Friday, May 30, 2014

June Meal Plan

On Sunday morning I made my menu plan for the month of June while the girls pestered me to get breakfast going.  You'd think they were starving.  Once again I made the plan based off of things we already have on hand in the freezer and pantry.

This is what I came up with: 
  • Stuffed Bell Peppers
  • Ravioli w/ Marinara Sauce
  • Grilled Tuna Sandwiches & Tomato Basil Soup
  • Spicy Black Beans & Rice
  • Veggie Omelets
  • Patty Melts
  • Beef Enchiladas
  • Mac & Cheese
  • Hawaiian Chicken & Coconut Rice
  • Pesto Salad
  • Chile Rellanos
  • French Dip
  • Beef Stroganoff
  • Pork Verde
  • French Toast w/ Ham or Bacon
  • Lentil Soup
  • Tuna Casserole
  • Veggie Nachos
  • Spaghetti & Meatballs
  • Tortilla Soup
  • Eggs Benedict
  • Veggie Quesadillas
  • Chinese Chicken & Cabbage
  • Poor Boy Sandwiches
  • Broccoli Lasagna
  • Italian Black Bean Soup
  • Pizza

It all sounds pretty good to me.  What are you planning for dinner next month?

Thursday, May 29, 2014

A Mother/Daughter Day


This past Sunday, the day before Memorial Day, I decided to make an extra special day for us.  I decided it was past time for a Mother/Daughter Day.  After several busy and hectic weeks we all were in need of some time spent together.  So what do girls do?  They head to the mall.

We went to several stores to shop for a few items the girls would need for summer.  The youngest needed shorts and the oldest needed tops.  The first few stores we stopped at the girls were shocked at the prices on things and refused to look much or try anything on.  My oldest nearly went into a fit when she picked up a cute little jean skirt to show her sister and found it was $38.  I had to admit that prices seemed to have sky rocketed quite a bit since we shopped for things last summer and they apparently remembered that as well.  Frankly, I was quite impressed.

A mall excursion doesn't have to be overly expensive, however, if you are careful.  I told them to keep their eyes out for sales signs and soon enough we found some.  At The Children's Store we were able to get the youngest two pair of shorts and a cute skirt and top for $32.  I like The Children's Store a lot for kids clothes because they hold up well and they are styles I deem appropriate for children.

Justice is a teen store that my oldest likes but the last time we were there the prices were exorbitant and I didn't find anything I thought was appropriate for her to wear.  A little too skimpy.  This time was significantly different.  They were have a huge sale and the items in the store seemed much more appropriate for a young lady to be wearing.  She found four camisole tops with the built in bras that will be perfect for summer but also quite usable underneath other tops next year at school.  We bought a red, pink, blue and a white one.  Not only did this accomplish our goal but it also has saved me the need to purchase any new bras for her for awhile.  Bonus! Her purchase came in at $30.  I was really happy about that.

In between stores we stopped at the Food Court and I bought the girls each a soda at McDonalds for $1 each.  We also stopped in at Bath and Body Works and sampled a couple new lotions they had.  Now I have a good idea for a birthday gift for my oldest as she found a lotion she just loves.

Once done at the mall we used one of our $10 gift cards we were given at Christmas and went to Red Robin for a late lunch.  They ordered from the kid's menu, their portions are quite generous, and I had a bowl of tortilla soup and salad.  The soup was wonderful.  Our lunch was only $15 out of pocket including a nice tip for our awesome waitress.

On the way home the girls did some Christmas shopping at Harbor Freight using three more of our free item coupons.  Total cost $0.  Once home we assembled all the items we've been collecting in a bucket.  We've amassed quite an impressive collection. 

We played scrabble for awhile before ending our evening with a quick snack and settling in to snuggle and watch Forrest Gump.  It was a perfect way to end a terrific day.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Grocery Budget Update - May


This month was a huge struggle for me in buying groceries.  It seems as if everything has taken a giant leap in price.  Well maybe not everything, but it sure seems like it.  Sales this month were not as good as usual and a lot of the things I buy as staples definitely were higher than I am used to.

Along with the rising cost of groceries it seemed both girls were having a major growth spurt of something.  Their appetites took off and keeping them fed was a challenge in and of itself.  It seemed as if I was always cooking and they were always hungry.  I cannot believe how much milk and bread we went through this past month.

