Another week has begun, which means another meal plan Monday post! Meal planning really helps us stick to our budget month after month. You can tell it’s getting nearer to Christmas by the amount of extra things there seems to be at the supermarket. There were also lots of empty shelves when I went shopping this week; people have actually cleared them out of various items. Christmas is still just under two weeks away! I spent just over £50 this week on food, including formula for DS.
I do our grocery shopping on Sunday morning whilst Mr FC has some quality daddy-baby time with our little one, so I can take my time in the supermarket. I actually enjoy food shopping and browsing round the store, though I make sure that I stick to the list that I make before I go. Making a list means that I don’t buy things we don’t need, plus ensures that nothing gets thrown away. I do try not to get distracted by the ever-present Christmas stock that seems to be in our local supermarket, along with the very cute baby clothes that are for sale. I didn’t give in to temptation this time!
So, our meal plan for this week is as follows:
Monday – pizza
Tuesday – spicy sausage pasta
Wednesday – mushroom omelette
Thursday – SC pork chops with mash and gravy
Friday – chilli and rice
Saturday – chicken curry and rice
For the foreseeable future, Monday night will be pizza night as we’ve started taking our son to swimming lessons on a Monday night, so we want something easy and quick to have for tea. The timings are slightly awkward with regards to DS’s routine, so we’re going to try and make it work the best we can. He’s loving his swimming lessons though; he’s even swam under water!
Breakfast and lunches are included in our budget as well; breakfast is normally a banana for Mr FC. I’ve got into the (slightly) bad habit of having a cereal bar for breakfast, just to have something quick and easy. I know this isn’t particularly healthy, so in the new year I’m going to try and be better. Lunches can be a variety of things; sandwiches, soup, salads, vegetables and dip, just depends on the week and the mood we’re in. Now that I’m at home during the day, I can take longer over my lunch so try to have something hot and filling; as the weather is getting cooler I am loving having warm things to eat, such as soup or beans on toast, all from the store cupboard. I’ve also had a poached egg on toast occasionally, but that does depend on when DS naps.
Related posts:
- Healthy Eating On A Budget
- 3 Healthy Breakfast Recipes On A Budget
- 3 Healthy Lunch Recipes On A Budget
Part of our planning and budget for food means that some items are used from our stockpile every week. This is so the food we already have in the cupboards is used regularly and rotated so nothing goes to waste, but it’s also a good habit to get in to so that if we cannot get to the shops for whatever reason, I can make meals from what we already have in the cupboards. Out of the meal plan for this week the beans and soup (for my lunches) are all from the stock cupboard. We’ve got a couple of eggs left and lots of tins so I’m trying to work my way through them. The pork chops are also from the freezer, as I got them in the reduced section a couple of weeks ago.
Related posts:
What are you eating this week? Trying anything new? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Nicola, tonight, I am having red currant-glazed chicken With spinach, one of my favorite.