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You are here: Home / Food / Meal Planning / Budget Friendly Meal Planning Week 4

Budget Friendly Meal Planning Week 4

January 27, 2019 By Robin 28 Comments

This post may include affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy for more information.

You’ll notice that I’ve included a number of comfort foods this week, there’s just nothing more satisfying when the weather gets this cold.

I was lucky enough to have a lot of the ingredients on hand so my grocery bill was really low this week, stocking up when prices are low really pays off. 

Here’s what our meal plan looks like this week:

A delicious weekly meal plan and shopping list, featuring budget friendly dinner, side dish and dessert recipes.

Budget Friendly Meal Planning

Macaroni & Cheese with Smokie Links – served with broccoli. I’ve been serving this meal since the kids were little, it has always been one of there favorites especially when we add the smokie links. I have to say the smokie links do add a really like flavor to it.

Leftover Buffet – leftovers are always a great way to save money as well as time. 

Loaded Potato Soup – served with Artisan bread. During the winter months I always like to serve soup at least once a week. It’s filling and super easy on the budget! When you’re making the soup, save the potato skins, you can eat them on leftover night. I like to brush them with a little butter and put them in the air fryer and then top them with some cheese.

Chicken Alfredo – served with salad and garlic bread. This is one of the meals that I turn to when I don’t want to slave over the stove. I’ll use leftover chicken, if I have any, which saves even more time. 

Leftover Buffet – a number of the meals this week had leftovers so we were able to pull out two nights of leftovers, which lowered or grocery bill quite a bit.

Honey Garlic Salmon – served with rice pilaf and brussels sprouts. I use frozen salmon for this, it’s a great deal cheaper than fresh and it doesn’t taste as fishy. I also use frozen brussels sprouts because of the lower price. 

Slow Cooker Carnitas – served with seasoned black beans, tortilla chips and guacamole. This is one of my personal favorites. There’s just something so delicious about the slow cooked seasoned pork that’s then fried to a golden brown and then served on a tortilla with some fresh guacamole.

A delicious weekly meal plan and shopping list, featuring budget friendly dinner, side dish and dessert recipes.

Download – Week 4: Menu & Shopping List (add new PDF)

Budget Friendly Tips

✔ Make your own flour tortillas. You can make a dozen of them for just pennies, you can make them any size you want and they taste better than anything sitting on the shelves.

✔ To lower your grocery budget even more, trying purchasing salad ingredients separately instead of the salad bags.

✔ Instead of purchasing garlic toast, try making it yourself using leftover bread. If you have any of the Artisan bread leftover that would be perfect for garlic toast. It’s simple to do, just spread with butter and sprinkle with a little garlic salt and toast under a broiler in your oven.

✔ It’s not always a budget friendly move to make your own Alfredo sauce, but sometimes you just need that authentic taste.

✔ Making your own Artisan bread is not only cheaper but tastes so much better when it comes out of your own oven. Plus it’s a lot of fun to get the kids involved.

✔ One way that I keep my grocery bill low is by using coupons for the items that I need. I rarely plan my menu around the coupons that are available, I find that I end up spending more. Instead I create my menu first and then look for coupons that will lower my bill.

Time Saving Tips

✔ If you have any leftovers that haven’t been eaten, freeze them, and pull them out on nights that you don’t feel like cooking. They also make great for lunches!

✔ Spending a little time meal planning can make your life so much easier. It’ll save you time and money, improve your nutrition, it’ll make cooking more manageable and it will give you more control over what you put on the table.

✔ A simple way to save yourself some time in the kitchen is by prepping your food for the week. This can be done by simply washing your fruits, chopping your vegetables or portioning the food for each meal. It’s up to you how much you want to do to save yourself sometime later in the week.

About Our Meal Plan

✔ Our menus are designed to feed a family of four, two adults and two teenage boys. It can also feed two adults and 3-4 young children.

✔ Many of the meals included in our meal plan are budget friendly to begin with, however we do offer tips that will reduce the grocery bill even further.

✔ Our menus do not include breakfast or lunch, but there is space for you to fill in what your family likes. Our family eats a pretty simple meal for breakfast and lunch, like cereal or sandwiches and sometimes leftovers. We don’t make to much of a fuss over it.

✔ Sunday dinner is our biggest meal of the week, that’s when all of the family gets together, so we tend to spend a little more money and include dessert. I try to make enough for leftovers during the week.

A delicious weekly meal plan and shopping list, featuring budget friendly dinner, side dish and dessert recipes.

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Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a commission. I only recommend products or services that I personally believe will add value to my readers. All opinions stated are strictly my own. Read our full disclosure policy for more information. 

Filed Under: Meal Planning Tagged With: meal plan, saving money, two cents'

Comments

  1. Joansy says

    January 27, 2019 at 9:43 am

    I found your blog at the Happiness Is Homemade linky party, and I am so glad I did! I love your menu plans and recipes! Thanks for sharing them, I will be visiting often from now on!

    Reply
    • Robin says

      January 27, 2019 at 10:30 pm

      Welcome! I’m so thrilled that you found us, and that you’re enjoying our menu plans.

      Reply
  2. Maria Lincoln says

    January 29, 2019 at 3:49 am

    Great ideas, I always want – try to budget my food shop : and I’ve tried meal planning but never stick to it especially with my fussy toddler it’d end up being pizza/pasta every night if he had his way or just tomatoes 🍅 #triumphanttales

    Reply
  3. mrs mummy harris says

    January 29, 2019 at 5:38 am

    Slimming world has a really good recipe for healthy homemade tortillas which Im yet to try, that macaroni cheese looks AMAZING!!!
    Thank you for sharing this with us at #TriumphantTales. I hope to see you back next week!

