UPDATE 6/19/2018: The cookbook, including the menu and shopping list, is FINALLY here. I went through the whole thing and updated it to reflect 2018 prices. Guess what? Things haven’t gotten less expensive in the last 3 years! Still, it’s not too bad. Get your copy by clicking the image below!
I had no idea, when I published the original post about how I feed my family on $300 a month, that it would get so much attention. After all, this is not a cooking blog. I’m not a very inventive or brave cook. I’m more like the dusty guy from some western, cooking with what I have, because I have to, and with the understanding that if you have something to say about the job I’m doing, well, then, the job is yours.
I do enjoy cooking. Well, I used to enjoy cooking – back when cooking involved me and a glass of wine and NPR and an hour and half to make a recipe that was supposed to take 20 minutes. Today, cooking involves refereeing 5 kids, tripping over the cat, answering the phone, wiping up spilled sippy cups, and trying not to chop my finger off while I scramble to make a 20 minute meal in 10 minutes. In other words, it’s not my favorite. Especially not during the summer when there are so many other things to do, like sit on the deck with a lemonade (or something) and watch my kids splash in the baby pool. As such, many of my summer recipes involve a crockpot, or rotisserie chicken (a total deal at Costco for $4.99) or salad. I’m also feeding all 7 of us (my husband is home for lunch too!) for every meal so the lunches are a little more grown up.
Again, I make no claims that this is an ideal menu. Many people commented on the first post, saying they’d like to see “more fresh fruits and vegetables.” I’ll let you in on a little secret: I’d like to see more fresh fruits and vegetables too. However, I can’t afford a CSA share and so I do the best I can with what I’ve got. There are still “a lot of carbs” because this is a budget menu, and hello, carbs are cheap. However, I use whole grains whenever I can (always in bread) and if you have more money to spare you can certainly do even better.
Ok.
So, a few notes before we get down to business:
- You’ll note this is a $400 menu, not a $300 menu. That’s in part because I listed grocery store prices for things we get from neighbors’ gardens, or the farmer’s market for far less money. I know these options are not available to everyone so I tried to create a price list based just on what is available in my local stores. I also feed more people more food during the summer. Everyone is at home for all meals including snacks. And also… well, I get a little lazy during the summer – it’s too hot for soup and I’m too busy playing to bone a chicken myself. Plus, I can’t resist a little shrimp.
- My family consists of two adults, two tweens, one four-year-old, and two three-year-olds.
- I’ve found the single, best way to save money on groceries is to use what is always least expensive and use it a lot. As such, there’s no great variety in my menus, no exotic ingredients that I buy for just one meal. We eat dinner on a two week rotation, lunch and breakfast on a weekly rotation. Yes, it can get a little boring. When that happens, I go looking for something else that uses primarily those same cheap ingredients. God bless the Internet.
- I don’t buy organic food, though I wish I did.
- I live in Nashville, TN. It’s been brought to my attention that food is more expensive in other parts of North America. Don’t I know it? We lived in Boston, MA for three years. I’d like to say we made a lot more money there, but it just isn’t true.
- Almost all of the prices listed are from Aldi. Aldi is a discount grocery store originally from Germany. It’s the kind of place where you bag your own groceries and deposit a quarter to use a cart. It’s also got prices that are often half of our local big chain store, Kroger.
- A few items are purchased from Costco, a membership warehouse. The annual membership is $55, or a little less than $5/a month. It’s totally worth it for us.
- This is a summer menu, and it’s not yet officially summer here, so a few prices (like strawberries and cantaloupe) reflect last summer’s prices. The prices will fall as we get into June. For example, I have strawberries listed at $.99. Right now at Aldi they are $1.29. Of course, they also are not yet in season.
- No. I don’t cater to picky eaters. You eat what’s put in front of you, or you don’t eat. Out of five kids, there is only one who hasn’t just learned to like almost everything. She’s also the plumpest, so she doesn’t appear to be starving.
- We have movie and pizza night every Friday, hence the $20 a month in pizza.
- I try to avoid most processed food, but I do offer a few things (like boxed mac and cheese and graham crackers) because my children consider them treats, and we rarely have dessert.
- Anything highlighted in pink links to a recipe. I’m working on a recipe database that should be up in the next few days. Let me know if there’s something on the menu you are looking for and I’ll include it.
A Menu That (if repeated twice) Feeds a Family of Seven
For $400 a Month. All In.
Day One:
Breakfast: Baked oatmeal with peaches and blueberries
Lunch: Pasta salad with tuna
Dinner: Chicken kabobs with green peppers, onions, and tomatoes on brown rice
Snack: frozen yogurt tubes
Day Two:
Breakfast: Pancakes and fruit salad homemade syrup
Lunch: Boxed mac and cheese, bell pepper strips and ranch, sliced tomatoes.
