Homemade Goods to Make

Here is my plan for homemade goods.  I may add more but for now here is what I know I need to make:

Granola bars

Bagels

Pancakes

Cinnamon rolls

Muffins

Instant oatmeal (homemade packets)

Bean dip

Hummus

Salsa

Jam

Boiled eggs

The bagels, pancakes, cinnamon rolls, muffins, hummus and jam are going in the freezer.

I'm not sure what we are doing for Christmas, but we normally make a huge meal and sugar cookies and decorate them but since we are in saving mode, we may do something simple.

Detailed Food & Non-Food Costs

I made my lists, went through my inventories and went grocery shopping.  I went to 4 stores but they are all within 5 minutes from where we live.  Here are my food and non-food detailed costs so far, I only plan on buying milk, bread and produce the rest of the month.....unless we have a craving we can't resist or we decide to do a fancy Christmas meal.

There is one thing I didn't get because they were out - tahini that I need to make hummus, so I will be adding that when it comes in stock.  We also got a tub of ice cream tonight (craving!) for $2.40 but I had already made this list before then.

Food Costs

*Note - I forgot to double the cost for the salmon pouches, so it should read $3.90

Total food costs - $159
Food money left - $91 (for milk, produce and bread and cravings)

Non-Food Items

Total non-food costs + tax - $101
Non-food money left - $19 (diapers if I run out)

December 10 - January 14 Dinner Meal Plan

I may be able to do these in freezer meals this week, we will see how it goes.  If not, I will be making double batches of each meal when I do cook it, to give me some freezer meals.  For this month of meals, I need 36 meals total, because it is a 5-week month pay-period.  I'm also allowing a few days unplanned for Christmas and my birthday in January.

Red Beans, Sausage & Rice x 4

Navy Bean Sausage Casserole x 4

Chili & Baked Potatoes x 4

Spaghetti & Cheese Bread x 2

Easy Tuna Casserole + Peas x 2

Pasta & Navy Bean Alfredo x 2

Hamburgers & Home Fries x 2

Israeli Couscous x 2

Southwest Mac n' Cheese x 2

Tacos x 2

Pizza x 4

$50 a Week Food Budget for a Family of 4

We are setting a budget of $50 a week for food for our family of 4, which is $200 for a 4-week month.  This pay period month happens to be a 5-week month, which means, I can get an extra $50 for that extra week for food.  I planned my meals out, planned my baking/goodies list and then made my lists and went shopping and will detail that in the next post.  Here are the goals.

Goals for December 10 - January 14
$250 Food budget
$120 Non-Food budget

I'm estimating that we will spend $40-$50 a month on just milk, since my baby is on whole milk now and drinks 18-24 ounces a day, sometimes more.  We also drink milk and use it in cooking, so it is a big part of our budget.  I only buy organic milk as well as we noticed better health since doing so several years ago.  We also buy bananas weekly, apples bi-monthly, and salad mix bi-monthly.  I also sometimes get a few more things likes kiwi, pears or carrots.  Totaling for all these is about $30 for produce.  I've been buying bread instead of making it because we found a bread that we really like that has no HFCS in it but it is costing us $20-$25 a month for bread.  Total for milk, produce and bread is about $80 a month.  So that leaves me with $120 in a 4-week month, but this 5-week month leaves me with $150.

Weekly & Bi-Monthly Food Purchases Cost - 5-week pay period month
Milk - $50
Produce - $30
Bread - $25
Total -- $100
Left for other foods - $150