Frugal Meal Planning

Everyday is full of teachable moments. I want my sons to be aware of how much things cost without causing them to fear that we are in trouble. I long for them to appreciate what they have and think of those who go without. We continue to look for ways to bless others, even when we feel that we don't have "extra." When we sit down for dinner, I often tell the boys how much the meal cost to make, how much each portion cost and what we would pay for that same meal in a restaurant. They seem to grasp what I am sharing and they are growing more appreciative of what we have.

In these trying days, most of us are learning to stretch the dollar as far as we can. Most of us have been affected by the economy in the past few years. At home, I am trying to get by with $60-70/week for groceries. Since $20+ of that goes toward fresh fruits and vegetables, that leaves about $40-50/week for planning 15-20 meals. YIKES! In this house, we eat a lot of carbs in the forms of pasta, rice and potatoes. It is just our reality. We go with brown rice and sometimes wheat pasta, but that tends to be more expensive so it doesn't happen often. I usually make a double batch of a recipe so that we can enjoy the leftovers the next day.

Sunday, D made a pot of potato soup for dinner. My niece and nephew were here, so seven of us ate dinner. We threw together a fresh fruit/vegetable tray and called it a meal. The soup thickened, so the next day I made two pans of scalloped potatoes by adding cheese to the soup and reheating. Total cost for one meal and two sides? Less than $5!

Potato Soup
5 pound bag of potatoes $1
3-4 cups of milk $1
Onions, celery, butter $2
8 ounce bag of cheese $1
Fresh fruit tray $2-3

Beef Stroganoff
2 pounds stew meat $4
Large can cream of mushroom soup $2
3 cans beef broth $2
Large container sour cream $2
Egg Noodles $2
Broccoli $2
(This makes enough to feed our family at least twice!)

Mexican Rice
2 pounds ground beef $4
12 servings brown rice $2
1 small jar salsa $1
2 cans of corn $1
2 cans of black beans $1
Garnish with sour cream, cheese and tortilla chips $2-3
(This makes enough to feed our family at least twice!)

Mexican Soup
2 large cans diced tomatoes $2
1 can Rotel $1
2 cans black beans $1
2 cans corn $1
Garnish with sour cream, cheese and tortilla chips $2-3

Mexican Rice
1 pound ground beef, with taco seasoning $3
1/2 bag (8-12 servings) brown rice $1
1 can corn $.50
1 can black beans $.50
1/2 jar of salsa $1

Shrimp Stir Fry
1 pound bag frozen shrimp $5
2 bags of frozen stir fry vegetables $3
Brown rice or noodles $2

Chili
2 pound ground beef $4
3 cans diced tomatoes $2
Tomato juice $1
2 cans black beans $1
2 cans kidney beans $1
Chili seasoning $1

Baked Potato Bar
5 pounds of baked potatoes $1-2
Leftover chili $2
Broccoli $2
Cheese $1
Bacon Bits $1
Sour Cream $1

Fruit Crisp
Canned or fresh fruit (I use 2 cans of cherry pie filling or 4-6 fresh peaches mixed with fresh mango) $2-3
Oats, butter, cinnamon, brown sugar $2
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream $1-2

Bamago Slushie (Mix in blender)
1 24 ounce jar fresh mango (Sharp Shopper) .50
3 frozen bananas .50
(This makes enough for 4-5 generous portions! That's 20-25 cents each!)

Our boys know that there are plenty of ice cream shops around. It is so rare that we ever go into one. WHY? It would cost us $10-15 just to walk in the door! I can buy a half gallon of ice cream (Breyers, Turkey Hill, Edy's) for $2-3 and get 10 bowls of ice cream. That comes to 20-30 cents/bowl! HELLO!! We can have FRIENDS OVER, enjoy fellowship, share our treat and it is still cheaper than buying five small cones at _____'s.