Dinner: Black Bean burgers & green beans with soy sauce
Snack: frozen grapes and cheese stick
Day Three:
Breakfast: Yogurt parfait with strawberries and homemade granola
Lunch: Egg salad sandwiches with carrot sticks and hummus
Dinner: Chicken (made with rotisserie chicken) gumbo with white rice (make extra rice for day 5)
Snack: Zucchini muffins
Day Four:
Breakfast: Spinach egg cups with cheese on whole wheat
Lunch: Mexican stuffed potatoes with romaine salad
Dinner: Tilapia with Creole seasoning, broccoli, buttered noodles
Snack: Graham crackers with peanut butter
Day Five:
Breakfast: Frosted mini wheats with bananas
Lunch: Cheese Quesadillas with spinach salad
Dinner: Fried rice with rotisserie chicken
Snack: Veggie sticks with hummus
Day Six:
Breakfast: Hardboiled eggs with strawberries
Lunch: Peanut butter and carrot sandwiches with apple slices and cheese stick
Dinner: Zesty Italian Chicken and white rice; green beans in olive oil and kosher salt
Snack: Surprise muffins
Day Seven:
Breakfast: Blueberry muffins with cantaloupe
Lunch: Homemade Hummus and cucumber sandwiches with grapes
Dinner: Pizza with crudités: bell pepper, carrots, celery and ranch
Snack: Pretzels with apple slices
Day Eight:
Breakfast: Baked oatmeal with peaches and blueberries
Lunch: Pasta salad with tuna
Dinner: Tangy Chicken with brown rice
Snack: frozen yogurt tubes
Day Nine:
Breakfast: Pancakes and fruit salad homemade syrup
Lunch: Boxed mac and cheese, bell pepper strips and ranch, sliced tomatoes.
Dinner: Polenta baked with vegetables with spinach salad
Snack: frozen grapes and cheese stick
Day Ten:
Breakfast: Yogurt parfait with strawberries and homemade granola
Lunch: Egg salad sandwiches with carrot sticks and hummus
Dinner: Fiesta chicken; tomato and cucumber salad
Snack: Zucchini muffins
Day Eleven:
Breakfast: Spinach egg cups with cheese on whole wheat
Lunch: Cheese quesadillas with spinach salad
Dinner: Roasted Shrimp and tomato pasta, broccoli
Snack: Graham crackers with peanut butter
Day Twelve:
Breakfast: Frosted mini wheats with bananas
Lunch: Mexican stuffed potatoes with romaine salad
Dinner: Buffalo Chicken salad
Snack: Surprise muffins
Day Thirteen:
Breakfast: Hardboiled eggs with strawberries
Lunch: Peanut butter and carrot sandwiches with apple slices and cheese stick
Dinner: Mexican bean pie; cucumber & tomato salad
Snack: Veggie sticks with hummus
Day Fourteen:
Breakfast: Blueberry muffins with cantaloupe
Lunch: Hummus and cucumber sandwiches with grapes
Dinner: Pizza with crudités: bell pepper, carrots, celery and ranch
Snack: Pretzels with apple slices
Shopping List (or How it All Pans Out)
2 bags of pretzels ($1.29) = $2.58
1 package croutons = $.89
1 box graham crackers = $1.39
2 boxes frosted mini wheats ($1.99) = $3.98
2 bottles of ranch dressing ($1.29) = $2.58
2 bottles of Italian dressing ($1.29) = $2.58
1 bottle buffalo wing sauce = $1.99
2 bags of flour ($1.39) = $2.78
1 bag of sugar = $1.79
2 bags of brown sugar ($1.19) = $2.38
1 canister bread crumbs = $.85
1 jar minced garlic = $1.99
1 can baking powder =$.99
1 box baking soda = $.49
1 small vanilla extract = $1.99
celery salt = $2.39
dried thyme = $2.39
creole seasoning = $1.99
salt = $.39
pepper = $1.99
cumin = $.99
chili powder = $.99
soy sauce = $1.19
sesame oil = $2.69
olive oil (17 oz.) = $3.29
canola oil (48 oz.) = $1.89
1 jar mayo = $1.89
1 bottle lemon juice = $1.99
apricot preserves = $1.99
1 jar peanut butter (40 oz.) = $3.49
whole grain mustard = $1.29
yellow cornmeal = $1.69
2 cans old fashioned oats ($2.29) = $4.58
10 cans black beans ($.59) = $5.90
4 cans kidney beans ($.59) = $2.36
8 cans garbanzo beans ($.49) = $3.92
2 cans chicken broth ($.49) = $.98
4 cans diced tomatoes ($.55) = $2.20
2 cans corn ($.49) = $.98
2 cans lowfat refried beans ($.79) = $1.58
4 cans peaches (or about 12 fresh) ($.89) = $3.56
4 box farfalle pasta ($.99) = $3.96
2 lbs spaghetti = $1.59
2 boxes of mac and cheese ($.39) = $. 78
2 package egg noodles ($1.25) = $2.50
3 pounds of rice = $1.49
2 lbs instant brown rice ($1.69/16oz)= $3.38
4 can albacore tuna ($1.09/5oz.) = $4.36
1 24oz jar salsa = $1.69
54 flour tortillas ($1.19/10) = $7.14
