may's monthly menu guide and aldi shopping list

i honestly can't believe we are already at the end of another month and around these parts, that means it is time for my aldi grocery shopping trip and new monthly menu guide!  (please hold your applause)


last night, my friend, kelly, and I did some eating out, chatting, joann fabric-ing, and grocery shopping.  it was a bunch of my favorite things combined!

a cheaper grocery bill doesn't mean cheaper-tasting meals. may's monthly menu guide has some new recipes (mostly from the RR show) and some old tried and true favorites.
(by the way, who tried that pepper steak recipe from last month and loved it as much as i did?!!)

here's everything for you to download and adapt for your own family:
click on file-download as--word--save as
may's monthly menu guide  (blank monthly menu guide)
may's recipe samples
may's updated meal categories

my aldi shopping list was as follows:
fresh mushrooms (2)
navel oranges (bagged)
brocolli florets (2)
frozen peas (3)
frozen blueberries
3 boxes cereal
shredded sharp cheddar cheese
sweet potatoes (bagged)
grape tomatoes
white onions
fresh green beans in steam bag (3)
limes (bagged)
italian bag salad
spinach salad
red onions
chips (2)
milk (2 gallons)
pasta sauce
tomato paste
chicken broth
mandarin oranges (canned-3)
gaucamole
quart twinlock baggies
chuck tuna in water (2)
shredded Parmesan cheese (2)
fresh mozzarella
sharp cheddar cheese block
powdered sugar
sour cream
cream cheese
provolone cheese slices (man, we eat a lot of cheese!)
beef broth (2)
ham steak
cake mix
mini marshmallows (2)
graham crackers
chocolate chips
jalepenos
fruit strip snacks (2)
cashews
raisins 6 pack
butter (2)
grand total:  $114.42 (this was down from last month's by $10.00)



 by the way.....we made our grocery budget by a landslide for april!
week 1: $125.13  (aldi)
week 2:  $42.33  (harris teeter with coupons)
week 3:  $53.24  (harris teeter with coupons)
week 4:  $40.10  (harris teeter with coupons--used stuff leftover in pantry) 
total for april:  $260.80

this is almost $100.00 less than our budgeted amount of $350/month!
that extra money is going to pay down debt (a major milestone).


tips to decreasing my grocery budget?
1.  only go to the store once a week (and don't send the husbo for a "few" things here and there)
2.  plan ahead --menu planning definitely works!
(need a refresher on how i menu plan? go here.)
3.  coupon and shop discount stores like aldi


what do you do to keep your grocery budget in check?  leave me a comment with your tips and i'll give them a try this month!

april's monthly menu guide and aldi shopping list

so, like i said in this post, i have a monthly grocery shopping trip planned for tomorrow night.  i plan on getting everything needed for dinners in the month of april along with a few household goods and snacks.


if you are interested,
here's my monthly menu guide for april.

and here's a few sample recipes for the more specific menu items.  if you missed the initial menu planning post, here's where you can find the updated   meals categories list.

(by the way, i'm new at this and if the links don't let you open and change them for your own purposes, email me and i can send them to you so you can use them effectively!) 

here's my aldi shopping list:

onions (yellow and red)
sour cream
parmesan cheese
pizza sauce
pepperoni
mozzarella shredded cheese (2)
cheddar cheese (3)
bacon (2)
powdered sugar (i'm just running low)
taco shells
salsa (2)
tortilla chips
tortillas
broccoli (2)
tomatoes
avocado (2)
grapes
milk (1 2% and 1 whole)
nuts (honey roasted peanuts)--they have great prices on nuts
frozen spinach
acorn squash (they may or may not have this)
wild rice
chicken stock (2)
salad--bagged (2)
applesauce
bell peppers (2) green and red
mushrooms
lettuce
lime (2)
mandarin oranges (a couple jars)
frozen peas
carrots
sweet potatoes (2-3)
apples (bag)
sponges-kitchen
toliet paper
paper towels
trash bags
snacks like (animal crackers, goldfish)
cereal
candy for Easter baskets!
wine (1)
apple juice (3)

anybody want to guess how much the total cost of all this will be?
leave a comment with your guess!

not everything is better at a discount store, like aldi.  these are a few things that i believe are either better quality, are cheaper at a regular grocery store, or just aren't sold there:

*cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
*sweet chili sauce
*english muffins
*flavored cream cheese
*basil
*hamburger buns (or any bread)
*fresh fish fillets
*frozen rolls
*garlic toast
*velveeta cheese
*flour (specifically if using it for baking--stick to the name brand)

hope this is helpful even if by nothing else, just giving ideas for healthy dinner meals for you and your family.   and if it's all just too overwhelming for you to think about......

