The $20 Menu This Week

We are currently budgeting just $20 a week on groceries and household items so we can 'eat down' our freezer and pantry.  The $20 is for produce, milk, sale items, etc. 

Slowly but surely, we're gaining a tiny bit of freezer space, which is good!  A chest freezer is difficult to organize as it is, but when it's crammed full to the very top, even moreso.  After 6 weeks of freezer- and pantry-focused meals, I can see that we'll be able to do this for a while. 

At first glance, I didn't see many good sales in the grocery ads this week, but after looking a little more closely, I found some pretty good bargains.  I picked up oranges for .25 a pound, strawberries for 1.50 a pound, bean sprouts for 1.29 a pound and broccoli and green beans for $1 a pound.  Green onions were .59 a bunch and I got a lemon for 35 cents.   I had to break down and pay retail for a head of romaine.  I'm used to paying .88 or .99 for it, so that 1.98 price was a bit painful. Oreos were 1.77 after sale and coupon, and I also got tortilla chips for .60 after sale and coupon, as well as a 16 oz. sour cream for 1.04. I even picked up a 6 pack of bagels from the markdown rack, and I got 4 single serving bottles of pomegranate juice free after coupons and sale.  Yakisoba was .09 per package after sale and coupon - we donate these to the food pantry because they are not a favorite of ours.  Two bags of markdown valentine candy were .04 after I used some bonus points at Kmart.  After all that we have $2.61 left for the week.  Milk is on sale for 2.19, but we still have half a gallon - maybe I'll get one at the end of the week.  In addition to the grocery money, I used about $18.50 in coupons/bonus point money.  Here is the menu plan:

Breakfasts, which sometimes repeat:
protein smoothies (for me, 3x)
frittata, toasted bagel, oranges
cereal, milk, strawberries
yogurt, granola, frozen fruit

Lunches:
leftovers when available
big green salad with fruit, nuts, cheese
cheese and crackers, carrots and celery, oranges
pbj, carrot sticks, bananas

Snacks:
bananas w/peanut butter
pretzels and strawberries
oranges
yogurt with granola

Suppers:
(in no particular order)
beef broccoli, crispy noodles, bean sprout salad, sliced oranges
marinated/grilled chicken, carrot and raisin salad, green beans, cornbread
taco salad, strawberries
tuna croquettes, rice, broccoli, kimchee
corned beef, steamed cabbage, mashed potatoes, sliced oranges
char siu lo mein, kimchee, oranges
pizza, vegetable sticks w/ranch, strawberries

My grocery list is....milk, if we need some later in the week.  Everything else was bought this week or already on hand.  Like most weeks, some of these items will 'roll' into future weeks.

What's on the menu at your house this week?