2 packages hamburger buns ($.89) = $1.78
10 loaves whole wheat bread ($1.39) = $13.90
10 dozen eggs ($1.49) = $14.90
2 4 oz containers of feta ($1.79) = $3.58
2 containers of shredded parmesan ($2.58) = $5.16
4 8oz light cream cheese ($.99) = $3.96
4 32oz tubs of vanilla yogurt ($1.89) = $7.56
2 containers of sour cream ($1.29) = $2.58
1 48 pack cheese sticks (Costco) = $8.99
20 yogurt tubes (Costco) = $3.99
15 cups shredded cheddar (Costco: 5lb = 20 cups) = $12.89
4 2lbs packages grapes ($1.98) = $7.92
4 3 pack romaine lettuce ($1.99) = $7.96
6 cantaloupes ($.99) = $5.94
2 bunches of parsley ($.99) = $1.98
2 bunches of celery ($1.29) = $2.58
2 tubs baby spinach (Costco) ($3.98) = $7.96
2 10lb bags of potatoes ($1.99) = $3.98
4 heads of broccoli ($1.69) = $6.76
2 lemons ($.39) = $.78
16 cucumbers ($.49) = $7.84
16 tomatoes ($1.99/4) = $7.96
2 3lb bag onions ($.99) = $1.98
4 2lb bag carrots ($.99) = $3.96
8 3 packs of green peppers ($1.69/3) = $13.52
2 6-packs of zucchini ($1.49) = $2.98
6 pints grape tomatoes ($1.49) = $8.94
2 3lb bags apples ($2.69) = $5.38
10 lbs bananas ($.44/per lb) = $4.40
4 16oz. strawberries ($.99) = $3.96
4 12oz packages gumbo mix (Kroger) ($1.00) = $4.00
1 bag frozen blueberries = $2.29
1 package extra fine green beans = $1.49
2 packages fresh sugar snap peas ($1.49) = $2.98
2 bags of frozen peas ($.89) = $1.78
12 lbs. boneless chicken breasts ($1.79/lb) = $21.48
1 value pack frozen Tilapia = $5.49
2 packages frozen shrimp ($5.49) = $10.98
2 rotisserie chickens (Costco) ($4.99) = $9.98
4 Aldi Pizzas ($4.99) = $19.96
1 34oz canister of ground coffee = $5.49
4 64oz bottle of 100% apple juice ($1.49) = $5.96
12 gallons of skim milk ($2.69) = $32.28
Total = $424.96
*This price list assumes you have nothing in your house and you are starting from scratch. If you already have pantry staples like flour, salad dressing, spices, and oils, you will come in just under $400. There’s also a fair amount of leftover staples built into this menu, so you’ll need to buy less tortillas and cheese next month, for example.
Looking for the original $300 a month menu?
Angela
THANK YOU! I have been working on getting our grocery budget down and have been using your winter menu and grocery list to create one for our family. I know this must have taken you time and effort to share this with us and I so appreciate it!
Jen
You are so welcome and thank u for taking the time to comment. Money is HARD.
If this post helped you, please consider sharing it. Thanks so much, Angela.
Nancy
This looks like what I did many years ago when 8 kids lived at home, one income, homeschooling, etc. Great job!
Jen
Wow! Eight kids? Somedays I’m pulling my hair out with five. Of course, on other days, I’m just thinking how lucky I am. Thank you.
Christina
Thank you for sharing this, so helpful. We just moved from Nashville to Atlanta and have 2 extra people in the house so I am feeding 7. 3 adults, 1 teen, and 3 under 12.
I live the way you listed the meals daily and provided the shopping list. Can’t wait to try this, such an inspiration for busy mom’s on a budget!
Christina
Thank you for sharing this, so helpful. We just moved from Nashville to Atlanta and have 2 extra people in the house so I am feeding 7. 3 adults, 1 teen, and 3 under 12.
I love the way you listed the meals daily and provided the shopping list. Can’t wait to try this, such an inspiration for busy mom’s on a budget!
Sue R.
I think you are absolutely brilliant! Thank you so much for sharing this, I am amazed at your ability to stretch a dollar. I am going to try this out on my family. We are able to eat more meat because we have our red meat raised for us, so I have a freezer full of beefalo, as well as deer meat as my husband hunts. Thanks again!
Jen
I haven’t had venison in years! Though, I must say, as I watch the lovely deer eat my ornamental trees every morning I think, “Hey Buster! You could be dinner!” Thanks for your kind comment.
Kathy
I am a single lady, but have adapted the winter menu for myself, tweaking it for a few favorites I have that aren’t on your menu. I’ll do the same with this one. Thanks for the inspiration.
God bless you on your journey!
