Saving on Groceries~Part II

~Plan Less Expensive Meals~

Talking about HOW I meal plan the other day, didn't really have to do much with WHAT I meal plan. Sharing that today!
We aren't fancy eaters but if we are going to try something new it will be on a weekend!
 

I try to make 1 or 2 meals a week meatless, or ones that don't use a lot of meat.
Some of my go to meatless/not much meat:
Grilled Cheese and soup
Tortellini and Pesto
Soup and Salads
Baked Potatoes (with toppings, and leftovers)
Grilled PB and Turkey Bacon sandwiches (turkey bacon)
Stir Fry (I can usually get enough veggies to go light on the meat)
Mini Pizzas (good for random leftovers!)

That helps a little, but also making from scratch and skipping easy/convenience foods will really make a dent!

Couple things I make from scratch and save money (and preservatives)
Marinara sauce
Soups
Chili
Breakfast everything!

I think having the staples for 2 really inexpensive meals a week can make a difference in the budget.

Some people go straight to beans and rice, we would too, if anyone here liked beans!

Some of our Dinner plans for November (not in any order):







                                   

* are meatless/close to no meat

Breakfast can get very expensive if you are buying cold cereal, we have a bottomless pit of a 8 year old, I think he could eat a whole box of cereal alone. I try to stick with inexpensive filling foods like

Oatmeal (not instant)
Eggs
Pancakes/Waffles.. we use PB instead of syrup
Greek Yogurt w/ Granola and Fruit
Sausage/Bacon
Breakfast Muffins
Rice w/milk, cinnamon and sugar (and protein powder)

I pretty much stick to 1 protein, 1 starch and some fruit for breakfast!

I haven't really meal planned lunch ever. We always have sandwich stuff and pasta. Our kids will eat any random leftover in the fridge if it's mixed with a little pasta.