"Do what you can...with what you have...where you are."

--Roosevelt

milestone monday No. 4--grocery update & blogging

hey all,
i've been quiet for a few days, because the hubs was working on the computer for his master's class this weekend.
but, have no worries,..............

i'm baaaccckkk  (and with a new blog design, nonetheless!  what do you think?)   and so is "milestone monday."

these have nothing to do with this post, but just wanted to document his progress!

if you are new to milestones and memories, mondays are when i pick one (or two) of my milestones/goals for the future and share things i'm doing to help them become reality.  it also helps keep me accountable---which i need desperately.
************************************************************

today i'm going to touch on two milestones:

1.  milestone: being debt free--groceries
you all know that i coupon, shop discount stores, and menu plan.  since this is the last week of march (can you believe that?!), i'm just going to give you the totals and see how we did on our budget of $350.00/month.  (this includes all food, pantry products, and household products like sponges, cleaning supplies, paper towels, etc.  it does not include toiletry items or baby products like diapers.)

week 1:  Aldi $195.33 
week 2:  Harris Teeter $38.45
week 3:  Harris Teeter Super Double coupons $38.19 (would've been $76.41)
week 4:  Harris Teeter Super Double coupons $ 28.14 (would've been $58.02) 

grand total for March:  $300.11


now before you get all sulky and depressed about your own grocery budget, i have to give some disclaimers.

first, Robro had surgery this month, so jon and i were at the hospital most of week 2.
second, my incredible friends (becky, christine, sarah, megan, and jenn generously provided meals for our family during weeks 3/4 post operation--what a blessing they are to me!).
third, harris teeter had super double coupons (any coupon up to $1.99 is doubled) and i used it for two weeks (it runs from wed-the next tues.).

all that to say, i'm not a hard core couponer, like some of you out there, and there will be worst weeks than this, but there may even be better ones.  either way, i hope this is an encouragement to you that it is possible to stick to a grocery budget (whatever amount works for you) and still provide healthy meals for your family.

homemade pesto chicken pizza

i'm excited, because now we can use that $50.00 extra dollars to pay for our car inspection and minor repairs that are going down tomorrow. 



2.  milestone: learning more about blogging--changing your blog background



anyone can make this easy change to your blog and it can really make a huge difference.   i learned this from a really cool blog decor site called Shabby Blogs, but lots of sites have similar application instructions/templates.  they have tons of backgrounds you can choose from.

once you find the one you want, just follow the instructions below:
1.  click on "get the code" under the desired background
2.  copy the code in the box at the bottom of the screen that opens
3.  open your blogger account
4.  click on the tab that says "Design" or "Layout"
5.  click "Add a Gadget" (it doesn't really matter where it is on the sidebar)
6.  click "HTML/javascript"
7.  under "content" paste the entire code that you copied earlier on the backgrounds page
8.  "save"
9.  enjoy your new blog's look!

here are a few other sites i recommend for finding beautiful backgrounds:

smitten blog designs    (you may have to click on free templates)

cutest blog on the block

i'll be working on my monthly meal plan guide for April this week in preparation for my Aldi trip on friday night!---you know you are old when you put an exclamation mark at the end of a get-to-go-grocery -shopping sentence.    
 hey, i get a night out of the house, dinner, and girl time with my friend, kelly.  i'm excited anyway!

the meal guide and my aldi shopping list will be posted by the end of this week or beginning of next.

if you change your blog background using my directions, let me know so i can check out the glorious changes you made.


merry monday, everyone!