Monday, December 29, 2014

Operation: Budget Reduction -- week 1

     Okay...I'm going to try saving money on my family's weekly budget. For the next few weeks I'm going to write what I made for my family for breakfast, lunches, and dinners followed by the total at the grocery store. I am hoping that as I do this the weekly total will begin to go down. I am writing the menu down to hold myself accountable. I really want to save my family a lot of money the next six months because we are planning a family road trip from Missouri to Oregon and the only way we can afford to go is to significantly reduce our spending.
     I began researching menu ideas and I haven't been very thrilled. I work 45 hrs a week and so does my husband. That means cooking from scratch and lots of time couponing is out. However, I am not going to let that get me down. I am determined to save!!!

Zach: breakfast will be whatever he can find at home - lunch is French bread pizza
Bridget: breakfast will be whatever she can find at home - lunch is French bread pizza (she is having that since the French bread makes more than enough for Zach) -- see I even have the kids helping with the operation budget reduction.
Brian: breakfast will be his usual yogurt - lunch is tv dinners (I can get them for $1 each)
Me: breakfast will be cereal - lunch is buttered pasta w/cooked carrots

Dinners:
  • Polish sausage w/rice-a-roni
  • Grilled cheese sandwiches w/chicken noodle soup
  • beans-n-ham w/cornbread
  • steak w/baked potatoes, corn, and roll
  • Chef salad (ham for salad will be saved from pkg from beans dinner)
  • Chicken nuggets, top ramen, corn, and orange slices
  • sloppy joes w/tator tots
Additional items purchased along with the groceries:
  • deodorant
  • multipurpose cleaner
  • sandwich baggies
  • paper towels
  • toilet paper
  • kitchen sponges

Total Price for the week: $131.26