Our Week's Menu Plan

Or... Menu Plan Thursday! :)
Find more great menus at orgjunkie.com

This is my first week of Menu Planning since I've started The Coupon Game. I'm hoping that it keeps us in the budget. I've gotten a lot of tips from Gayle at The Grocery Cart Challenge. If you're just starting to menu plan, you should check out her website for practical tips.

Here's what I've learned...

1. Look through your pantry and fridge for items you already have and try to plan your menus around them.
2. Don't always assume that every meal must include a meat. Honestly, we love pancakes in our house and it's a special treat to have "Breakfast Dinner", so I am going to start incorporating this into my weekly menu for 1 night of the week. It's inexpensive, the kids and hubby love it, so why not?! Pizza is also a BIG HIT in our family and the kids get a kick out of making it with me. This will be our first week of making our own dough from scratch (I normally buy it pre-made from the Publix bakery, but it costs $2.69/1, and I think I can make it for pennies). We add whatever ingredients we like and again, it's not too pricey unless you're adding expensive toppings.
3. Go to Recipezaar.com, Foodtv.com, etc. to search for recipes that include the ingredients you already have, and look for recipes that only require only a couple more items you need to buy.
4. If you can double your recipe and freeze some for later, that's always a bonus and saves you one meal for the next week!
   
5. Look for coupons for the items you need to purchase and you'll be on your way to having a Menu Plan that fits your budget.
   

Day 1
Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup
(a classic and easy meal our family loves)

Day 2
BBQ Chicken Pizza w/ Spinach Salad

Day 3
Old-Fashioned Meatloaf (from Paula Deen - thanks Sarah!), Potatoes, & Carrots

Day 4
Chicken Salad Bagel Sandwiches w/lettuce, red onion, tomatoes or cucumber & Carrots

Day 5
Tilapia & Broccoli Casserole

Day 6
Leftovers

Day 7
Breakfast Dinner Night!
Pancakes & Cheesy Eggs