We are right on track with our February freezer challenge (read more about it here and here). So far, I have spent $73 this month. I only picked up three small items at the grocery store all last week! That felt strangely liberating.
I went over our grocery budget every single month in 2014. So, I’m either not setting a realistic amount for our family or I’m just not sticking with it. I think it’s actually a combination of the two. This challenge has helped bring some discipline back into my meal planning and grocery shopping. If you are struggling to stick with your grocery list/budget, I’d highly recommend “shopping” your freezer first.
Here’s what’s for dinner at my house this week:
Monday — Quinoa Patties with avocados, roasted sweet potatoes, Simple Kale Salad From the Freezer: quinoa, Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions
Tuesday — Biscuits & Gravy, Peach & Blueberry Smoothies From the Freezer: sausage, peaches, berries
Wednesday — Stir Fry, Perfect Brown Rice, fresh fruit From the Freezer: chicken breasts, some vegetables, brown rice
Thursday — Tomato Soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, apple slices From the Freezer: bread
Friday — Dinner with Friends
Saturday — Charred Cauliflower Quesadillas From the Freezer: tortillas, chiles, cheese
Sunday — Dinner Out
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I’ve never thought of doing eat out money separate from groceries. I like that!
We’re a Papa Murphy/take out Chinese family ourselves. Good to know we’re not the only ones.
Thanks for these posts ☺
Some of these meals sound interesting but curious as to where you go out to eat that keeps you within your monthly budget?
How much do you normally budget for the month?
Good question! We are working on a post that will go into more detail.
Our family is 4-6 people (we are a foster family so we have 2-4 kids at any given time).
We keep it really simple for eating out. I always tell my husband I am a cheap date. So, our idea of a good time is the local pizza place, takeout Chinese, or something fast & fresh like Chipotle. Our eating out budget for the month is separate from our grocery expenses and is usually around $60.
For groceries, we usually spend $500-700/month. Again this varies based on the month and number in our home…