Welcome to week 5 in our $29 challenge. Who’s still with me? Are you learning anything new?
Shopping at ALDI last week gave us a nice leg up for this week as we were able to “bulk up” on oats, flour, beans, masa for homemade tortillas, and sugar. I realize I do have a major flaw. I don’t use coffee the way many do. I use a smaller amount and make it super strong (espressso), then pour it over ice and milk in summer or warm milk in winter. I am guessing it would be a little difficult for some of you to make your coffee stretch as far as I do if you are a regular several cup a day coffee drinker, plus I am a lonely coffee drinker in our house. I am not quite out of coffee but I am buying it this week. I promise.
Grocery List
Trader Joe’s
Meat
- Wild caught salmon 7.99/lb – $10.55
- Andouille Chicken sausage – $3.99
- Organic chicken drumsticks, $1.99 lb. – $7.52
- Organic chicken breast, $7.49/lb. -$12.28
- Grassfed hamburger, frozen, 16 oz. – $6.99
TOTAL: $41.33
Produce
- Green beans, cut and cleaned/fresh 16 oz. – $2.79
- Garlic, 2 bulb/3 oz. – $1.29
- Organic blueberries, 2 pint – $5.99
- Oranges, 4 lb. – $3.49
- Eggplant -$1.79
- Jalapeño, 8 oz. – $1.69 (They don’t sell singles. I think that is ridiculous.)
- Yellow Potatoes, 3 lb. – $2.29
- Green onion, 6 oz. – $1.29
- Baby bella mushrooms, 10 oz. – $1.99
- Snow peas – $2.29
- Romaine, 18 oz. – $2.49
- Organic spinach, 6 oz. – $2.29
- Apples, 3 lb. – $2.99
- 1 Pink Lady apple – $0.79 (my daughter’s request. She rarely eats apples.)
- Organic grape tomatoes, 16 oz. – $3.99
- Celery hearts, 2 ct. – $1.79
- Broccoli florets, 12 oz. – $2.29
- Broccoli/Cauliflower florets, 12 oz. – $2.29
- (2) Organic carrots, 1 lb. – $0.89 x 2
- Bananas – $0.19 x 2
TOTAL: $45.98
Bakery
- Bread, 1 loaf – $2.49
- Pretzel bagels – $2.49
TOTAL: $4.98
Dairy
- Organic whole milk, 1 gallon – $5.99
- (2) Cage-free eggs – $3.19 ×2
- Organic yogurt, 32 oz. – $3.69
- Simply sour cream, fat-free, 16 oz. – $1.99
- TJ shredded cheddar, 12 oz. – $3.49
TOTAL: $21.54
Grocery
- Peanuts, roasted/no salt, 16 oz. – $3.29
- Chili pepper sauce – $1.99
- Cocoa powder, 9 oz. – $2.49
- TJ coffee, can – $4.99
- TJ’s O’s – $1.99
- Organic pasta sauce – $2.49
- Organic Fusilli pasta, 16 oz. -$1.49
- Jasmine brown rice, 48 oz. – $3.29
- Tortilla chips, 32 oz. – $3.29
TOTAL: $25.31
Frozen
- Turkey corn dogs, 4 ct. – $3.29
TOTAL: $3.29
SHOPPING TOTAL: $142.43
Week 5, Meal Plan
Breakfast
- Cheerios with fruit
- Chocolate Cranberry Granola
- Egg Sandwiches on pretzel bagels
- Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Smoothies
- Oatmeal with cinnamon and raisins
- Blueberry, oatmeal, and yogurt parfait
- Oven Pancake with fresh fruit
Lunch
- Black Bean and Cheese Quesadillas, peanut butter celery, apple slices
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, celery, carrots, tortilla chips
- Cheese and tomato flatbread, side salad
- Loaded nachos,
- Hummus, veggie, and cream cheese sandwiches (used corn dogs instead of this lunch),
- Egg, tomato, and cheese quesadillas, pineapple (from last week)
- Leftovers
Dinner
- Vegetable Fusilli with shredded chicken and primavera sauce (leftover zucchini from last week but can use broccoli and shredded carrots instead)
- Andouille Sausage, Potatoes, and broccoli (in place of peas)
- Buffalo Salmon, brown rice and spinach, honey glazed carrots
- Sweet Garlic Chicken Drumsticks, steamed broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and snow peas (butter, salt, pepper, and a dash of crushed red pepper) (Chicken – slow cooked with 6 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup raw sugar, and 2 medium onion for 4-6 hours on low.)
- Mushroom Beef Burgers, lemony green beans, salad
- Taco Salad with black beans, rice, cheese, tomatoes, and avocado from last week
- Eggplant simmered in diced tomatoes with parsley, garlic, onion, chili powder, and crushed red pepper then layered with homemade pasta and cheese ( stewed tomatoes left from last week)
Looking for practical ways to reduce your budget or eat better on what you have?
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I’m thinking we need to start looking at chicken drumsticks and thighs to get quality, less expensive meat options on our shopping list. I will definitely try that garlic slow cooker chicken idea.
We made the sweet garlic chicken on the stovetop, used chicken breast, and cubed it for a quick meal the other evening. So good! We rarely use chicken breast anymore though since drumsticks are so much cheaper.