Another week of budget grocery shopping on $60 a week! I started posting my menu with the total cost for the week’s worth of groceries the first week of December. This is this third week of January, and it was the first time we repeated a recipe. We had Chicken Broccoli Alfredo again! We didn’t repeat this recipe because we didn’t have any other options, but because we were having company that evening and it is an easy recipe to double.
Also, I don’t USUALLY include baby items (diapers, wipes, etc.) in my grocery budget. Since Aldi has the cheapest wipes I can find, they are a part of this week’s grocery haul!
Our menu for the week:
Breakfasts: Eggs, baked oatmeal, fruit, cereal, breakfast potatoes.
Lunches: Grilled lunch meat sandwiches, peanut butter sandwiches, quesadillas, homemade mac and cheese, or whatever leftovers are in the fridge. If we have extra time, I might cook some fried rice, but I don’t usually bother during the week. We also have fruit and possibly some chips and salsa. Not a lot of variety for lunches, but we have leftovers often enough that I don’t usually go crazy.
Dinners
Monday and Thursday: Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
(Note: We usually “double” our meals during the week. This means that I cook once and we eat it twice. Not only does this save time on our busiest evenings, it also makes grocery shopping cheaper if you are just buying double of one recipe instead of two recipes. If your family objects to having the same thing twice in a week, you might consider making mostly “freezer friendly” meals, and then you could freeze the meal and eat it again a week or two later.)
Tuesday: We had a church activity this evening
Wednesday: Homemade biscuits and gravy (with whole wheat flour!)
Friday: Our weekly family date night! We have a separate budget of $20 a week for our date nights. This week we ran a few errands, stopped at the library (of course), and ate at Freddy’s. (I don’t know if there are many of those around, but it’s basically like a Steak and Shake. I got a burger with no bun, and did NOT get custard)
Saturday: We attended a wedding and ate there
Sunday: Homemade Spaghetti Sauce (with no added sugar)
Snacks: Fruit, cheese sticks, chips and salsa, Goldfish crackers, peanut butter banana smoothies, veggies with ranch, pickles
What we spent this week:
Finally, here’s how we spent $60 this week. Remember that these are recipes that my family eats quite often, so we have some stuff stocked in the pantry already. It might cost you extra the first few weeks as you stock up, but eventually you will be able to stay close to budget.
Budget Grocery Shopping on $60 at Aldi:
For Breakfasts:
1 gallon of whole milk $2.43
Bananas $1.72
2 cartons of half and half $3.10
Shredded wheat $1.39
2 dozen eggs $1.58
For Lunches:
Sliced deli ham $2.99
Whole wheat bread $1.29
Deli sliced cheese $1.15
Mild cheddar $1.45
Tuna $.66
Tortilla chips $.89
For Dinners:
2 cartons of chicken broth $1.19
Unsalted butter $2.04
Olive oil $2.49
Spaghetti squash $2.77
2 cans of crushed tomatoes $1.30
Other:
2 packs 72 ct. baby wipes $1.88
Aldi total with tax: $31.14
Budget Grocery Shopping on $60 at Kroger:
For Breakfasts:
Blueberries $1.88
For Dinners:
Whole wheat pasta $1.00
Broccoli $4.03
Shredded parmesan cheese $1.88
Zucchini $2.00
Kroger white whole wheat flour $2.79
Onion $.47
Sausage $2.29
6 lbs of ground beef $9.98
Kroger total with tax: $26.98
Grand total: $58.12
Why Am I Posting About Budget Grocery Shopping?
When I recently decided I wanted to be more diligent following our weekly grocery budget, I started posting my grocery receipts on Instagram stories. This was really just for personal accountability. I didn’t actually think very many people would be interested in how I do budget grocery shopping on $60 a week! Each time I posted the receipts, I would get a bunch of questions. “What exactly are you eating?” “Is this really for a whole week?” Because of all these questions, I decided to start posting our menu and how much we spend on groceries to prove that it can be done.
We try our best to eat mostly whole foods, but we don’t have any dietary restrictions. Although I (usually) follow the Trim Healthy Mama plan, my husband and son are a little more lenient on the things they eat.
Except for special occasions, we eat 20 meals a week at home. That means my budget grocery shopping goal is $3 per meal for two adults and a toddler.
Like what you see here? Follow me on Facebook or Instagram! Planning to try some of these recipes and lower your grocery budget? Leave a comment and let me know how it goes! Be sure to pin this menu on Pinterest. Make sure you don’t miss any new recipes by getting my email newsletter every week!