Jen
Thanks for posting your summer menu! I’m one of those who found you because your winter menu received a lot of attention (I found it on a community group on babycenter.com). I actually shared this post and your last with my small private group on BBC :). I’m really looking forward to lowering my food budget and using your meal plan to relieve some stress of figuring out what to serve for dinner :).
I just went back to the winter menu and clicked on a link for the black beans and rice. I recognized the site and wanted to let you know that her “Perfected Yellow Cake” is awesome!!! Here’s a link, in case you ever want to try. Once you bake a cake from scratch, you may never want to go back! http://www.melskitchencafe.com/perfected-yellow-cake/
Keep up the good work!
Jen
Thanks for the recipe, Jen. And thank you for the “share” love. I’ve actually never made a yellow cake from scratch – though at this point I think I might just want to pass the recipe onto my daughter! She’s becoming quite the baker.
Meghan
I love these posts. Thanks so much for the inspiration.
Jessica
This may seem like a very silly question, but coming from a mom of 3 who has never “meal planned”, do you buy all of this at one time? And then freeze things? I just noticed the 12 gallons of milk and wasn’t sure if that was over time or bought at once.
Jen
Oh definitely over time! Even we can’t drink milk that fast!
Chrissy
We are a family of 8 living on a tight food budget. 2 adults, and 6 kids ages 9 months, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 12. Thank you for your ideas.
The only problem is that even though I shop at Aldi and Shoprite, our food prices are considerably higher in our area than yours. For instance, a gallon of milk here is $4.25, a pineapple is $3.99, and a whole chicken is $15.00.
I have to spend at least $200-$300 a week to feed all of us properly. 🙁
Jen
Argh! That is so frustrating. I can’t imagine paying $3.99 for a pineapple at Aldi! I’m sorry. I realize that prices here in the southern US are lower than elsewhere. I wish that higher food prices always indicated higher wages, but i know that is not always the case. Good luck to you!
Valerie
Thank you for this it is so helpful!
I split the grocery list in half and shopped it at HEB and Costco because I don’t have an Aldi’s nearby. I’m on track to come in at about at about $430 for the month, which is cutting our grocery budget (we are a family of 9) in half! So exciting!
kiran
God Bless you!
Jessica
Im a proud wife and mom of 4 kids. 10 yo. Tween. Toddler. And a 21 yo who comes every weekend and eats like he never ate before. We live on a very tight budget. When we go shopping its so stressful. But ive been reading ur post and its interesting. I feel like i dont have to stress. So thank u for helping me. Im taking notes and putting them to use for when i go shopping for my zoo. ?❤
RMJ
Thank you for taking the time to post all this wonderful information! I am looking forward to putting this into practice for my family. I did type of the menu, shopping list and corresponding recipes into Excel and Word formats. Would you like me to send them to you so that you can include them here for everyone?
Jen
That would be lovely! Thanks!
Heather
Are there files somewhere of all these recipes?
RMJ
And by ‘of’ I meant ‘up’ of course.
Sam
This is amazing! I feel like i have been looking for something like this for years, i have me and my husband, my 18 year old brother, a 5 year old, 4 year old, and almost 2 year old. I’m going to tweek this a little to what we like and our schedules and try it. The only thing that makes me upset is there is no Aldis near us (jacksonville, fl) so im not really sure where else to go i’ve never been to costco and am not a huge fan of sams club (although my husband is) maybe i will try one of those
Lynn
Jen, I want to thank you for all your hard work and dedicated effort. I am putting together a class for residents of a low income housing complex on how to eat healthier on a budget (SNAP). I have been searching and researching for realistic resources for this group. You are the first sight I have come across that really fits the bill! You are a godsend. Thanks!!!
Brooke
I love that you have taken your time and energy to share with us! You are very talented at writing and meals. The care for which you organized this and included shipping lists means, I’m in! I look forward to seeing the links for the Excel versions offered by another commenter. It fits my digital list needs perfectly!
Bill
It would be amazing if you posted links to your recipies that you use also.
Sarah
Since you receive WIC, I would highly recommend chicken enchilada casserole. A layer of corn tortillas (WIC), a layer of enchilada sauce (cheap in a can, or make your own), a layer of shredded chicken, a layer of cheese (WIC), some black olives (optional, but yum.), repeat til done. Bake in 350 oven for 20-30 min. It’s easy and cheap. I have a Tupperware microwave cooker that I can cook a whole chicken in, but I HATE dealing with whole chickens. I do it anyway, because canned chicken is so freaking expensive. I SHOULD just buy them, take them home, cook them up, shred and then freeze. So much easier.
Sarah
p.s. We have 6 kids, plus roommate, plus her kid, plus the oldest kid’s boyfriend to feed. But this one feeds 8 comfortably. I might add a side dish of some sort… refried beans and rice maybe? Oh, speaking of rice… have another recipe for you, chicken and rice.
