Menu Plan and Stocking Up

Menu Plan 
Our plans changed for Thanksgiving so it looks we will be home and I will be cooking Thanksgiving Dinner for our family of 5.  Here is our Menu Plan for the rest of the week.

Monday: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Tuesday: Ham n Beans
Wednesday: Spaghetti / Garlic Bread
Thursday: Turkey Day
Friday: ??
Saturday ??
Sunday: Leftovers

Since we were supposed to be gone this weekend we thought we would go ahead but  do something fun for the kids. We are throwing around a couple ideas of places to go for Friday/Saturday/Sunday so our weekend plans are up in the air.


Stocking UP
Our local Grocery store has had decent sales going on the past couple of weeks. One week was all the baking supplies. I stocked up on Flour, Sugar, Chocolate Chips, butter. etc. This week and last week it was all the items for Thanksgiving dinner. I stocked up on several more items canned vegetables, pickles, olives.
My husband thought I was a little crazy but I know everything will get used up before it goes bad.  Some of the deals were just to good to pass up. I know the point of the sale is to get customers in the store so they will be buy something else but for the most part I stuck to the sale items. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas I know everything will get used.
I had set aside some of our budget money for this stock up. I knew it was coming as the store does it every year.

Crazy Week

I did not end up posting my Saturday update last week because I was working. We had a software upgrade go in over the weekend and I spent Friday night installing and Saturday troubleshooting.
Last Week. I ended up breaking even with my weekly spending money. 
$250.
$130 Gas
$20 Bowling
$100 for Household.
I don't have the exact breakdown for the Household but the money was divided up between Groceries, Supplies for Son's Log Cabin project at school and eye/hair stuff for Daughter's cheerleading team. She is the captain and thought she had to bring enough for everyone in case they forgot. We chased all over town getting the right eye glitter glue/gel crap. :)  We also had to pay to get into the game. 
Of course once we get to the game the boys are starving and want food. The school  moved the games up an hour to 5:00 this year so not as much time to eat before the game.  I agreed to buy popcorn and a drink.

This week:
I didn't do a menu plan this week as the weekend got away from me. I have really missed it this week since my daughter has had 3 cheerleading games this week.
This is what we have done so far.

Monday: Sub Sandwiches at Game. - We had an errand to run afterward so i bought sandwiches there.
Tuesday: Breakfast for Dinner. Eggs/Cheese, Biscuits. - Another game night and this is quick and simple.
Wednesday: Pulled Pork Sandwiches - Finally remembered to put the Pork in the Crockpot
Thursday: Left over Pulled Pork
Friday: Pizza.
Saturday: Boy Scout Chilli Supper
Sunday: ??

Next week I only have to come up with 2 days as we are traveling for Thanksgiving. We are leaving Wednesday afternoon and will be back Sunday.

Menu Plan

Here is this week's Menu.  Over the weekend I cooked the Chicken and Ham so all I have to do is heat it up for Dinner. This week is a busy week and I needed everything to be quick.


Monday: Chicken, Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes
Tuesday: Ham , Pineapple, Vegetable(Not sure yet)
Wednesday: Spaghetti
Thursday: Leftover
Friday: Buffalo Chicken Soup  - This is a new recipe for us.
Saturday: On your own
Sunday: Ham and Bean Soup, Cornbread

Linking up with I'm a Organizing Junkie Menu Plan Monday

Saturday Financials

This week I gave us $250 for our weekly expenses. This includes Gas, Household Items and Groceries. I ended up with $5 left for the week!
Here is how it broke down.

Eating Out: $23.21 - part of this was me for lunch.  A group went out to eat on Friday.
Groceries/Household: $82.23. - I really need to separate these out  so I have a better idea of what I am spending on Groceries
Entertainment: Bowling $20. Hubby's weekly bowling night.
Gas Truck: $40 - Hubby
Gas Van: $61.72  - Me.
Misc: $17.84. - I am missing a receipt somewhere so I am not sure where this money went.

I pay cash for everything except for Gas. I get gas at a Sam's club by where I work and they only accept credit/debit cards, no cash. The gas station is always a couple cents cheaper than other gas stations in the area.
 I am rolling the left $5 into this week's budget.

This week's Budget.
$255.

Gas - I know I will be spending more in gas this week as I have to take my son to the Dr. and his specialist is about 40 minutes in the opposite direction of where I go for work.

Groceries: I am not sure yet.   I am cooking a chicken in the crockpot today to shred put in the freezer. I am also thinking about cooking a ham tomorrow and storing leftovers in the freezer. We have a busy week ahead of us so this will give us a head start on a couple meals.

Dining Out: I am going to try and not eat out this week as this takes up a lot of our budget money. I never realized how much until I started tracking.  I will have to stop for a shake for my son after his Dr appt as this is a tradition we have been doing for 7 years. He doesn't care for the Dr but always enjoys the shake afterwards. :)

Saturday Goals:

1. Laundry - Never ending.
2. Chicken cooking for Next week
3. Go through Boys closet and remove clothes that are too small. 
4. Find my kitchen table. It is buried under all the stuff from the week that got dumped there. :)

That should do it for me. Hope everyone has a good weekend!

November Goals

Several blogs I follow put out monthly goals. I have not done this before but as I am trying to get more organized at Home and with my money I figured I would give it a try. :)
November will be a very busy month for us and I am hoping that if I am better organized it will go smooth. I can dream right ?
Here are some of our activities for the Month, my goals are based on how busy we will be. 
Daughter's Cheerleading Games start.
Son #1 Basketball games start
Traveling for Thanksgiving - going to see inlaws in Arkansas.
Kids Christmas Musical practice at Church.

November Goals:

1. Plan our little Family Thanksgiving Dinner (Traveling to Mother In Laws for the Big T-Day but we will be having our own little dinner just our family. I love to cook and due to drama in Hubby's family I never get to host the family(6 siblings) dinner. This year we are skipping it all together and going to his Mom's in Arkansas.)  I could do a whole post on hubby's family. :)
2. Fix Freezer Meals for Busy weeks. - I have not done this before but will be trying some this weekend. 
3. Stick to Weekly Budget - Our Monthly Budget is pretty set but our weekly budget changes. I have a new budget of $250 for us for every week. 
4. Stay caught up on Laundry 
5. Start Christmas Shopping - I know most people are finishing up but I have not started.
6. Make a Family Communications Center at Home - I need to create something to post Schedules, Menus, Reminders. I have an Idea of what I want but I am not very crafty. I may make Melissa come help me.  She is a lot better at this than me. lol 
7. Stick to my Weekly Menu Plan - I have been doing this for 3 full months now and I can't  imagine not doing it anymore. It helps out so much.
8. Plan a Date Night with the Hubby  - It has been a while since we have had a night out.