Menu Plan Monday (and some good couponing links below)

Wow, this is my first MPM in a LONG time! We've been in the house for almost 3 weeks now. Things are going really great! This is the first weekend that I've sat down and planned out a menu with my coupons and grocery store ads. So, to catch you up on my budgeting and menu planning I will be shopping at Winn Dixie and WalMart primarily. Occasionally Foodland has good sales on meat, so I'll be keeping up with their sale papers through my parents. If I happen to be heading in Target's direction I'll be looking for deals there too but I don't plan on making Target a regular stop for me. I really wish we had a Super Target because I hear they have great deals when combined with Target coupons... oh well. Here goes my menu and below I'll list some of the deals.

Chicken Ranch Pasta, Salad

Pork Chops, Squash Dressing, Fried Okra

Spaghetti Bake (freezer meal from 2 wks ago), Salad

Tacos, Corn/Rice

Bacon, Egg and Cheese on an English Muffin, Crock Pot Baked Apples

Loaded Baked Potatoes, Veggies (either leftover or from freezer)

And for those who may be new to my blog, I usually only plan 5-6 meals a week. If it's a meal I know we'll eat leftovers (like soup/chili) or if I know we have plans, I'll only plan 5 meals. If it's a regular week, like above, I'll plan 6 and leave room for dinner at my parents or sandwich night. We typically have sandwiches once a week. Most nights what I cook is enough for us that night and then lunch for Robby and I the next day.

I plan my menu based on what is on sale. I typically start with the meats. I usually buy what is BOGO at Winn Dixie and/or what is a good deal. Then I build the rest of my menu around the main dish. I often try to have one meal a week meat-free. For instance, this week I got chicken tenderloins BOGO that I will be using in the chicken dish and next week I will be using it in something else. The tenderloins are great for cutting up and using in casseroles/soups/pasta dishes. I also got BOGO pork chops, which will be used next week or soon after, and ground sirloin was on sale. The spaghetti bake is something I made last week. I made a 9x13 inch pan and we had half of that for supper and lunches then I froze the rest for later. I also bought English muffins BOGO and am freezing one package. I have never done this before but everything I've read says that they will be fine as long as I only store them for a short amount of time (no longer than a month or so) and especially if I plan on toasting them or cooking with them (which I plan on doing = mini pizzas!).

I am no expert on couponing (learning every day) but I did get a few good buys.

At Winn Dixie good thru 8/18:

Kraft shredded cheese: 2 for $4 - coupon for 1$ off 2 Kraft products in np (newspaper) insert (8/9)

Breakstone Sour Cream: 2 for $3 - coupon for 1$ off sour cream/cottage cheese in np insert (8/9)

Viva Paper Towels: 6pk $5.99 - printable Viva coupon for $1 off

These are things we use often. I never buy anything unless it's something we use! Things like sour cream typically have a long life in the fridge unopened. I just keep the 'extras' way in the back until we need them.

You can go to Winn Dixie's website and see their weekly ad for their other deals. I'm heading to WalMart tomorrow to pick up a few things that I know will be cheaper there. Winn Dixie can be more expensive on many things which is why it's important to mainly shop sales.

Well, it's late and I've still go to get a few more things done before tomorrow. Check out orgjunkie.com for more menu and recipe ideas! And for a great list of resources on saving money grocery shopping check out this.

**Stretching a Buck is posting Couponing 101 all week. Today's post is all about coupon inserts. Good info!