2 cups of rice
4 cups of water
package of onion soup mix
2 cans of cr. of mushroom soup (I’ve seen recipes for make your own soup…feel free to sub out if you find it’s doable)
8 or so chicken legs, thighs, or thigh/leg combos. I wait for any of these to go on sale for less than 99 cents a pound (omgosh…when they go on for 69 cents, I do what I can to stock up)
If you’re able to, precook the rice a bit, otherwise, stick everything into a 9×13 pan, and cook at 350. I forget exactly how long, but I usually end up doing it for about 2 hours I think. Shorter if I precook the rice. Oh, put some of the onion soup mix on top of the chicken… my only problem with this recipe is that once you get past the skin layer, the chicken is flavorless…but I usually just salt it at that point and keep going. I just spent 3.00 on I don’t know how many chicken legs at 69 cents a pound, so this recipe is definitely getting made soon. I am also FINALLY going to make my own pizza dough. And I found instant yeast at Winco (our local cheap grocery store) in the bulk bin for 3.49 a POUND, which is about half the price of a jar of yeast (more maybe). I’m going to be making so much bread and pizza dough in the near future… I want to see how much money it can save us. But just a quick memory search, I know our prices here are higher than yours there, but with Winco’s bulk bins, and Sam’s Club prices, oh and the local asian market (GREAT prices on produce and meats), I know I can come close. I’m pretty frugal, but we love beef here, so when I can buy hamburger for 2 bucks a pound, I buy 50 pounds. I sale shop a LOT, as much as I can. But my freezer and pantry are full, so I should really start trying to use more of it. I’m not good at menu planning, and when I see something on sale, like prego spaghetti sauce for 1.52 a jar this last Fall, I stock up and plan to use it later. Bananas here though, no matter where you shop, are about 69 cents a pound, you’re lucky to have them for 44 cents a pound. And pineapples are anywhere between 2.50 and 4.00, though I haven’t really priced them at the asian market, which recently had strawberries for 99 cents a pound whereas everywhere else they’re more like 3-4 dollars a pound, being out of season. But with my current amount of food, we could probably eat for 2 months at least. Though I’d want to buy fresh produce and sour cream (which we go through 10 pounds a month of! We buy two 5 pound buckets every month. We eat SO MUCH mexican food, that sour cream is practically a staple here. It doesn’t help though, that some people use a lot of it, or waste a lot of it…how I hate waste. We’ve done a LOT better in eliminating waste around here, yay for that!) The other good thing for me is that all 3 of these stores are within 10-20 miles of me…DH insists that if you spend 10 dollars in gas to go to the store, it needs to be worth it, so I try not to shop any more than every two weeks. But that can be a real difficulty at times. However, if one of us is out, then we try to swing by the store for 1-2 things…sticking to those 1-2 things!
Lhh
Do you have the recipes for these meals? I would love to try this, to help with cutting costs! I just don’t want to go out and buy all these groceries, to end up not knowing how to put the meals together.
Jen
Honestly, I’ve been working on putting up recipe pages for sometime and just haven’t finished it. Email me and let me know which recipes you need and I’ll try to get them to you asap.
Erica Vandegrift
I enjoyed reading this list. I like that it has realistic items that someone with multiple children would actually cook. (I am highly unlikely to spend all day in the kitchen baking everything from scratch to save $1) I have 4 kids, and of course there are picky eaters. My 9 year old sat and pouted for awhile tonight because he hates chicken. Meanwhile my 2 year old will snatch chicken off your plate if you dont watch out lol. And both him and his 3 year old brother wont eat pasta. No mac and cheese, no spaghetti, none of it. We live in NH and prices are MUCH higher here, but i use coupons which helps (A local supermarket had packages of Perdue Perfect Portions 24-28 oz on sale for $3.88 each a few weeks ago, and I printed a coupon I found for $2 off the perfect portions. So I got 4 packages for $1.88 each.) Honestly i shopped at Aldis once and hated it. Maybe its just the one here, but it was maddeningly disorganized, smelled like bad produce, and they didnt have half the stuff on my list. Basic things like salad dressing. We have a Sams Club membership (if you watch sites like Living Social you can often find awesome deals on memberships to sams club and costco as well) We have been on a tight budget since my husband separated from the military last year, so every little bit of savings helps
Bertles
I have 5 kids ages 5 yrs to 1 yr and am pregnant with our 6th (I’ve been pregnant every year of our marriage thus far). I saw your little prompt to talk to grown-ups and laughed so hard I almost cried….I feel ya! We too are on a budget, though my husband has no idea, he buys what he wants when he wants which kind of throws things off kilter sometimes. He obviously grew up a little different from me. I love your winter and summer menus! My husband gets frustrated with me because I kind of do things on the fly and occasionally break down and buy burger king for the kids (with online printed and reprinted coupons). He also struggles with OCD (I say struggle because it’s mild enough to go un-medicated…but it’s still OCD and completely frustrating for me because he wants ME to organize everything…because he can’t…which I’m not completely into). We home school too so it really ends up limiting kitchen time and will continue to do so, but hopefully my boys will want to get into cooking and helping with meals (you know…when I’m able trust them enough to slice the occasional apple…with a knife *wince*). Anyway he hates fast food (his mother is a Grade A Italian Chef)….I grew up on casseroles…and not even vaguely Italian ones. And so due to the OCD he wants me to make menus and pantry lists that we can go through and check off what we have and need and I think he forgets we have kids sometimes…who tend to get into things when you’re otherwise occupied with lists. So this helps me a lot…though for his tastes could probably stand some more Italian meal substitutes…lol.
