Let's use a meal plan I had a couple of weeks ago, as our example.This is how my meal plan, grocery list, and "extras" are done.
Sunday - Homemade Pizza - supper & lunches next day - 2 pizzas - Dough: yeast, oil, honey, flour, & salt. Toppings: hamburger(1 lbs), sausage (1 lbs), pepperoni (1lbs), pizza sauce(quart), shredded cheese(about 2 lbs), garlic powder, season salt, pepper, oregano, butter(crust).
Monday - Beef & noodle hamburger helper, peas - supper & lunches next day - 1 lbs wide egg noodles, 1 lbs hamburger, 2 large packages dry brown gravy mix(equivalent of 7 cups finished gravy), 1 small can cream of mushroom soup, 2 cans or 1-1lbs frozen peas, garlic powder, season salt, thyme, celery salt, worchestershire sauce, salt & pepper.
Tuesday - Pork Loin, potatoes - Supper & guys lunches - thawed 2lbs pork loin, 2 lbs or 4 good size potatoes, italian dressing(marinade), season salt, pepper, garlic powder, celery salt, onions.
Wednesday - Chicken & Broccoli Casserole - supper only - 2 lbs precooked, boneless chicken(this was marinated in fajita seasoning), 2 lbs. broccoli florets, 1 large can cream of chicken soup, ground rosemary, thyme, minced green onions.
Thursday - Philly's - supper & guys lunches - Philly meat(already precooked)about 2 lbs., 2 small onions,green & red peppers, sliced Provalone or white American cheese, Hoagie rolls, chips, Strawberries Seasoning, thyme, minced garlic.
Friday - Chicken Patties & Fries - supper only - 6 breaded chicken patties, bread, 2 lbs of fries, ketchup, mustard, mayo, pickles, onions.
Saturday - Leftover/clean out the fridge night. Whatever is left from the week is either eaten, froze or thrown away.
My grocery list is prepared off that menu. I keep about a 6 month supply of my regular seasonings on hand at all times. I also keep monthly inventory of my pantry, freezers and fridges. So, just on a basic example:
2 lbs. Hamburger 1 lbs. Sausage 1 lbs. Pepperoni 2 lbs. Pork Loin
2 lbs. Chicken 5 lbs. Potatoes 6 small onions 3 bell peppers
Strawberries seasoning Garlic Powder Season Salt Pepper
Salt Oregano Butter Italian Dressing
Precooked, breaded chicken patties Thyme Celery Salt
Worchestershire Sauce Pizza Sauce Yeast Oil
Flour Honey Cream of Mushroom Soup - Small
Cream of Chicken Soup - large 1 lbs. wide egg noodles 1 lbs. peas
2 - large brown gravy mixes 2lbs. french fries 2 lbs. broccoli
Provalone Sliced Cheese Hoagie Rolls Potato Chips Loaf of Bread
Ketchup Mustard Pickles Mayo
Obviously, your seasonings, flour, honey, chips, and condiments will last more than a weeks worth of meals...usually. So, those I consider investments...long term use. Since prices are all over the place, I couldn't really put a price on what these meals would cost. Some things are changing by the day. This does not include coffee, soda, tea, bottled water, juices, or milk. That would really be a variable for each individual person.
I would recommend, if you can find a place that you can buy in bulk(if you have the storage area), that does sometimes save a little...but not always. Here's an example of that: At a local store, 1 lbs. packages of 93% lean hamburger are $2.49. A 3 lbs roll is $10.74. So, 1 lbs = $2.49, or the roll = $3.58 lbs. It's cheaper to buy the single pound packages than a 3 lbs. roll. At the dollar store, you can buy 12 oz. seasonings for $1.25, but 2 lbs. at other stores are nearly $5. It requires you to break out the calculator or figure out the cost per pound/ounce. Sadly, this is the name of the game in this economy.
By planning your meals, it can save you in a lot of respects. From the finance side, to the frustration every night, to the kids constant question daily - "what's for supper?" Typically, my meal plan is wrote out, and hung on the fridge or written on the calendar...even if I switch around some nights...the meals are generally followed each week.
I hope this helps break down what I was saying in my video earlier.
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