Menu Planning

So how many of you "Menu Plan??" This concept was unknown by me until a year or so back. I've dabbled. Must say I have not been consistent. But overall, I've found that I really must menu plan if I'm going to stay on a grocery budget. So, I'm back at it.

Does this sound like you??:
"Man, we have NO food in the house...I need to go to the store!" So I'd think about what sounded good to eat over the next week. Of course, I would have NONE of the ingredients to make any of those items, so my grocery list would be 10,000 miles long. And so would my receipt. And, alas, my budget would be blown. I still can't believe that just two years ago I was okay with spending $200 in a single trip to the grocery store. Now, I rarely spend over $40!!

Now, I plan a week's worth of meals around what I already have in the house. Follow along with me as I walk you through this week's plan:

(Side note: In celebration of the fact that my now 3-year-old is finally broadening his food comfort zone and let spaghetti on his "will eat" list, we have deemed Sundays "Spaghetti Sunday" in my house. So as to not get bored with the old faithful spaghetti and tomato sauce, anything pasta goes. So, that came in first on the list.)

Sunday: Chicken Pesto Pasta
Monday: Turkey Tenderloin (got this last week at HyVee on sale), stuffing, green beans, biscuits
Tuesday: Burritos (bought these through a fund-raiser at kiddo's preschool. Frozen, premade), Spanish rice, refried beans
Wednesday: I work late; left-over night
Thursday: Pork ribs (on sale last week at HyVee!), veggie, noodle side
Friday: Frozen pizza and snackie foods; movie night!
Saturday: Halloween!! Take-out
Sunday: Spaghetti, garlic rolls

Would you believe I had everything I needed for each of these meals, with the exception of a can of refried beans. A $.79 grocery bill week!? Now that's beautiful!!!