Showing posts with label Meal plan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Meal plan. Show all posts

Meal Plan + Shopping List FREE Printables


I'm going to be totally transparent with you guys about my grocery budget. It's not very big. For a family of 3 (one being gluten-free), we budget $100/week. That includes three meals a day, drinks, desserts, snacks, dinner parties, fiestas...everything. Back when Judah was drinking formula 73x a day, that was included in the weekly budget with no change whatsoever. It's not that we can't afford to spend more. That's just what it's always been for almost 7 years now. Now, talk to me in 15 years when we have teen boys at home, and I'm sure we'll be singing a different song.

All that being said, I can't encourage meal planning enough. The few times I've gone over on our budget was when I showed up at the store with no real plan and no list. I feel so strongly about it that I wrote a post last year called "20 Tips for Better and More Affordable Meal Planning." I also use {free} money-saving apps like Ibotta to make money on things I'm already going to buy {think milk, cheese, produce, etc.}.

To make meal planning even easier for you, I've designed two completely free printables. One is a weekly meal plan, and the other is a shopping list. You can click on either image below to print and use at your convenience. I do it cause I love you!





I totally get that meal planning isn't the most exciting part of your week, but unless you are seriously raking in tons of money doing whatever you're doing, you can't afford not to meal plan. I've talked with countless readers who have sung the praises of this simple planning technique. I've got nothing to gain here by telling you to plan your meals, but you've got everything to gain. Honestly. I wouldn't lie to you guys. 

Hop to it!

Love and meal planning,


Ibotta: How I Save Big Money On Groceries!


*I'd like to start by mentioning that this is not a sponsored post. I just love this app that much and I felt I needed to share it with my readers!

Anyone who knows me know that I'm obsessed with saving money, especially on food. I find it hard to spend big money on something that disappears so quickly. I could easily tip over the edge and become an extreme couponer. The only problem with that route is that we need to live on more than Gatorade, toothpaste and Fancy Feast.

I've tried some of the more popular cash-back apps with little success. I've been using one particular app for almost two years and haven't even accumulated $20. Two years. And I'm at $13, and not for a lack of trying. The promoted brands are just ones that I would never in a million years buy. A 5-gallon jug of hot sauce? That will never happen. #byefelicia

It should also be noted that in about two months of using Ibotta, I've made over $50. Not life-changing money, but money nonetheless. I don't personally know anyone who would turn their heads at $50. A friend from college made over $600 in 6 weeks on Ibotta. I honestly have no idea how that happened, but she did it! There are bonuses you can earn that get you even more cash as you increase your usage.

So here's how it works:

1. Select your rebates. Ibotta has new offers weekly for you to choose from. Some are brand-specific, and some aren't. For example, one offer last week was $1 back on any brand of butter. There was also a $2 offer if you bought a specific brand of frozen pizza. It's broken down by store or shopping category (grocery, technology, and even clothing!).

2. Capture your receipt. Use their free app to scan the QR code on your receipt.

3. Enjoy the rewards! It can take up to a day, but your account will be credited the amount you earned. 

4. Redeem your rewards. You can cash out for money or gift cards!


Again, Ibotta is a totally free cash-back rewards program. If I really want to earn a lot, I'll work my meal plan around their rebates to get as much back as I can. You can't lose! If you use my referral link, you'll get a $10 credit to your account when you verify your first rebate (aka FREE MONEY, PEOPLE).

To sign up, click here to use my referral link, and enjoy the savings!

Love and Ibotta,











Meal Plan #1




We've talked about meal planning before. It's a big job. Really, it is. Especially if you're tightening your purse strings.

I tend to save a lot of money when I stick to a detailed and rigid meal plan. Granted, I don't always do it, but I find time most weeks. Money is especially tight this month at our house because of endless medical bills. Seriously, doesn't Derek Shepherd have enough of my money? I kid. I love modern medicine. Without it, I would have this bundle of joy.



Wasn't that a perfect segway into a shameless proud mom moment?

There was also a question generated on my church's Facebook page about meal planning, and how to save money on groceries. Well, I'm ready to put my money where my mouth is {pun intended}.

 I'm giving you my dinner plans for the entire week {plus one large dessert}, with your grocery list and recipes below. All meals and ingredients are for a family of four. Please note that this is dinner only.

You can either choose the individual list, which shows all the ingredients broken up by recipe. Or, if you really trust me and want to do the entire week's worth of meals, you can choose the consolidated list, where I added up all the ingredients so you don't have to see how many times the word "cheese" shows up on the individual list.


Here are the meals, linked to the recipes:



And click on which ingredient list you want:

I hope these are helpful to you! I'm going to try and post these more often, as I find they are one of the most important aspects of meal prep.

Love and lists,


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