Meal Plan/Grocery List

I have been promising to show you all my meal plan and grocery list that I prepare for each pay period. So, I will break it down for all of you!

Payday:

Cory gets paid every month on the 1st and the 15th. Navy Fed puts the money in our account two days before the scheduled pay day. So, we get to go grocery shopping (and pay all of our other bills, sadly) on the 14th or 15th and the 1st or 2nd of every month! I start my meal planning when I am having a slow day at work, which is quite rare these days. I figure out how many days in the pay period I will need to cook for, and then I find all of my recipes on Pinterest or replicate meals from my own childhood. I love searching for cheap and healthy recipes on Pinterest, because there are always new recipes and dishes you can try.

Meal Planning:

This pay period, we got paid on the 12th. So, I needed to plan for 2 1/2 weeks worth of meals (mind you, Cory is still gone, so that effects my meal planning). The payday on the 15th is ALWAYS the hardest because there are so many days until the end of the month ): Anyways, here is my meal plan:

Thursday 12- chicken nuggets and green beans

Friday 13- closing

Saturday 14/Sunday 15- C/M

Monday 16- cast iron skillet chicken pot pie

Tuesday 17- crock pot chicken gnocchi soup

Wednesday 18- sweet chili pineapple chicken w/ brown rice

Thursday 19- C/closing

Friday 20- closing/anniversary

Saturday 21/Sunday 22- ANNIVERSARY GETAWAY WEEKEND!

Monday 23- chicken and yellow rice

Tuesday 24-C

Wednesday 25-M

Thursday 26- tomato and tortellini soup

Friday 27- creamy/cheesy chicken and yellow rice

Saturday 28/Sunday 29- southwestern chicken pasta

As you can see, I don't cook every night. There is no point in cooking on nights that I close at work, because Cory would just eat cereal anyways ;) The C and M stand for Cory's friends that were staying with us, so in lieu of rent or any type of payment, they are buying groceries and cooking dinner 3 times each! AND Cory and I's second wedding anniversary is on the 20th, but because I have to work, we are taking a weekend trip to Montreal to have one last super fun weekend before he goes to Germany! I also combine Saturdays and Sundays, because I never know what our plans are. Sometimes even when we don't have plans, I just reserve that night for leftovers or Drive Thru to be honest....

Okay, now onto the grocery list!

Grocery List

I normally budget between $150 and $200, which sounds like alot, but it really isn't too bad considering I get a paycheck every week... It covers all of our groceries, household supplies, and dog food (which can get pricey). This paycheck, because I forced the guys to be responsible for 3 meals each, was a little cheaper, and I could even afford to withdraw money for our savings jar and not feel bad about it! So, here is my grocery list for this pay period:

chicken breast

biscuits

water

milk

coffee

creamer

mixed veggies, 1 can

cream of chicken, 1 can

gnocchi, 1 pkg

bacon

dried basil

evaporated milk, 2 12 oz cans

celery

carrots

bell peppers

sweet chili sauce

broccoli

pea pods

pineapple chunks

paper towels

freezer bags

snacks

yogurt

oranges

apples

avocado

cheese, shredded mozzarella, cheddar

tortellini

chicken broth x2

cherry tomatoes

sun dried tomato pesto

heavy cream

eggs

black beans

corn

cheese sticks

Obviously I go a little crazy when I am grocery shopping, and grab a few extra things that I don't necessarily need, but before I withdrew money, my total was $136.55 which is pretty awesome. That is probably the cheapest I have ever spent on a grocery trip! :)

I really hope this post helps some of you get ideas on what to cook for dinner when you're feeling stuck. This method may not work for everyone, but it seems to be working for me so far! There are definitely ways I could cut down on my spending, and I need to work on that, but that is a different challenge for a different day.

~S