Saving Money By Making a Menu

Budget saving ideas usually involve some organization.  My husband will be the first to raise his hand and tell you I was not born organized (or orderly – nearly drove him batty for the first 14 years of our marriage).  Since food is the place we seem to spend the most of our money, I’m trying to make a menu that will be easy, flexible, and make shopping less expensive (it’s always cheaper to shop for just what you need, especially if you KNOW what you need).

Day One:          Breakfast – scrambled eggs, English muffins, bacon, bananas

Lunch – hot dogs and French fries

Supper – lasagna, salad, and garlic bread

Day Two:         Breakfast – cream of wheat and cinnamon toast

Lunch – grilled sandwiches and tomato soup

Supper – tacos

Day Three:       Breakfast – cereal and cheese bagels

Lunch – hamburgers

Supper – Chicken ‘n Dumplins and biscuits with apple sauce

Day Four:         Breakfast – pancakes, and fried bananas

Lunch – Cheesy ramen noodles

Supper – Barbequed pork chops, dinner rolls, green beans

Day Five:          Breakfast – French toast and bacon

Lunch – Sandwiches and chips

Supper – Beef stew and cornbread

Day Six:           Breakfast – sausage, biscuits, and gravy

From here on out – it’s left-overs

My goal is to get three such menus written out – including the recipes – so that I will have my shopping lists already made out for me.  I’m getting there.  Another thing that I do, to save time, is cook once a month or so (ground beef, roast some chicken, put together casseroles – lasagna – and things like that) that way I have my dinners half way done before I even start AND I have a lot less clean up.

It’s not really a challenge to make money saving changes in you life, but it probably will require some changes.  What is one thing that you can start doing to day that will save you some money (be it $1, $10, or even $100)?