What's For Dinner?

We've been trying hard to get our spending under control, and be intentional with our budget.  It's tough to provide healthy, homemade food and not break the bank!  I am continually surprised at how much more expensive it is to eat fresh, nutritious meals.  I've been asked many times what it takes to feed a family of nine.  I think many people assume I'm cooking gigantic amounts - a meal fit for the Duggar family.  In truth, our meals don't seem that enormous to me.  I thought I'd give you a peek into mealtime at our house.

My first step is to make a list of meals for the week.  Sometimes I'll even plan two weeks at a time.  For me, trying to figure out what I need at the store without knowing what I plan to cook just doesn't work.  I sit down with the calendar, so I know what kind of craziness will be going on around here, and start writing.  A typical week might look something like this:

Monday:                        Roast Beef in the crock pot
                                     with Potatoes & Carrots 
                                      Salad           Bread                                      

Tuesday:                       Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps 
                                     Baked Brown Rice      
                                     Mandarin Oranges

Wednesday:                  BBQ Beef sandwiches
                                    (made with leftover roast)
                                     French Fries        
                                    Carrots & Dip

Thursday:                     Pork Enchiladas
                                   (one pork tenderloin will make enough
                                       for a second "freezer" meal)                                                        Chips and Salsa         Melon            

Friday:                         Homemade Pizza
                                    (one recipe makes 2 pizzas,
                                    enough left for lunch Sat.)
                                    Salad (if I'm feeling energetic)

Saturday:                     Chicken Noodle Soup
                                 (the chicken will make 2-3 meals)
                                    Salad             Bread

Sunday:                       Leftovers/Snack night


My shopping list would look something like this:

apples                           romaine lettuce          5 lbs potatoes                      small seedless watermelon
bananas                        baby spinach                big bag baby carrots            red bell pepper
oranges                        iceberg lettuce               green onions                        celery

 We are going to assume I have plenty of onions this week, as well as egg noodles,  tortilla chips, and the various seasonings I would need as well as baking needs.  I would also have some lunch and breakfast items
stocked in my pantry.  I would likely need to pick up some items like dog food, Pull Ups (grrrr), and toothpaste, as household items do come out of this part of the budget.

I would expect to spend about $200.00 on this trip.   On a future week I will have a little less because I will have a pan of enchiladas in the freezer, as well as some cooked chicken for a meal.  I would plan some less expensive meals such as ham & beans and spaghetti to balance it out.  My budget is $600.00 per month for groceries and household items.  I do have many things stocked in my pantry, so I would not typically have to get as many items as I listed to get to the $200.00 estimate, but I do have to re-stock as things run out.  It is still a tight stretch to make it with that kind of a budget.

I feel like we eat very well.  We do have snacks and sweets, primarily homemade.  I would like to add more vegetables and fruits to our menus, but fresh produce is very expensive in the winter months.  I do go to more than one store to get the very best prices I can.  Many items I will pick up at Aldi, and most others I will shop for at WalMart.  Only specialty items I can't get at those stores will come from the regular grocery store.  I try and stock up at Sam's Club when I can as well.  Many times we have an abundance at the beginning of the month but the pickings are much slimmer towards the end.  That being said, we do not go hungry and the pantry is never bare.  Right now there are enough packages of egg noodles and cans of diced tomatoes for us to live on some sort of pasta for a week straight, or longer, if we had to.  With the giant container of feta in my fridge to add to it, it would be just fine. 

I often wonder if we are still spending too much on food.  I consider that so many people in the world go to sleep hungry, and don't have a variety in their diet.  I think that we are a little (or a lot) spoiled and selfish.  It is a difficult thing to find the balance in.

I'd love for you to post a comment and share how you feed your family.  If you have tips for saving money or eating healthy please share.  I want to be the very best steward I can of the money my husband works so hard for and the Lord generously provides.  I'm looking forward to getting some great ideas!

D