But the NEED to share and HELP others is overwhelming within me.
Therefor, I feel I must give you an example of a menu and what it's going to cost per meal to feed anywhere from 5-8 adults.
Yes--- these are large portion meals, and we always make enough for all 7 of us, with just enough spare for that pop in visitor. (which happens more often than you'd think!)
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Monday Night
Tamale Casserole
Beef Burger from Oregon Beef (Paid full price because it's so good. $3.49 per pound) 3lbs x 3.49= $10.47 for tonight's meat for meal.
Taco Seasons (three packages bought at Albertsons when on sale 10/10 with .25 off coupon) 2 x .75=$1.5
2 bags nacho doritos crumbled up for crust (BOGO at $3.49 w/ $1 off coupon from March) 2x $2.49= $4.98
Sour Cream- if we use the whole thing- on sale in mid April for $1.49 -.40 coupon= $1.09
Salsa- FREE at Safeway on pepsi deal last month. 2 jars
1 Can black olives- on sale at Walgreens for .50 each can in March.
1 brick cheese (stocked up in April at Safeway) $3.99
1 Onion = .50 at WalMart
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To Feed 8 adults with leftovers enough to make lunch for 4 tomorrow
total cost = $23.03
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Tuesday
BBQ Rotisserie Chicken (Safeway in March- BOGO at $2.49 each) $2.49 (Yep. Doin BOTH birds)
Onion Soup & Potato Bake ( Potatoes= $2 for 20# at Freddy's last month Onion Soup = $1 on 10/10 at Safeway in February (or march can't remember-- but I stocked up) ) $2
Marinade for chicken= Curing Sugar (less than a penny's worth used), fruit juice left over from canned fruit opened for fruit salad's etc during the past month. (We save it in a jar for marinades) No cost
Fresh Salad with lettuce, tomatoes and cukes (Safeway 10/10 deal on cukes and toms, lettuce at Albertsons' last week.) Total cost= $4.90
Salad dressing on sale at Freddy's this week. BOGO and .75 off= 1 jar at $.99
Croutons also on same BOGO $1.99 after coupon and BOGO
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Total Cost $12.37
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Wednesday
Chicken Pizza
Leftover chicken meat from Tuesday's dinner- no extra cost
Pizza Sauce- (alfredo sauce on sale in March 10/10) $1
Bell Pepper $0.50
Onion $0.50
Pepperoni (Free in March when we bought the boboli crusts)
Pizza Crusts ($4.99 on sale w/ $1.00 off coupon in March) $3.99/2 x2 = $7.98
Cheese- Mozzarella (Albertson's Cheese Dept Mgr Special $2.99/ pkg. x 2 pkg) $5.98
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Total Dinner cost for 4 very large pizzas FULL of meat and vegies--
$15.96 to feed 7 adults and have leftovers for tomorrow's lunches.
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Thursday
Meatball Subs
4 lbs burger $13.96 (again-- remember we buy really expensive meat)
Hoagie Sub rolls from WINCO $3.99 for 24 /
Barilla Pasta Sauce (Safeway 10/10 and $0.50 coupon off= .50 each) 2 Jars (Not included in cost-- if you use jar pasta sauce you can cut the final cost down to $17.95)
(OK-- here's where my honest bone must intrude. We MAKE our red sauce. We DO NOT use the Barilla for family meals. We bought five for the kids to use when we are gone. =0) REAL Pasta sauce cost-- 6 tomatoes (medium sized) $3.98 at WalMart (two of $1.99 packs)
Fresh herbs (used about half of them) from WINCO. $3.00
Other half of last night's onion (no cost for tonight's meal)
Celery (3 stalks-- but counting the entire bunch so other uses in other meals are free) $2.99
One large can Hunt's Tomato Paste (Stocked from March's 10/10 sale) 1.00
Leftover Mozzarella from last night's dinner for topping the sandwiches (free)
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Total Cost $28.92
(Now remember that this is one of the meals that we count the full cost of items so that other meals are cheap or free because we repurpose from packages. IE: Hoagie rolls will be free in the next three meals we use them in.)
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Friday
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Hormel Pork Tenderloins- on sale at Albertson's in April for $6 each x 2= $12.00
1 litre Root Beer ( to cook the pork in) .77 at Safeway last week.
Aloha BBQ Sauce (No coupon-- just worth the $) $3.99 for entire bottle. Will use half for this meal.
Hoagie Rolls- FREE (counted last night)
Left over salad fixing from Tuesday= Free tonight.
(Can serve with Fries too if we wish to add another $3.99 to the meal)
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Total cost $ 16.76 without Fries and just salad or $20.75 with fries AND Salad
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Saturday
Chinese Food (Egg Rolls and Egg Flower Soup)
Turkey Burger (Bogo at Safeway 2lbs for 4.99 on BOGO) 8lbs turkey burger at $9.98
Onion $.50
Ginger 1.00
Soy Sauce 1.00
House of Tsang Schezuan Sauce $3.99
Celery (Free)
Lumpia Wrappers (30/box x 2 boxes at 3.99/box) $7.98
Eggs- $1.29 at Walgreen's- .50 coupon in April= $0.79)
Celery (free from meal earlier in week)
Onion (Free half from last night's other half)
Chicken Bullion in bulk at WINCO $0.49
1 can waterchestnuts (.99 at WalMart- .25 coupon) $0.74
1 bag frozen peas (10/10 at Albies in March) 1.00
Any leftover chicken from the week can go into the soup. (Not needed if none left)
1 cup rice (10/10 uncle Ben's at Albies in April) 1.00
Various Seasonings $2 (buy in BULK. It's SO much cheaper on your seasonings costs)
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Total for 60 egg rolls and 2 gallons of soup $30.47 (This will provide at least one lunch and another dinner later in the month as well. Just freeze the leftovers)
Dipping sauce is extra. We use one that costs $5.99 per jar, but lasts four meals.
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Sunday
Pulled Pork Nacho's
4.99 per box of Velveeta x2 = $9.97
1 Jar Hot Salsa (Free with pepsi deal in March and April at Safeway)
Pulled pork (left overs from pulled pork sandwiches) FREE
Lemons/Limes (Safeway 10/10 sale)(We usually use three or four) $3.00
Jalepeno rings (Safeway/Walmart $2.99) (Have a mezzetta coupon for .50 off) $2.49
Santita's Chips are always $2 a bag. Two bags - $4
Fresh Tomatos (WalMart $1.99 pack) $1.99
Onion $0.50
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Total Cost $ 21.95
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So the week's totals are $149.96 to feed a family of 7 all week long.
THIS has to be the cheapest we've ever fed our family, and yet-- we are eating VERY well as you can see.
We also eat boxed PIzza's from time to time on a "fend for yourself" night--- but for now-- this is a screaming deal for our family. It's how we've cut our grocery bill down from $2,000 per month down to $600/mo.
Let me know if you have questions-- or need a coupon I might have!! =)
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