Once again I found myself over my budget.  Not by much, mind you, but still I went over.  Since it appears this may be a bit of a trend this year I think I'm going to have to sit down and do some strategizing to see if I can get things better under control.  I may just have to bite the bullet and raise our budget.

Our non food budget came in under at $13.71 for cat food, a box of tissues and a box of sandwich bags.  I'm toying with the idea that whatever isn't spent on non-food items can roll over and be spent on groceries.

This is what I bought for groceries in the month of May:

Groceries

 $$$

Pasta (4)

         2.90
Sale/Coupon
Flour (2)

         3.54
Store Coupon
Pineapple (2)

         1.78
Store Coupon
Bread (2)

         2.68
Store Coupon
Sour cream

         1.09
Markdown
Peanut butter

         1.88
Sale
Yeast

         3.99
Costco
Milk

         1.88
Store Promotion
Mayonnaise

         1.35
Sale
Cheese (3)

         5.00
Store Coupon
Spinach

         1.99

Lettuce (2)

         1.76

Green onions

         0.39
Sale
Radishes

         0.40
Sale
Yellow onions

         1.27

Mushrooms

         1.69
Sale
Whole wheat tortillas (2)

         3.18

Canned jalapenos/chiles (4)

         2.00
Sale
Onions

         0.92
Sale
Sour cream (2)

         1.94
Sale
Avocado (2)

         1.50
Sale
Tomatoes

         0.50
Sale
Ketchup

         0.59
Store Promotion
Mayonnaise (2)

         1.00
Markdown
Green peppers (3)

         0.99
Markdown
Spinach

         1.50
Sale
Lasagna noodles

         1.00
Dollar Store
Artisan bread

         0.70
Markdown
Hoagie Rolls

         0.60
Markdown
Bread (3)

         3.54
Sale
Hot dog buns

         0.68
Sale
English muffins -12ct

         1.50
Sale
Bagels (2)

         3.00
Sale
Taco seasoning (4)

         1.76

Nestle Quik

         3.58
Sale
French fries

         1.01

Lunchmeat (3)

         5.72
Sale
Weiners

         0.78
Sale
Steak

         2.51
Sale
Pudding

         0.54

Soup

         1.54

Soup

         1.26

Lettuce (2)

         1.56

Raisin bran

         2.77
Sale
Cereal

         1.78
Sale
Pasta  

         0.88
Sale
Onions

         0.81

Ramen (10)

         1.80

Milk - gal

         1.98

Olives (2)

         1.78
Sale
Peanut butter

         3.98
Sale
Spaghetti sauce (2)

         1.72
Sale
Tuna (4)

         2.72

Canned tomatoes (4)

         2.32

Tomato sauce (2)

         1.16

Parmesan

         1.98

Mandarin oranges

         0.58
Sale
Water chestnuts

         0.48

Cabbage

         0.98

Garlic

         0.48

Fudgesicles - 20ct

         3.98
Sale
Milk - gal

         2.18

Bread

         0.98

Lettuce (2)

         0.88
Sale
Spinach (2)

         1.99
Sale
Mushrooms

         1.91

Cream

         1.35

Strawberries - 1#

         2.00
Sale
Hamburger buns

         0.58
Sale
Bread (2)

         2.38
Markdown
Bananas

         1.21
Markdown
Lettuce (2)

         1.56

Cabbage

         0.98

Veg. medley

         3.98

Tomatoes

         0.93

Mushrooms

         1.43

Olives (2)

         1.84

WW tortillas

         2.36

Flour tortillas

         2.18

Enchilada sauce

         1.78
Sale
Salad dressing (2)

         3.16
Sale
Salad dressing

         1.78
Sale
Beets

         0.84

Milk - gal

         1.98

Blue cheese

         1.53
Sale
Colby jack cheese

         3.90
Sale
Taquitos

         3.98
Sale




Total

 $   160.84


$160.84 ÷ 31 days ÷3 people = $1.73 per person per day!

Even though I'm over my budget I know that the numbers still look great.  How did you do with your grocery budget?  

Are groceries rising where you are at?  How are some ways you are saving money at the grocery store.