Welcome to my 2 week meal plan!
This week we are switching it up a bit! With the cost of groceries so high I am doing all that I can to stay on budget. This week I am doubling the recipe for 7 of the meals on this two week meal plan. I will just make 2 full meals for each of these nights and freeze one for later. The cost to do this added about $200 dollars to my normal budget. With costs increasing weekly it has been trickier to stay on budget. This is a great way to save some money and also time as you will now have 7 meals ready for the next time you meal plan! and it will also save you money next time since you won’t have to account for 7 meals! a win win!
2 Week Meal Plan
When it comes to raising a family, staying on budget, and putting dinner on the table each night it can be a real challenge! I have found that the easiest way for me to make sure that dinner happens consistently is through meal planning. I am not a chef who creates new recipes so the recipes that are featured in this two week plan are by other bloggers and chefs and are not my original recipes.
How This It Works
To keep things simple I have created a system of theme nights for this meal plan. Here is what it looks like:
- Sunday: Sandwiches
- Monday: Italian Night
- Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner or meatless
- Wednesday: Whatever Wednesday
- Thursday: Mexican
- Friday: Pizza night
- Saturday: Leftovers
Diet Details
There are no dietary restrictions or styles included in this meal plan. It will include a variety of types of recipes that vary. I have picked recipes that my family of kids ages 11-9months enjoy. Therefore, there will be a mixture of recipes we love that are tried and true, Seasonal, Holiday, quick and easy meals for busy nights, and recipes that kids will enjoy as well as adults.
Tips for Budgeting
I purchase all of our groceries online using Walmart delivery and Costco delivery. At this season of our life this is what works and is the most practical for our large family. However, I do understand that there are certain markups and fees associated with these options but for me the cost it worth the convince. That being said our family is working within a budget of $1200 for 8 people. I like that while I shop online it is easy to see the total before I check out. I can then make budget conscious decisions without the pressure of being in the store before I finalize my order. For this reason I like online grocery shopping.
I also try to buy bulk items on sale such as meats, cheese, pasta etc.
Additionally I like to shop for meals based on what I have on hand. These recipes can be altered or changed to fit what you may already have on hand. Beef can be substituted for chicken, pasta can be substituted for rice etc. Now, this meal plan is complete two week plan but is meant to be a starting point as you fine tune it of your family.
This Weeks Meal Plan
I am sharing this meal plan in a 2 week format with lunch and breakfast suggestions (these do not change) Via google docs. this is for a couple reasons. I like that a google docs can be carried with you anywhere you go. If you are in a meeting and need to quickly see what your dinner options are you can pull it up on your phone and quickly access the linked recipes. Next, It is also easy to save google docs to use in the future if you ever want to rotate these plans.
Lastly If you follow me on Instagram you will see me cooking these recipes along side you weekly in my stories! I truly do use these recipes for my family.
As I mentioned before this is a unique meal plan as it includes 7 meals that you can double and freeze for next time! giving you 7 bonus meals!