Chandra
I’m in Antioch, just around the corner lol. I’m also mommy of 5- 13, 8, 5, twin 14 month olds. We are on a very tight budget, your site is inspirational and gives me ideas. I’m have several food allergies including most seafood (I don’t even attempt to eat it anymore), chicken, and eggs!! I know crazy right? Beef and pork is so expensive, plus it’s too heavy to eat all the time, so I find myself making meals for the family that include chicken and eggs, and I eat just the sides, or sometimes like a pb&j. Thank you for posting this!
Bill
Jen, could you possibly update it with the recipes you use for the meals. That would be awesome!
Tabitha
Was the recipe database ever posted? Just wondering where I can find these recipes.
Karey
Is there a website where you get most of your recipes?
Lindsay
Thank you so much for posting this! Loved incorporating crudités to our weekly pizza night. However, I can’t get my veggies to last longer than a week! Do you have a secret as to keep veggies for so long? Thank you, love your site!
Joni
Thank you for this, it’s very helpful. My family would complain about still being hungry before they even left the table. If I fed them a meat and 1 side they would look at me like I was crazy. Does this ever happen to you? Ever?
Jen
Sometimes my kids complain about being hungry when they haven’t even eaten everything on their plate (because it’s “not my favorite”) and I tell them there’s plenty to eat but they must eat everything they’ve been given before I’ll give them more. In fairness, I only give them a tiny bit of stuff I know they aren’t crazy about.
Katrina Ryder
Hi! I know this post is a year old, but I just want to thank-you for taking the time to put it together. I blog also (though not often lately) and understand how long it takes to put something like this together. I am also married to a teacher and barely disqualified for food stamps, and this year, thanks to me earning a bit of money from a writing gig, we owed money in taxes. Yikes! I was freaking out about how to survive summer with no teacher paycheck and three hungry kids and their dad prowling the kitchen. I was googling ALDI meal plans and came across this. It is PERFECT for us. I really appreciate it. Thanks so much.
Traci Kamish
Hello. I was wondering if you could tell me if you ever included a recipe database with links to the recipes? Finding it a little difficult to use the grocery list and meal plan together since I don’t have the recipes. Thank you so much!!! 🙂
Jen
Ack! No. I haven’t. But give me a month. I swear I will. In the meantime, some of the recipes are linked to other places on the Internet. Sorry I don’t have more to offer today.
BEVERLY MCCAULEY
Wow,you just made my whole life easier at planning the budget food menu that I struggle with a lot for almost 33 years of my married life.You are so organized and only wish I had found you sooner in the winter month’s to feed our family of 8.We have 8 boys, 6 still to be home, 2 Grand-Boys several hundred miles away from Grammy and Gramps, 3 male dogs 1 male cat, what we thought was a girl when we received him,lol! My hubby whom thinks I’m Superwoman with no stress in a house of all males says I can achieve at anything,WRONG!!! My worst nightmare is grocery shopping and planning out a menu and pleasing all with every meal I make.I am not June Cleaver, but try to match her whole housewife perfection she gave us to follow by on how to take care of your family with a happy smile and dressed to kill while she did it,go figure!! We have a mortgage note at $485.00 month,our electric bill runs about $400.00 month in the Summer and around $250.00 in Winter.We have no cable,no land line phone,only 1 cell phone and our car insurance is $40 a month.A credit card bill $60 a month and a Bank loan $135 month that will soon be paid off.We pay cash for our vehicles and we only have 1 family truck at this time so gas runs about $100 a month.My food bill averages around $1200 a month that increased over $300 for the past few years since the older boys have gone all organic on us and has changed the way we eat and how I cook.I home school my kids as well and I am never organized to keep the laundry in order or our meals,so I am the lunch room lady by day and run a Restaurant by night to feed an Army of men!! I will try this meal planning of yours and I love how you spent the time giving a grocery list for all viewers to go by and you deserve an award for the effort you put into it! I will keep you posted in a few days is when I am going to play the grocery game day and want use any coupons to see how well I do the 1st 2 weeks.
Ashley Barker
THANK YOU so much for these menu plans (summer/winter)!! We are a family of 8 – soon to be 10 because I’m pregnant with twins – and on 1 income (though I try to earn some $$ from odds/ends I do at home).
We have recently reworked our budget and now grocery shopping/cooking with less discretionary income is my new challenge – so again, this helps A LOT!
Just curious. . . do you plan on updating at all for 2016 with any new menu items you’ve added or other cost saving things you’ve incorporated???
