I am not a coupon-fanatic. I like to save money and do use coupons on occasion, but I don’t spend hours each week trying to match up my 9000 coupons to save 20 bucks.
I just don’t have the time for it, nor do I have the money to buy 5 papers each day and print a million pieces of paper from my computer. Plus, I have three active boys and can’t spend hours at the checkout line trying to match everything up and be sure the prices are ringing right.
I do like to save money, though. I simply do it on a smaller and easier scale. Keep reading to get my printable menu plan and shopping list to plus my tips for saving money at the grocery store.
Week Twenty Menu Plan:
Scroll to the bottom to print out these plans and the shopping list or, if you don’t want to wait, you can get 4 weeks of menu plans and shopping lists here.
Since Sunday was Mother’s Day make this week easy peasy — this meal plan can be prepped ahead and makes it easy for the family to take care of mama all week long!
Breakfast
Monday- Bakery Muffins, Sausage Links (pre-cooked makes it super easy), Sliced Strawberries
Tuesday- Boiled Eggs (Make 6 extra for lunch Week 21), sliced breakfast ham, sliced peaches.
Wednesday- Easy Toast Toppers — Simply layer toast slices with favorites. Here are some ideas: Peanut Butter & Banana, Cream Cheese & Strawberry, Egg & Bacon, Avocado Slices & Boiled Eggs, Greek Yogurt, a Drizzle of Honey, & Blueberries. The possibilities are endless.
Thursday – Make ahead fruit parfaits. This is super easy for the kids to do! Use plastic drink cups with lids, layer yogurt in bottom, chopped fruit on top, sprinkle with granola. Add a lid and store in the fridge overnight for a quick, grab-n-go, breakfast in the morning.
Friday – My Strawberry Peach Smoothies recipe coupled with Banana
Saturday – Cheesy Spinach Mini Frittatas at Urban Bliss Life these can be made the night before, refrigerate in an airtight container. Warm in microwave or layout on a sheet, place in a 350° oven for about 5 minutes. Serve with toast and your favorite jam.
Sunday – Cinnamon Toast with Sausage links
Lunch
Monday- Ham & Cheese Sandwiches with Pickle Spears, Apple Slices & Chocolate Graham Bunnies (affiliate link).
Tuesday- This No Mayo Broccoli Salad from Kristine’s Kitchen is chock full of goodness! The whole family will love it. And, you’ll be thrilled that they are eating healthy. Add some of your favorite crackers (affiliate link) and a yogurt tube.
Wednesday- Breakfast for lunch using leftover mini pancakes, a small container of maple syrup for dipping, and sliced strawberries, with a side of sausage links. And of course a small container of orange juice (affiliate link)
Thursday – Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry (using Monday’s leftovers).
Friday – Taco in a Jar layer your jars like you’ll find at Pocket Change Gourmet — Let the kids make these up after dinner on Tuesday to make it easy to get out of the house.
Saturday – Grilled Monte Cristo Sandwiches from Renee’s Kitchen Adventures
Sunday – This Chicken Parmesan Casserole from Thriving Home looks like a great casserole for after church on Sunday. Serve with crusty French or Italian bread and a salad for a complete meal.
Dinner
Monday- Beef & Broccoli from Life Made Sweeter (Follow leftover directions for easy lunch on Thursday).
Tuesday- Impossible Taco Pie at 3 Boys and a Dog, serve with side salad. (When you are cooking the meat, cook extra and set aside for making up Taco in a Jar for Friday’s Lunch).
Wednesday- Instant Pot Bacon Chicken Baked Potato Casserole at Stay Snatched
Thursday – One Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls at Family Fresh Meals this all in one dish is good to go with no extra sides; however you can always add dinner rolls if you need to sop up the yummy tomato goodness.
Friday – Pasta Primavera at Life Made Sweeter
Saturday – Slow Cooker Creamy White Chicken Chili at The Chunky Chef is perfect for a busy Saturday of games, shopping, or running errands.
Sunday – Crockpot Sloppy Joes at Crystal & Co. with baked beans and side salad. (Reserve leftovers for lunch on Week 21)
Money Saving Tips & Resources:
So, how do I feed my family of 5 on a couple hundreds dollars a month?
- I cook in bulk – I make enough for two meals, sometimes even freezing one
- I buy on sale – if (for example) cream of mushroom is on sale, I buy several of them. Then, I NEVER have to pay full price for them. Meats, etc are the same way. I do NOT want to pay full price for my meals, so if I build slowly, I always have food.
- I don’t shop everyday – I pretty much always have the necessary ingredients on hand to make certain things: Girl Scout Stew, Kelli’s Spaghetti , Beef Stroganoff, Chicken and Broccoli.
Are you a couponista? If not, how do you save money?
Get Your Menu Plan Monday Week Twenty
OR get 4 weeks of planning and shopping printables in my shop.
My Favorite Easy to Follow Meal Plan Resources:
The following affiliate links are things that I love! I get so tired of planning, but having interesting, educational, and down-right fun goodies makes this chore so much easier to swallow. ?
What do you do to be sure you are saving as much money as possible on your meals? Do you create a specific Easy to Follow Meal Plan? Do you have a system of trying something new each week? I would love to hear your menu planning details!
Becca
Tuesday 31st of May 2011
I am determined to do beef stroganoff eventually. I have had it twice and I loved it both times!
Gail Gardner
Monday 30th of May 2011
Love your new deals section and expect it to be wildly popular. So many people have no idea how much more it is costing them to eat out than to cook. I can eat at home for $.75 to $2.50 a person per meal. Three of us ate out locally the other day and it was $40! At home it would have been $2.25 to $7.50!
I'm off to share this post and figure out how I'm going to keep coming back regularly. Oh, I know. I'm going to add the deals RSS feed to my @PSPLiving Twitter account!