Five Meals for Under $3

Monday -- Baked Potatoes

Pototoes -- 75 cents (4 meals @ $2.99/bag)

Country ham -- 50 cents (8 meals @ $4/bag -- we use end cuts, which is bought in a 5/$19.99 deal)
Cheese -- 12 cents (1/4 bag bought with coupons for 50 cents a bag)
Margarine -- 8 cents (1/2 stick @ 4 sticks for 58 cents)

Sour Cream -- 25 cents (4 meals @ 99 cents/tub)

Meal Total -- $1.70

Tuesday -- Soft Tacos/Loaded Nachos (Depending on what the person wants)

Tortillas -- 50 cents (2 meals @ 99 cents/bag)

Ground Beef -- $1 (4 meals @ $4 a pack, bought in same 5/$19.99 deal as ham)

Cheese -- 25 cents (1/2 bag @ 50 cents/bag, bought with coupons)

Sour Cream -- 25 cents (4 meals @ 99 cents/tub)

Tomatoes -- 50 cents (4 pack/$1)

Salsa -- 25 cents (4 meals @ 99 cents/jar)

Meal Total -- $2.75

Wednesday -- Loaded Potato Chowder

Potatoes (already cooked on Monday) -- 75 cents (4 meals @ $2.99/bag)

Cheese -- 25 cents (2 meals @ 50 cents a bag, bought with coupons)

Sour Cream -- 25 cents (4 meals @ 99 cents/tub)

Margarine -- 15 cents (whole stick at 58 cents/box of four)

Milk -- 25 cents (1 cup @ $1.99 half gallon)

Meal Total -- $1.60

Thursday -- Country Fried Steak

Minute Steaks -- Free (gift from friend)

Flour & Spices -- Maybe 10 cents (this is completely a guess -- but it can't be more than that)

Sweet Peas -- 33 cents (1 can from Aldi's)

Potatoes -- 10 cents (instant package, bought with coupon)

Meal Total -- 53 cents (this would be much higher if not for the free steaks, but you can still stay under $3 even with buying them.)

Friday -- BBQ Wraps

2 cups shredded chicken -- 50 cents ($3.90/10 lb bag, cooked and shredded)

BBQ Sauce -- 10 cents (only tax, bought with coupon)

Tortillas -- 50 cents (2 meals @ 99 cents/bag)

Baked Beans -- 25 cents (1 big can, bought with coupon)

Meal Total -- $1.35

Potatoes are a cheap way for us to get a couple of dinner & lunch meals for a couple of dollars each. A 5 lb. bag of potatoes will give us two meals, with left overs for lunches. The first night we always have baked potatoes, which Lala always starts baking when she gets home so they are finished when I get off work. I figure that four meals for $3 is a good deal.

For more menu planning ideas, go on over to Organizing Junkie.

For other frugal ideas, go on over to Biblical Womanhood.

This Week's Grub

This is an easy week for us, since on Wednesday we are going to my sister's house to spend a couple of days. After that, we will be shuttling back and forth to other family, so I am really only cooking at home 2 days this week.

Monday -- Steak Sandwiches on Yeast Rolls

Tuesday -- Cheater's Beef Stroganoff

Wednesday -- Take Out

Cheater's Beef Stroganoff
12 left over beef (could be from steak, or a roast) cut up in small pieces
1 package egg noodles
1/2 cup sour cream
2 packs dry onion soup mix
1 cup water
1 package fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 tbs olive oil
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Boil egg noodles while putting mix together. For the mix, in a separate pan, put the olive oil into a pan, then saute the mushrooms. Then add the water, beef and onion mix. Once it is warm through, whisk in the sour cream. Once egg noodles are done, drain and add to beef mixture.
This is so good, you will never know that it was done in about 15 minutes!

For more menu planning ideas, scoot on over to Organizing Junkie.

This Week's Grub

Monday -- Baked Potato Night (Lala puts them in before I get home, so we just break out the toppings and it is faster than fast food, yay!)

Tuesday -- Grilled Chicken Salads (Another easy meal, just chop up a few veggies while I am cooking the chicken tenders on the griddle.)

Wednesday -- Taco Stack-Ups (This meal uses up the rest of the salad fixings, just like tacos with chips instead of taco shells. Since I have the hamburger meat precooked, all I have to do it warm it up and add in the taco seasonings.)

Thursday -- Loaded Potato Soup (Uses the left over potatoes from Monday. Since they will already be cooked, I am essentially just warming them through with some milk and other ingredients for a good, warm meal.)

Friday -- Cheesy Chicken Casserole (Since I have more time on Friday nights, this one got moved to here. Still an easy meal, I will have a little longer to get the rice cooked, etc.)

Saturday -- Creamy Chicken and Noodles (I will be Christmas shopping all day, and I KNEW I wanted something warm, easy and comforting when I get home.)

Although this is not my first shot at menu planning, I am not usually a big poster of it. I laid it all out yesterday, went shopping for what I had to have that was not in my pantry/freezer. For 3 meals each plus snacks for 7 days, I spent $32 this week.

For more menu ideas visit Menu Planning Monday at Organizing Junkie.