope to have a more varied menu from the start.

I am thinking of setting next month's budget at $375 but if we have very good sales I might can keep down at $350. Happy budgetting!

Supper

Friday, Oct. 10: Pizza

Saturday: cabbage casserole

Sunday: eat at the grands' house

Monday: Pintos, sausage, fried potatoes and onions with cornbread

Tuesday: fish sandwiches and fries

Wednesday: chicken noodle soup

Thursday: baked chicken, broccoli casserole, rice and gravy

Friday: sloppy joes and fries

Saturday: salmon patties, green beans, rice and gravy

Sunday: Ritzi chicken

Monday: Baked potato night

Tuesday: Gone for the day....eat away from home

Wednesday: quiche

Thursday: Great northern bean soup

Lunches:

tuna salad 2X

egg salad 2X

quesadillas

hot dogs 2X

spaghetti 2X

mac and cheese

ramen 2X

chicken noodle soup

leftovers or baked potatoes

Breakfasts:

cereal 6X

eggs and grits 4X

biscuits and gravy

muffins 3X

Breakfast: cereal ($1.25)

lunch: fish sandwiches (3.25) applesauce (1.00)

supper: oyster stew , complete with saltines($9.00)

Beverages: tea, milk, juice, coffee ($1.50)

Total: $12.75

Breakfast

Monday: eggs, grits, bacon, juice

Tuesday: doughnuts and milk

Wednesday: muffins and milk

Thursday: eggs, grits, bacon, juice

Friday: cereal

Saturday: pancakes, sausage, milk

Sunday: poptarts, milk

LUNCH

Monday: Ramen Soup

Tuesday: PB&J

Wednesday: Vegetable Soup

Thursday: Quesadillas

Friday: Hot dogs & chips

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday: Soup & Sandwiches

Supper

Sunday: #1turkey, mashed pot. and gravy, mac n cheese, green beans and rolls

              #2 Crockpot chicken and stuffing

Monday:#1 Tatertot Casserole  #2 Shepherd’s pie

Tuesday: Mexican meal  #1chicken enchiladas #2 Tacos

Wednesday: crockpot meal #1 roast and veggies #2 ham and potatoes

Thursday: Dried bean meal #1 pintos, Hillhire Farms sausage, ‘taters and cornbread

                                              #2 Pinto bean casserole

Friday: Pizza, of course!

Saturday: #1Baked fish, steamed veggies, salad

                 #2 salmon patties, rice and gravy, butter beans

We have done our grocery shopping for the next two weeks and since I make out a list of meals each time we shop I decided to add it onto here.  I usually don't commit to cooking meals on certain days as I can't commit to it that way. For instance, if I am mighty tired from a long day I'd rather fix something quick and easy when "quick and easy" wasn't on the plan. So I just simply make lists and pick what to eat from it according to my mood or energy level.

  Breakfast