We eat the same thing every day for breakfast and lunch. It is monotonous but we know that we can mix things up and have a great dinner to look forward to. It keeps us right on track and we can avoid overspending that way.
Here is a sample day for food:
Breakfast (about 50 cents/person)-
Cereal for Jonny
Cereal or Yogurt for me
Lunch (about $1.25/person)-
Sandwich
String Cheese
A piece of fruit/Fruit Snacks
Snack item (Ritz Crackers/cheese, Austin PB sandwiches crackers, or store-brand Breadsticks/Cheese)
Granola Bar
OR
Leftovers from dinner
Snacks:
A piece of fruit
Popcorn
Vegetables and dip
Cheese and Crackers
Quesadilla
Bowl of cereal
Dinner (between $5-7 for meal)
The trick here is to find dinners that can last for more than one meal. I am not a huge fan of leftovers, but we try to work in at least one "leftover" dinner night a week to cut down on the expenses.
Examples:
Chili
Lasagna
Breakfast Casserole
Chicken Pot Pie
Swedish Meatballs
Take a look at your monthly grocery budget. Do you need to trim it down? Try some of these ideas to see if they work for you and your family.
Coming soon: Dinners on a budget-- how to make delicious food that doesn't break the bank. This will be a recurring post topic.
