Ooph. We went sailing right over the budget this week. We even went over on formula because my DCL (Day Care Lady, if you are new to the site) needed more.
Grocery budget = $125
Actual spent = $169.70
This overspending was the result of poor menu planning and a half-assed list. I’m actually not doing well on the menu-planning end of things. Which is disappointing because it’s one of my stated goals for this project.
Formula budget = $25
Actual spent = $51.99
Costco budget = $100
Actual spent = $120.61
Actual spent on eating out = $24.18 (this is a good amount; proud of Dan — kids I didn’t eat out this week)
Over budget by a total of $92.30
What I made in my kitchen this week:
Creamy carrot soup — a total experiment; next time, I’m going to use less broth, and possibly more cream; it was tasty but thin.
“Quick” Eggplant parmesan — Read “lazy” for “quick”. Didn’t work out so well. Next time if I’m being lazy, I will peel the eggplant. Edible, but not really good.
Strawberry and chocolate chip muffins — Very good! I was going to make strawberry banana, but the frozen bananas basically liquified when I thawed them.
Marinara sauce
Next week menu plans:
I volunteered to do some baking for a school event, so we are making two kinds of cookies, one from a tub of dough already purchased, and the other, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies, from scratch.
Pretzels (this will be Sunday’s baking project; for lunches)
I have frozen lentil soup, and frozen sauce, so they will probably come out of the freezer at some point during the week. I also have a crazy busy weekend, so we may order out/eat out at least once. Er, twice actually, as Dan & I already have dinner plans for Saturday (tickets purchased weeks ago, so not part of the budget).
Next week’s goals:
Grocery budget (not including formula): $75
Formula: $25
Eating out: $50
Let’s go see how everyone else did!
* Emily Levenson
* Dairy-Free Cooking
* Test Kitchen Tuesday
* Acquired Tastes
* Fit Flexitarian
* Warm As Pie
* Katy Rank Lev
* My Inner Healthy
* Little Blue Hen
* xox, b
* What da Health?
* Project Food Budget 2.0
* Ignition Nutrition
* A Nice Heart and a White Suit
* Because Hobbies Happen
* Primary Focus Health Coaching
* Chicken Tender
* Fresh…A New Chapter
* Whole Living Gal
* Chandeleah
Red Pen Mama 
Dont forget formula coupons. Ahem 😉
I know. it kills me when we have coupons at home, and Dan stops to pick up formula. On the bright side: it’s the last month of formula. I’m going to start weaning him to whole milk. Yipee!!
menu planning definitely takes practice. don’t be so hard on yourself yet. it took us a while to figure out that planning for every single day was impossible.
what if you started with just planning for one meal {breakfast or lunch are sometimes easier} and then work your way into planning dinners?
well, since I work full time, lunches are packed, and breakfast is usually cereal. 🙂 So if there is one meal to plan for, it’s definitely going to be dinner. I think I’m going to make up my menu for the week on Friday or Saturday because I pick up my CSA box Thursdays. Although I will have things in the back of my mind, like making pretzels or baking. Thanks!
Check out this eggplant parm casserole recipe…it is SUPER EASY and DELICIOUS! I would recommend peeling and salting the eggplant slices before adding everything else…and extra garlic never hurts 🙂 http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&productId=699494
I did salt the eggplant, but I didn’t peel it. That was a *huge* mistake. I will check out the recipe! I love eggplant parm!
Strawberry chocolate chip muffins? Super yum!
I see you are a freezer strategist as well. I love to package leftovers in single servings so I can just thaw and go some days.
It will get easier, but more importantly, you are getting a good grasp on what you’re spending where…
I always mean to pick up “single serving” ziplocs for the freezer and my kids’ lunches. I keep forgetting, but I do now have it on my on-going list (white board in the kitchen), so next Target run, it will happen!
The strawberry choc. chip muffins are very good. The girls love them in their lunches or as an after school snack. I don’t have a muffin planned for this week, but I’ll either do apple muffins again, or pumpkin cookies. 🙂
Yay for pretzel making! We’re making pretzels today, too!! Haha. As far as menu planning in my house goes, we usually honestly just look at what’s in the fridge and pantry, figure out what we want and what we don’t have to make it, and then one of us (usually the hubs) runs out and grabs whatever we need to complete the meal. Planning loosely works for us, but committing to a bona fide plan is impossible; we’re just too dang picky. 🙂
Right, I don’t want to lock us into a menu, but I do want to be more mindful and able to plan ahead. I’m getting in the groove!