    Reply
  4. Jeanna says

    January 29, 2019 at 6:28 pm

    I need this kind of organized meal list, but at least I made it to the store before the arctic blast blasted my poor car. What I really like is having things such as pasta, refried and black beans, tortilla chips and shells around to use when you need a good meal but haven’t been able to go shopping.
    I’m going to try the slow cooker pork carnitas. It’s weird but the last time I went to our neighborhood Mexican grocery store nobody wanted the pork carnitas so he gave me a huge bag for next to nothing and they were dee licious.

    Reply
    • Robin says

      January 29, 2019 at 7:11 pm

      I always have staples on hand too, it is nice to have on hand when you haven’t gone shopping.

      Reply
  5. Marie Moody says

    January 29, 2019 at 11:19 pm

    Those maybe budget meals, but they sure look yummy. Thanks for sharing with me cuz hubby is laid off right now and things are tighter than tight!

    Reply
  6. Shannon says

    January 31, 2019 at 12:53 am

    Happy WW from Bethere2day! Wow! Those sound delicious! I think my family would love the Carnitas!

    Reply
  7. Calleen Petersen says

    January 31, 2019 at 10:04 am

    Chicken Alfredo is one of my children’s favorites. #ThursdayFavoriteThings

    Reply
    • Robin says

      January 31, 2019 at 10:20 am

      It’s one of my kids favorites too!

      Reply
  8. Julianna says

    February 1, 2019 at 1:54 pm

    Welcome to Fiesta Friday! So glad that you joined us this week, bringing so many great tips and tricks. This is all so wonderful, because who doesn’t want to save money and time? And you do it so deliciously.

    Reply
    • Robin says

      February 2, 2019 at 1:28 am

      Thank you for the supportive comment!

      Reply
  9. angie says

    February 2, 2019 at 12:06 am

    sounds like you will be eating well, I love that you are sharing your meal plan menu as I do seem to borrow many ideas for our menu at many different places. Thanks again

    come see us at Shop Annies

    Reply
    • Robin says

      February 2, 2019 at 1:26 am

      I get my ideas from a number of different places as well! Variety is the spice of life!

      Reply
  10. Antonia says

    February 2, 2019 at 10:20 am

    Thank you for sharing your wonderful tips and ideas with us over at Fiesta Friday this week! I am with you on prepping food. I have been doing that more and more as my children grow.

    Reply
    • Robin says

      February 3, 2019 at 12:09 am

      Prepping is a good way to get the kids involved as well.

      Reply
  11. Rosie Doal says

    February 2, 2019 at 3:43 pm

    I think it’s fab to plan meals in advance. A great way to save money and plan healthy meals too x #SaturdaySharefest

    Reply
    • Robin says

      February 3, 2019 at 12:08 am

      I totally agree, it’s amazing how much money planning can save!

      Reply
  12. Rachel - Kids, Cuddles and Muddy Puddles says

    February 3, 2019 at 5:45 pm

    I really ought to budget and plan better myself! I also want to get my head around batch cooking to make my life easier but I could do with a bigger freezer first! #KCACOLS

    Reply
  13. Sheila says

    February 5, 2019 at 12:23 pm

    I’m always looking to save money and the grocery store is one of the main ways I do it. We make a menu and a list and carry only cash to the store. We don’t buy anything that’s not on the list and spend no more than the cash we have. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Robin says

      February 6, 2019 at 11:26 am

      Thanks for sharing your tips for saving money!

      Reply
  14. Jenna - Northernbird84 says

    February 9, 2019 at 9:55 am

    That pasta dish looks delicious! The problem we have in our house is that I’m vegetarian but my husband is not so we tend to buy two versions of most meals. He will eat some veggie stuff or have it as a side but mostly it’s two versions of the same meal, Like earlier in the week we had curry so I made chickpea and spinach in one pan for me and chicken in another for him.
    Thanks for sharing these awesome tips #KCACOLS

    Reply
  15. Lana says

    February 9, 2019 at 8:41 pm

    These are some great tips and recipes. The loaded potato soup sounds good. I love potato soup. I pinned this for later! #KCACOLS

    Reply
  16. Jo (A Rose Tinted World) says

    February 10, 2019 at 4:28 pm

    Some great ideas. Love saving the potato skins for later after making the soup. Good Ideas! #KCACOLS

    Reply
  17. Malin - Sensational Learning with Penguin says

    February 12, 2019 at 7:53 am

    Ooh lovely food, this is making me feel quite hungry now! Great planning, I need to improve my meal planning x #KCACOLS

    Reply
  18. Typical Mummy says

    February 13, 2019 at 6:36 am

    Yum! I have pinned the Honey Garlic Salmon as it looks and sounds delicious!! #KCACOLS

    Reply
    • Robin says

      February 13, 2019 at 11:36 am

      You pinned a good one, this is a really delicious recipe!

      Reply
  19. Sarah | Digital Motherhood says

    February 14, 2019 at 4:18 pm

    Great meal ideas and also money saving tips. I need to be more organised with our dinners! Thanks for linking up with #KCACOLS, look forward to you joining us again soon.

    Reply

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