Michelle Johnson
Hi,from Murfreesboro.
Thanks so much for taking the time to share this. I love that you have included all meals and snack most meal plans I have found are just dinner. As the mom of 5. Four boys 17,11,7, and 3 and a 2 year old daughter. I am constantly stressing over meals. I’m excited to give this a try but I’m worried it won’t be enough for my bottomless pits. They are constantly hungry. Do you just do one pizza on pizza night? Our family usually goes through 2 little Caesars $5 pizzas and bread sticks on pizza night. Regardless if we have to add a little more food it going to save money and stress so thanks again.
Gmama
Hi!
You’re Amazing for sharing!
I came across “How to eat for $4/day” By Leanne Brown a few months ago and I was excited and blown away… even saved the the cook book to my tool bar. I’ve looked thru it several times and I just cant do anything with it, my kids just wouldn’t eat that kind of stuff.
Looking at your ideas for a menu plan gives me hope!
We live in Denver, Colorado, I’m sure cost will be a bit higher. I feel confident that I wont spend $400 for a week if i try your ideas!
I only have one question- What are you doing with the rice?
There’s white and brown LOL
Melissa
Just gave this a try yesterday. Spent $201 on almost everything we needed (for half the month…some of it will last all month). We are a family of 8 (six kids ranging from 1-13) so we expect to go over a little bit but I’m going to try hard to stick with this. Just need to figure out how to make everything 😉
Monica
How in the world do you feed 7 people on one box of mac and cheese? I can’t even feed 4. I want to use your plan but it’s not enough food for us.
Thomas
I don’t see mac and cheese listed more than once in the meal plan, but two boxes are listed on the shopping list, so I have a sneaking suspicion (math, y’all) that she’s not feeding 7 people with one box (“budget” meal plan, not “preparing for Naked and Afraid” meal plan, dear). Reading the *whole* thing before commenting would be helpful (I know she said that lunch is on a one-week rotation, but apparently there’s an exception… let’s sound the alarms and call the cyber police).
Oh, and Jen, FWIW, I think you do a fantastic job of merging affordable and nutritious. There are plenty of people spending three times what you do for fewer people and subsist on complete junk. Should you decide to post an update for what’s changed (RE: new recipes when current ones get old), I’d love to read it. Thanks for sharing!
Vicki Haines
I came across your wonderful meal plans during an Internet search on how to feed only TWO adults for less money. It’s ridiculous how much money I spend every 2 weeks to feed just the two of us, NO KIDS. How do you allocate expenses for cleaning products (paper towels, toilet paper, detergent, toiletries)? I can sometimes spend $75-$100 every 2 weeks just restocking that stuff. Very frustrating!!
Jen
Ha! Toilet paper is a challenge with 7 butts, there’s just no getting around that! As for the other stuff… We buy cheap white washcloths ($5 for 18) and use those for almost everything you’d use paper towels for. We still buy SOME paper towels cuz I refuse to wash and reuse vomit infested rags (it happens). I use standard toilet bowl cleaner and Dawn dish soap (I haven’t found an off brand that works as well) as well as laundry detergent from Costco. For almost all other cleaning, it’s all about the vinegar.
Anonymous
Hello. Thank you so much for your post. I am trying to get the hang of a budget and routine and this is such a great help. I am curious if you purchase this all at once or shop weekly?
Thank you
Falon Otto
Ft. Worth, TX
Jen
I’m glad it helps a little! I shop weekly.
Falon Otto
Hello. Thank you so much for your post. I am trying to get the hang of a budget and routine and this is such a great help. I am curious if you purchase this all at once or shop weekly?
Thank you
Falon Otto
Ft. Worth, TX
Amy
I was just looking for recipes. That would be so helpful! Thanks!
Gwen
I printed everything out and am being so blessed by this! Thank you! We are a military family and all three of my kiddos have special needs, but everything you listed are foods they love! The only problem (and it’s with me) is that I have to follow recipes due to my lack of cooking talent. Do you happen to have links for all the recipes? The muffins, etc. I’m a bit intimidated to buy all the ingredients and not know how to make all the dinners. This is such a great meal plan! Thanks for sharing!
Sara
I know you posted this over a year ago, but do you possibly have the recipes for everything? I cannot cook, so I have to have the recipes to be able to cook and shop. And thank you for posting such an awesome, budget friendly menu and list, this will help me a ton!!
Mandi
I have a question on Day 6. “Peanut butter and [CARROT] sandwiches”?
Jen
Yep. Grated carrot mixed with pb. Sounds gross, tastes delicious.
M
Thank you thank you thank you!! I’m using your list and I’ve been googling the recipes that aren’t linked and we’re saving so much money! I’ll say it again! Thank you thank you thank you!!
christy
do you have recipes to publish for your dishes? I feel like it’s a bit difficult and much slower to figure out a recipe you might be using just given a title and a shopping list. any help?
