Grocery Budget

Whew! 2 hours, 3 grocery stores, and about $100 later, I have enough groceries to last the rest of the month (with the exception of milk, which is kind of annoying, but nothing I can't deal with). I think I have previously communicated my frustration at keeping on top of things. I am done constantly running out of food when it feels like I live at the grocery store. Done with the 5 o'clock panic when deciding what to make for supper. Done being bored when I get locked into making the same four casseroles over, and over, and over. Done, done, and.....done. So, with a little determination, forethought, and a pinch of elbow grease I did it!!!

I made a plan, got to shopping, and spent my entire grocery budget for exactly what we needed to eat, eat, eat. Sure, I had to shop sales at three different stores, and sure I spent my whole month's budget, and sure it was kind of a hassle to get all the planning done, especially with the knowledge that we will probably deviate from the planned menu. But I can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that I have a little structure, and a stocked kitchen! So, as it stands now, here is the intended menu for the next few weeks:

Friday: Homemade chicken tenders with macaroni and cheese
Saturday: Tacos
Sunday: TBD
Monday: Chicken on the Ritz casserole with a veggie
Tuesday: Taco Skillet (With leftover taco meat)
Wednesday: TBD
Thursday: Slow cook Cajun chicken with rice (New recipe, so we'll see how it works out)
Friday: Asian chicken rice or noodles
Saturday: Calzones (I'm pretty excited about this!)
Sunday: TBD
Monday: Cheesy chicken and rice casserole
Tuesday: Spaghetti
Wednesday: TBD
Thursday: Pork Chops with mashed potatoes
Friday: Homemade lasagna

That's two weeks, and by then I'll have a new plan. Sundays and Wednesdays are the wild cards because of church, so the options include eating out, paninis, burgers, leftover, etc. In fact, Bama Man is an expert on the grill, so burgers are a worthy substitute any night of the week, if the weather permits.

So, are you proud? I am! We'll see how long this lasts, and I will be sure to keep you posted. Sooner, rather than later I'm sure, as my first step is to make homemade fried chicken, which I have done before, but not without "adult supervision."

It will be blog-worthy, I am sure.