Menu Plan Monday

Another 2 week menu plan. Im not sure if it's helped the budget because I had to make a trip to Sam's the other day, but we'll see!

Here's the plan:

Breakfasts

Cereal

Oatmeal

Eggs

Lunch

Find your own(just me and the hubby most of the week now since Baby Girl is in preschool 4 days a week)

Dinners

Whole baked chicken, potatoes, mixed veggies

Cheeseburgers, homemade fries, spinach

Hot Dogs, mac and cheese, baby carrots

Chili, cornbread

Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn

Tacos

Hanmburger helper, green beans

Chicken pot pies, peaches

Baked lemon chicken, rice, carrots

Chicken fried rice

Lasagna, salad

Pizza, salad

Tuna casserole, corn(carryover)

Onion soup, cheese, and bread(carryover)

Super Savings Saturday

Not much in bargains this week, for me anyways. I made a quick run to Dillons and only used a couple coupons at Walmart

Walmart

Ronzini pasta $1.50- $1/1= $0.50

Quaker oatmeal, price matched for $1.98- $0.75/1=$1.23

Dillons

2 Hunt's spaghetti sauce $0.88 each-$0.50 ecoupon=$1.26/2

2 Rotel Tomatoes $0.88 each-$0.50 ecoupon=$1.26/2

4 Brown and Serve sausage $0.88 each- $1 coupon from home mailer=$0.63 each

1 Pringles $1-$0.25 ecoupon=$0.75

2 Hunt's diced tomatoes $0.88 each- $0.50 ecoupon=$1.26/2

1 McCormick Marinade $1.49-$1.49 ecoupon= FREE

OOP$7.20

Saved $12.04 or 62%

Finer Things Friday

A couple mornings ago, Baby Girl said she wanted to pick me some flower while waiting for the bus. I knew there were no roses blooming so I wondered what her definition of a flower was that day. These are what she proudly gave me and what I proudly put in a jar where she would be sure to see them when she got home.

(please ignore the splotches on the stove, Thing 1 did not do a good wipe down the night before, grr)

The look on her face when she seen them, and the fact she gave them to me, is definitely a finer thing!

Frugal Fridays-getting crafty with what you have

One of the best things we have received has been this easel/chalkboard. Baby girl has got a ton of mileage over it this past year that we have had it. On painting nights, I used to precariously put several small plastic cups in the holder to keep her paints in.

Then one day when I was cleaning out a cabinet, I found some spare ice cube trays. They looked to be about the right width, so I took one to see if it would fit. Lo and behold, it did! Now Baby girl has a handy dandy paint holder and I don't have to panic about paint getting dumped on the floor!

Plus, it cost me $0!

Check out Frugal Fridays, for more budget friendly ideas!

Super Savings Saturday

Pickles, spaghetti sauce, and pork and beans. Heckuva combination. At least, according to the guy in line behind me! I told him it was a stock up week!

4 Mt Olive Pickle Spears $2 each-$4 in coupons=$1 each

5 Ragu Pasta sauce $1.67 each-$3 in coupons=$1.07 each

2 Suddenly Salads $1 each-$1.20 in coupons=$0.40 each

6 Van Camps Pork and beans $0.69 each-$2 in coupons=$0.35 each

1 BC cake mic and 1 BC frosting, $2.69 for both-$0.50 ecoupon-$1 coupon=$1.19 for both

I picked up a couple candy bars for the Things and my total was $20.02

I saved $21.51 or 51%

Menu Plan Monday

In an effort to avoid temptation and keep myself out of the grocery store, I decided to go back to menu planning and grocery shopping for 2 weeks at a time. Our budget has been out of control the last few months, although I blame a lot of it on the Things being out of school this summer. I will have to make a couple runs for stuff like bread, milk, eggs, and some produce but I will stick to the outside aisles!

You will notice a lot soupos, Thing 1 is cheerleading with games on Mondays and Thursdays and Thing 2 has soccer on Thursdays also(at crazy times, of course)

Here's the plan

Breakfasts:

Oatmeal

Eggs

Cold Cereal

Homemade Muffins

Toaster Streudal

all served with fruit

Lunches

Find your own

Dinners:

Onion Soup with cheese and bread

Potato Soup with chives and bread

Greek Stew with bread

Baked chicken, baked potatoes, carrots

Pork chops, corn on the cob, green beans

Tuna casserole, Broccoli

Sloppy joes, homemade fries, spinach

Pancakes, bacon, peaches

Ham and beans, brussell sprouts

Parmesan chicken, pasta, corn

Spaghetti with italian sausage, salad

Sausage and beans with brown rice, corn

Ham on the grill, zuchinni, green peppers

Leftovers

Super Savings Saturday

I hit Dillons. Again. Granted, there wasn't a mega deal but they had BOGO on Pot Roast and I had some coupons that needed to be used!

Ruffles Chips $3.29-1 Free bag of Ruffles or Lays chips from home mailer= FREE!

1 Propel Fitness water $1-1 Free Propel from the Summer of Savings game=FREE!

6 CBRD Spaghetti O's and Ravioli $1 each-2 $0.35/3=$0.76 each

1 Kroger Cake mix $0.89-$0.25/1=$0.64

1 Kroger Pork and beans $0.50-$0.35=$0.15!

2 Juicy Juice packs $2.89each -$1/2 ecoupon-$1/2 coupon=$3.78/2

2 packs chicken thighs, BOGO, $3.23/2

2 Pot Roast, BOGO, $11.98/2

Kroger Ice cream $2.29-$0.50 ecoupon-$0.65 coupon=$1.14

BB Ice cream $4.39- $1/1 coupon=$3.39

Dillons 1/2 gallon milk 3/$4

OOP $34.39

Saved $33.53 or 49%

plus I received several CRT including 1 Free Yo Crunch, $1/1 Juicy Juice jug, $1/2 Sparkling Juicy Juice, 10 Bonus Box Tops, and $0.75/4 Propel.

Frugal Fridays-getting crafty with what you have

When I worked in daycare, we had to have crafts for the kiddos to do and when you would multiply that by 20 kids, it could get really expensive!(the teachers pretty much had to pay out of pocket for supplies for stuff we were required to do with the kids. another rant for another day!)

I got pretty creative at using household items that the kids could easily bring from home(or the teachers could donate!)

One of the favorites were Paper Plate Fish. My crew even loves doing them on occasion and they are so simple!

Here's what they look like:

These are kind of simple fish, you can use a variety of things to decorate them. Our supply box is looking kind of empty so we just used button eyes and then colored them. These are awesome with glitter, paints, etc.

Next time you need a craft to keep the kids occupied, just look around the house!

Check out Frugal Friday for more ideas!

Finer Things Friday

My Finer Thing: Grandmas. Especially when they share their(yes, she plays video games too!) Nintendo DS with the little ones. Oh, and knit new, funky hats!

What's yours?