It’s funny that Ginger should share how in her opinion, “She blew it”, and also in the same statement how “life happened”. Well, I have to keep in mind to “not sweat the small stuff”, as one author wrote!! Ginger and I have put together the Seven Secrets to Savvy Shopping to empower others to spend less money on grocery and other household items. Quite frankly, somedays it’s easier to ‘preach than to practice’!! Do I get an Amen??
Part of menu planning is to first look at your coupons, sales ads, and your family calendar. This is definitely where flexibility comes into my plan…. As I sat down late Sunday night and Monday morning, completing the tasks of menu planning and making my grocery list, I had everything planned out – I had even consulted our local meterologist and had planned to grill!! 
Tuesday was grilling night, and it turned out drizzily, grey, and COLD! I was not about to ask my husband to step foot on the patio, so plan B. Next, Wednesday evening was actually free on our calendar, a very rare occurrence, so I had a more time consuming meal planned that we had been wanting for a couple of weeks. So, I get an email from Kevin Tuesday afternoon telling me of plans that he was making, and he needed dinner squeezed in between the end of my daughters dance class (5:45) and the time he was to leave…you guessed it, 6:00!! So, plan C…
Do you ever have weeks (or years) like this?? So, here is our menu, as it stands now; subject to change yet again.
Breakfast: sausage and biscuit piggies with orange slices
cinnamon rolls with fruit smoothies
sausage, egg, and cheese bagel sandwiches
pancakes and fruit (twice)
cereal
baked oatmeal and yogurt
Lunch: Macaroni and cheese with hotdog circles, carrot sticks, and pear slices
Lunchables for 3 (found on clearance and they think this is a treat!?!?! ), Arby’s for my husband (between meetings), and soup and sandwiches for me and my son
leftover soup, chips, quesadillas, and orange slices for kids, my husband had a tunafish sandwich (or 2) for a brownbag with fruit, salad, and cottage cheese
Pizza Hut (using our Book-Its, and our 3-yr-old is still free!! ), Kevin had a lunch appointment at a school, & I had a salad at home
Pork Stir-Fry over Rice with Mixed Veggies
Saturday – we are at a basketball tourney, so tortilla wraps in the van while traveling, and Arby’s coming home
Sunday – potluck at the church. I think I’m bringing a fruit salad and a potatoe dish
Dinner: Sandwiches, veggies with dip, and sliced fruit (in a cooler at basketball game)
Chicken Enchillada soup*, chips, salad (first change)
Pork chops, sauted mushrooms, oven fries, salad, and brownie sundaes (cooked in the afternoon, and eaten in shifts)
Homemade chicken* pot pies, cottage cheese and peaches
Homemade pizza, salad, carrot sticks, and fruit
Arby’s (traveling home… we have great coupons for different sandwiches for $1.00 each
Sunday – leftovers, or pasta bake. We have small group that night, so it has to be fast, and not create too many dishes!
***The chicken used in these dishes was a whole chicken that I cooked and deboned Friday afternoon. I made chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes, salad, and homemade rolls for 21 people. Our family finished the leftovers from that Sunday night. As you can see, this chicken made 3 different meals, with leftovers each time, and made close to 4 dozen servings of food. Yes, some meat portions were small, but when combined with other ingredients, no one noticed (or at least complained:) ). Once I get my receipts together, I will share with you how I did. I had to go to WalMart for the first time in a few months and by things like vitamins, halogen lightbulbs, and an a/c filter, so that hurt.