Can I just say how much I love Aldi?
I spent $27 and there was just so much in my cart. Even the cashier said that was pretty impressive, haha. I attribute all our frugal living success to this store; the produce is almost always the cheapest, and their non-perishables are like rock-bottom prices. And I get excited when I see markdowns- I bought some ravioli for 50 cents, and I almost bought some uncured hot dogs marked down to 99 cents but didn’t want to spend the money. When we get back up to $75 a week I’m taking advantage of clearance again!
We ended up going to Kings Island on Saturday which included dinner, so I was able to skip a dinner last week- in this case, the homemade pizza. I still have the ingredients to make the sauce, so I’ll just make that this week for English Muffin Pizzas! A lot of our dinners are from the pantry, so I was able to buy a few extra things we were out of, like baby wipes.
As usual, here’s a disclaimer about my $30 weekly menus:
- I’ve lowered our grocery budget by choice. We’ve chosen not to pursue food assistance from the government.
- My pantry contains essentials such as rice, pasta, peanut butter, and baking items, as well as a little meat in the freezer. You may not be able to recreate this menu for $30 as I’m not exactly starting from scratch every week.
- I’m buying whole foods as much as possible- I won’t be perfect, but I’ll do what I can with the money we have.
Kroger
Extra gum: $2.19
Strawberries, 2-pound container: $2.49
Coffee Mate Natural Bliss creamer: $2.50
Total: $7.18, made free using a gift card
Aldi
Yogurt tubes: $1.55
Juice boxes: $1.99
Baby wipes: $1.39
Tortillas: $1.39
2 packages ravioli: $.50 each, marked down. I stuck these in the freezer for later!
Romaine hearts: $1.99
Eggs: $.89
2 cans diced tomatoes: $.45 each
Roma tomatoes, 16 ounces: $1.49
Sliced cheddar: $1.79
Grapes, 2.42 pounds: $2.15
Bologna: $1.19
Jarred jalapenos: $1.49
Salsa: $1.19
Cottage cheese: $1.59
Milk: $1.45
Bananas, 5.07 pounds: $1.93
Sweet potatoes, 3-pound bag: $1.99
Total: $27.46
Weekly Total: $27.46
Menu
Lunch is always leftovers. Items marked with an asterisk (*) were purchased in previous weeks.
Dinner
Annie’s mac and cheese* with canned tuna*, frozen veggies*
Baked bean* taco salad (Lettuce, tomatoes, cheese*, salsa)
Chicken Alfredo Pasta* from freezer, frozen veggies*
English muffin pizzas* (English muffins in freezer, making Slow Cooker Pizza Sauce), fruit
Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, banana
Waffles
Leftovers
Breakfast
Cereal*
Egg and cheese breakfast burritos (See my meal prep picture on Facebook here!)
Allison’s Lunch
Homemade Lunchable- Crackers*, sliced cheese, bologna, strawberries
What’s on your menu this week? Share in the comments below!
Jaime is a Nutrition Coach through the ISSA and professional writer. She has 4 years experience coaching and 9 years experience in writing. She enjoys cooking easy meals, running, and learning more about food.
Jaime specializes in helping women with ADHD learn to meal plan and cook healthier meals without getting overwhelmed.