Eating From The Pantry Update

Well...I am 5 days in to the challenge, and feel like I have taken several steps backwards already!! I have been to the store three times this week, and should have planned the beginning out better. I have spent $17.02 of my $25 for the week already. IF I had been thinking ahead I would have remembered that my hubbies birthday was on Monday, and I did not have a card yet (nor the extra time to make one) and I did not have a cheesecake (his favorite!) as his birthday cake. So those two, unplanned trips, were costly ones. Not to mention, I sent my 17 year old with a $2.00 off coupon to get the cheesecake, without accurately telling him how to scan it at the U-scan....thus he just put it into the coupon slot, without scanning it. So, I paid full price for the cheesecake, and LOST that $2. AND if that were not enough for the week....I wasted an entire bag of potatoes by boiling them too long, and they were a gooey mess, AND wasted another bag to spoilage in the garage. (not sure why....but the entire bag went bad, and I only had it about a week!)

On a positive note, however, I still have a $2.00 off grocery coupon, and a $20 off groceries that I can use this week. (or next) And I also have $37 on a gift card from returning a few things to Walmart without the receipt. (so if I needed to I could also use that for groceries in the coming weeks ahead.) And I have a coupon for a $10 grocery purchase when I fill my next script at Meijers (and I have one to fill.) So...I guess I am not doing too bad in that avenue...just am failing at how many times I have already been to the store this week. I do know that I do not HAVE to go to the store again this week. I plan to go...only because I can get some 8 boxes of cereal for about $2.00, and there is a good deal on Kraft cheese. I am going to wait until Saturday though...and until then I am going to do all I can to not set foot in the store. I should be able to do it. Wish me luck!!

So, my menu for the week....

Monday: Breakfast was cereal for hubbie and kids, and eggs with left over green peppers for me. Lunch was left overs from New Year's dinner out. (on a gift card)Dinner was special as it was my hubbies bday...so I fixed a turkey, with stuffing, potatoes (ended up making instant ones) and some gravy. ALL of which I had on hand, except the cheesecake for dessert.

Tuesday: Breakfast for hubbie and kids was cereal again. I skipped breakfast because we had a doctors appointment at 10:30 for shots for the younger kids. We ended up having McDonalds for lunch as a special treat. (I eat out once a week usually...so this was my day for the week.) Dinner will be leftover Turkey dinner.

Wednesday: Breakfast will likely be cereal (yeah, I know....not much variety there for my family.) Lunch...my two youngest will be at Daycare for the day. (my one day that I take to myself) I will have whatever leftovers are in the fridge. Dinner will be spaghetti, salad and garlic bread.

Thursday: Cereal, leftover spaghetti for lunch, and dinner will be fried tilapia, carrotts, and rice pilaf.

Friday: Cereal, leftovers or a soup frozen ahead, and dinner will be tacos.

Saturday: Breakfast will be either pancakes, or waffles. Lunch will be grilled cheese sandwiches, with veggies, and likely soup. Dinner will be chicken lasagna, with salad and garlic bread.

Sunday: Omelets for breakfast for the adults, and either cereal or pancakes again for the kids. Lunch: Likely will be the leftover chicken lasagna, and dinner will be a baked ham, with augatin potatoes, and a veggie like green beans.