bi-weekly meal plan

Hey guys!  This week I wanted to share with you all how I do my meal plans.  Every other week I sit down and come up with a meal for each night of the week for 2 weeks.  Then, I take my list and figure out what I will need from the grocery store and I go get groceries.  I wish I had the time to look at the sales ads before I made my grocery list because it would save us a lot of money in the long run I believe.  I used to be good at doing that until I had Carter.  After that life was just to chaotic and busy and it became low on the priority list.  If you have the time I highly recommend looking at the sales ads of your local grocery store before you make your meal plan.

There are a few reason I meal plan for 2 weeks.  The most important reason of them all is that it saves me money.  Before when I was going to the grocery store weekly I found myself spending 150+ each trip.  That included diapers and anything we needed around the house as well. Now, I spend that much every other week so I am saving approximately 325 a month, 3900 a year.  WOW!  That is a big number!  I am so glad that I started shopping every other week on groceries.  Also, I may not spend that much every other week as well.  Sometimes I may not feel like cooking and we will have leftovers or sandwiches .  That enables me to push some meals to the next week and not spend as much on the next grocery bill.  I normally have to make a trip the next week for milk or something that I may have forgotten, but it doesn't cost that much extra for milk.  We just don't have the storage capacity in our fridge to get multiple gallons of milk.  We go through a gallon at least a week.  I also found that planting my own garden helps to cut back with our grocery budget.  I thoroughly enjoy working in the garden and seeing my plants grow.  

This weekly meal plan is nothing special, but I thought I would share with you all.  I know I love reading about other people's meal plans.  It gives me ideas and I hope it will give you meal ideas as well.

SUN - Left overs or veggies (carrots, broccoli, peas, potaotes)
MON - Bakes chicken roll ups (pinterest)
TUES - Left overs
WED - Frozen Ravioli (stouffers) - I have class this night so I try to prepare something easy or something I can cook ahead of time when the boys are napping.
THUR - CK alfredo with carrots/peas - Class night
FRI - possibly out of town
SAT - Possibly out of town
SUN - ?
MON - Taco salad
TUE - Balsamic brussels & CK quinoa bowls (pinterest)
WED - Pork chops with cinnamon apples/butternut squash - C (pinterest)
THUR - Spaghetti with green beans
FRI - Whole CK with veggies(carrots/potatoes) roasted cauliflower
SAT - Meatball sliders (pinterest)

I may not cook these in the order that I have them listed here.  For instance, the Pork chops that I have listed on the second wednesday will take a while and I have class that night so I will not be cooking those then.  Also, if I have the word pinterest in parenthesis beside the dinner that means the recipe is on pinterest.  You can find them on 1 of 3 pinterest boards that I have...  1. Food. 2. Recipes I have cooked 3. what's for dinner this week.

If you would like any of these recipes, please let me know.  I would be glad to send them to you or tell you how to make it.

~Enjoy~