This has been one crazy summer. After trips to Wichita, the four corners area out west, and Branson for a few days, we are finally home for a good long time. I'm so glad to be back on a routine, and getting everything back in order.
First order of business when I got home (besides unpacking and all the normal "mom" stuff), was making a month-long grocery menu in order to buy more in bulk, cook from scratch more, and save money. I used pinterest and some large family blogs to come up with a menu and shopping list that would suit our family for this past two weeks and the next two. So, basically, my "months" begin in the middle of the actual month. Here is a list of things I am trying out in order to save money on food:
1) Making a month-long menu plan, instead of the weekly plan
2) Keeping better track of things that I could be buying in bulk
3) Making almost all of my recipes from scratch
4) Using online coupons, but only the ones that make sense for my family
5) Shopping at Aldi first (which I have always done)
I've really enjoyed this process and the things that I have been learning. My husband also contributed a great idea that I thought I would try. He suggested having the the same weekly menu every week for 4 weeks, then the next month, have all different meals. That way we don't get burnt out on anything in particular, plus I can save the menus and repeat them every 4 months and already have the shopping lists on hand (with just a few adjustments). I hope this makes sense. I'm not that great at explaining things in writing. :o)
So here is the menu for this month:
Dinners:
Saturdays- Homemade sloppy joes with store-bought buns, potatoes (however I wish to make them that week), broccoli
Sundays- Tater tot casserole and green beans
Mondays- Chicken tetrazzini (using homemade cream of chicken soup)
Tuesdays- our Life Group is this night, so it changes each week according to what the group decides
Wednesdays- Ham sandwiches, carrots with Ranch dressing
Thursdays- Biscuits and gravy, fruit
Fridays- Homemade pizza (toppings will vary)
Lunches:
Saturdays- Beans and brauts, fruit
Sundays- Spaghetti (homemade sauce with italian sausage), salad
Mondays- Burritos, corn
Tuesdays- Tuna sandwiches, cucumbers with Ranch
Wednesdays- Leftovers
Thursdays- Quesadillas, fruit
Fridays- Peanut butter and honey sandwiches, carrots with Ranch
Breakfasts: (these will always be the same every month)
Saturdays- Pancakes (made by Daddy)
Sundays- Cereal with milk (quick breakfast for a church morning)
Mondays- Oatmeal (different flavors and variations)
Tuesdays- Eggs and sausage, fruit
Wednesdays- Toast (with varied toppings), fruit
Thursdays- Oatmeal
Fridays- Cereal with milk (quick breakfast for grocery shopping day)
I've tried to eliminate as much snacking as possible, unless its really necessary. Our children have become dependent on the 10am and 3pm snack times. They will ask for a snack at those times whether they were really hungry or not. Little Joel still gets a cup of milk when he wakes up from his nap, though. So far we have stuck to this schedule for 2 weeks. Its been pretty easy, and even though I've been making my own bread, I've not spent any extra time in the kitchen because I can double and freeze a lot of the recipes. Next month, I will let everyone know how much grocery money I saved by this new method. I'm really excited to find out!!Speaking of making my own bread, it's been WAY easier than I thought it would be! The recipe that I found is at www.mommysrunningaround.blogspot.com . It is fluffy, smooth, and rises nice and high! Did I mention that it smells amazing!? But that goes for almost all homemade bread!!
Also, the Lord has been encouraging me with Psalm 107 this month, so give it a read. I'll probably be blogging about that soon, so stay tuned! :o)
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