Jill
We have an Aldi, and I just used your ideas with a goal of $100 for the week. I tweaked it a little bit, adding popsicles (otter pops) and doing a combo of your winter and summer menus. We walked through Aldi’s adding prices on my phone, as the kids put the groceries in the cart – calling out the prices. In the end, I had to put a couple things back. But, I’m thrilled!
Stretching our food budget has been a long process. A year ago, we were spending $1000 a month to feed 5 of us. Before reading your blog, we had been spending about $650 a month. If we can actually can adjust to $400 a month on a regular basis, I will be thrilled. We just separated from the military and our budget is so tight. We sure could use that money in other areas of the budget.
The biggest challenge I’ve had is ending grazing. I established one afternoon snack. My 5 year old is finding this challenging, maybe he will eat dinner tonight! 🙂
Your ideas really are really great! Thanks!
Jen
Jill, I’m so glad it’s helping a little! Good luck with the budget!
Betsy
Jen, I just found this & I may have missed it if it has already been answered so sorry it if is a repeat. How often do you go grocery shopping? I ask since I live an hour from my closest Aldis but I love that place. I would totally be willing to drive there to save more, but I’m not sure if I could justify the gas cost to go weekly. I don’t see the fresh fruit etc being good for two weeks either. Man I wish one would open up closer to home. Thanks for this
Katie
Jen,
I just found your blog and I need to say that it has filled me with all kinds of hope. As a mom trying to figure out how to budget so I can avoid going back to work after my maternity leave, this has made me feel like it is more than possible. Your blog is wonderful and I’m so glad I’ve stumbled on it. I will be sharing it with all the other parents I know who could use the same pick me up that it’s given me.
Thanks for all the time and effort you put into this!
Bobbi
This is great, thank you! I went from a family of two, 3 years ago to soon being a family of 6! Trying to create tasty food that doesn’t break the bank and is mostly healthy has been a challenge for such a large crowd. My daughter and I used to eat top billing; add a husband, 2 step kids and soon to be a newborn and well, something has got to give. I truly appreciate the new ideas and mostly, your realistic approach.
Take Care.
Kairalie
Alright, I know that this is an old post but it’s amazing! I scrolled through all the comments and read through the whole article twice in hopes that the recipes had been posted. I was sad to see they were not. Please please please if you have them somewhere just e-mail them to me? Or post them so everyone who has asked can have them too and join you in the ways to save money while feeding a house load of people!
You did an amazing thing posting this, just need the instructions now!
Thank you so much.
liana
Hi Jen,
I am from Singapore and our meals and food prices are totally different however I can totally relate to this budget meal plan. Thank you for putting in the effort to do this up. The best thing about this plan is they are as real as can be. no pretensive or difficult recipes. I’m gonna get some inspiration from your plans and try it out myself.
We also have picky eaters in the house. such a bother. bleargh.
Anonymous
I love your posts and I think you are doing amazing job. But, you only included 14 days of meals for 1 month plan so that means that you are actually spending more than quoted amount.
Jen
Thanks for your comment. I actually just repeat the recipes for the second two weeks. The shopping list includes doubled ingredients, though I don’t actually buy them all at once.
Rose
Hi I was wondering where to find the recipes, for example the baked oats. I really like you blog page. Are you making money on google Adsense? I am looking to work from home and I made a blog about my son http://www.aspecialjourney.com but I don’t know how to add the Adsense and I don’t know if that is the right kind of blog to try and make money off of since it is mostly there to educate others on his rare condition.
Any tips?
Jen
Rose, thanks for commenting. I’m putting together a PDF for both menus, but it’s a slow and laborious process! As far as Google Adsense, I did use them until I realized how little control I had over the ads that appeared on my site. For instance, an NRA ad kept appearing on my post about banning assault weapons. Right now, my page is supported entirely through Patreon, a platform that allows readers to contribute to creations they enjoy. You might check them out!
Lauren
Hello there,
I like so many here am amazed at how you manage to pull together a relatively healthy menu at such a low cost. Thank you for working hard on helping others do the same by laying it all open.
We’re a family of 8 and following your plan I have definitely cut our spending and my children are eating more fruits and veggies than before. (Which on the one hand is almost maddening because I tried SO HARD to feed us frugally, and just almost don’t know what I was doing wrong, except maybe always doing sandwiches for lunch because I was in a mental box thinking it was the cheapest.) Anyway, thanks for helping me think outside the box. In addition to spending less and eating better I’m not making bread 3 or 4 times a week, which was starting to get a bit old.
Just a note or question, though. You don’t have butter listed in the summer shopping list and only 1 lb in the winter one. Is that a mistake or do you leave it out of the Mac & cheese and eat butterless pancakes? I’m not sure i could pull that off. I’m finding it difficult to stick to a pound a week. 😉
Thank you again so much. Shopping and budgeting is fun again. Now I’m cvsing for diapers and planning a garden. You’ve inspired me!
Lord bless ya,
Lauren