If you saw my recent Instagram post, you know that I fumbled back into some credit card debt. Since I’ve mentioned it, I have been living on my debit card only and sending all I can to pay down the card.
Well, during my last paycheck budget, unplanned expenses have also come up: my medicine costs more than planned, I succumbed to Starbuck’s holiday drinks a couple of times (I love the chestnut praline latte) and I started a hobby that required an upfront payment. To make up for the overspending, it means my food budget is extra tight for the next two weeks.
Here is the menu plan
I like a good challenge and am going to tackle the issue with an intentional food menu plan that I hope to shop for under $125!
Meal | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Breakfast | coffee oatmeal toast | hot tea pumpkin pie | hot tea breakfast sandwich | hot tea waffles & sausage | hot tea blueberries & granola yogurt | hot tea breakfast sandwich | hot tea oatmeal toast |
Light lunch | (tday) | (tday leftovers) | crunchy PB&J fruit | turkey sandwich chips | leftovers | leftovers | burrito (made with leftovers) |
Dinner | Mandarin orange Jello salad (my contribution) | (tday leftovers) | chicken Parmesan (leftover spaghetti sauce) | Autumn kale & sweet potato salad | chicken noodle soup cheddar drop biscuits | tacos refried beans Spanish rice | Kung Pao chicken & rice |
Meal | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Breakfast | smoothie bowl toast | hot tea breakfast sandwich | hot tea ube pancakes sausage | hot tea toast | hot tea strawberry-oatmeal | hot tea toast | hot tea blueberries & granola yogurt |
Light lunch | leftover salad | crunchy PB&J fruit | leftovers | leftovers | frozen meal – (veggie Penang curry) | leftovers | gyoza leftover fried rice |
Dinner | baked potatoes w/chili & all the toppings | tuna noodle casserole | corn chowder & cheddar-chive drop biscuits | Falafel sandwiches | black bean tacos calabacitas soup | vegetarian stuffed acorn squash bake | steak, baked potato, veggies |
Notes on the menu plan:
I did not add a snack row because I usually make do with whatever is available in the kitchen. Most snacks are a handful of nuts, apples with peanut butter, no snack, popcorn, more coffee or whatever is on hand. Now that I am trying out the 16:8 intermittent fasting for health reasons, I don’t snack as often.
I am very happy to eat leftovers and will usually have that for lunch. Or I will freeze leftovers to have for lunch or dinner another day. In fact, most of my leftovers taste even better the next day because the flavors have had time to meld.
While I have my menu plan all nicely thought out, it doesn’t mean I will eat it on that exact day. It just means I have written two weeks of options to eat in any order.
The grocery trip
The meal plan builds off ingredients and spices I already have available. You can see the grocery list breakdown (image 3 below) between the planned price and the actual price. Coffee was not going to fit in the budget. So hot tea will substitute (and we have plenty in stock).
I was able to get 98% of the items I needed. Elsewhere, I will improvise. I am pretty happy the outcome and am excited to make my own falafels for the first time!
In the end, the total came to $124.46. But I still needed eggs because they are a kitchen staple. Overall $127.61 and I will call it a win. It definitely will be easier next time when holiday meals/items don’t need to be included.
How did I do? Let me know in the comments below!
Book Recommendation
Pathfinders: Extraordinary Stories of People Like You on the Quest for Financial Independence―And How to Join Them
From JL Collins
From “The Godfather of Financial Independence (FI)”, a follow-up to his international bestselling personal finance sensation The Simple Path to Wealth!
Pathfinders brings together scores of amazing and insightful real-life stories from real people on the journey to financial independence―providing practical encouragement and inspiration for anyone who wants to join them.
Lighting the way in the real world to The Simple Path to Wealth, these are fascinating, heartfelt, often surprising tales…