January Dinner Challenge: Five Bucks, Five Times a Week

**MakeADollarHollar** · 12-27-2011, 09:33 PM

I’ve been trying to get our grocery budget under control with little success so I’ve decided to look at things from a totally different angle.

Since we have a large stockpile I’m able to plan our weekly menu a week in advance and not base our meals on what’s on sale each week but I always replenish what I’ve used so I can maintain our current inventory. Come January, I’m going to price out each meal before it goes on our menu to see if that helps hold down the “replenishing” costs and also leave enough room to still hit the big box store and take advantage of good sales when I see them. All weekday meals need to be $5 or less for the two of us (hopefully with leftovers for lunch the next day). If they aren’t, they either need to be tweaked or tossed. Since I keep a price book and we use a lot of repeat ingredients, I have a pretty good idea of what things cost and for other items, like meats, I have price cut-offs and won’t pay over a certain amount so even if they’ve been in the freezer a few months I have a pretty good idea what I paid for them. Some things will have to be “guestimated” (like spices) but for the most part I should come in pretty close and I can always double check prices when I’m shopping. I’ll post my meals and pricing here and see how I come out at the end of January.

Anybody else want to join me?

**auntie2many** · 12-28-2011, 10:05 AM

There is a website, I don't have the link off hand, but it is called $5 dinners. You can get her weekly menu planner with all $5 dinners and a grocery list and recipes for the dinners. You may want to check it out and she has books too. Oheoh'smomma was lucky enough to receive one of her cookbooks as a Christmas gift. Can you tell that I am envious? he,he!

A2M

**Contrary Housewife** · 12-28-2011, 10:33 AM

Does that $5 cover all meals for both people for one day, or is it just dinner?

**joyofsix** · 12-28-2011, 10:45 AM

5collar dinners . com has some good recipes. I try to keep our meals to $1/person. It helps. (Breakfast is less but it all evens out).

**auntie2many** · 12-28-2011, 11:23 AM

The $5 is just for dinner.

A2M

**mauimagic** · 12-28-2011, 11:31 AM

Like this idea - think I'll join in - ours will need to be $10/dinner just because of the price differential here. Mahalo for thinking of this - great thread!!

**Momto5RN** · 12-28-2011, 02:07 PM

so we are talking 2,50 a person . - i feed six of us so that would be 15$ dinners and i rarely spend that much unless its steak so i am sure i could do it ,

**alotofgooddeals** · 12-28-2011, 02:16 PM

not sure i dare join in but will be watching this thread...and in cases i am able to ...I will post...haha

**auntie2many** · 12-28-2011, 03:21 PM

I may be wrong, but I think that the $5 dinner menu's feed two adults and two children.

A2M

**alotofgooddeals** · 12-28-2011, 05:10 PM

i made a loaf of hamburger that cost me $1.48 for the burger, a quarter of a can of bread crumbs .25, 3 eggs .44 half of an onion .30
potatoes .75 a bag of carrots and brocoli .99 so total for a family of four was $4.21.....yeah and there is left over potatoes and meatloaf....and fed the dog because i overcooked the meatloaf so had to remove the outercovering on top.....

so tomorrow will take the extra potatoes, add a little onion, a can of snows corn chowder .99 and a can of cream style corn .20(bought on sale with coupons) and some canned milk .79 and some biscuits...biscuit mix cost me 1.69 for the box....and i can make them four times so 1.69 divided by 4 is .43 for a grand total of 2.71...I think i might get the hang of this....

**MakeADollarHollar** · 12-28-2011, 05:14 PM

Yep...$5 Dinners. I had already decided to change things up around here and when I went looking for ideas and inspiration last week I found her site.

I figured if she could feed her family, 2 adults and I think 3 children now but could be wrong, I knew I was on the right track. Like MM, we have pretty high food costs around here but I'm hoping I can still do DH and myself...and hopefully have leftovers for lunches at least a few times a week. If nothing else, this exercise will put me in much better touch with the costs of our meals and show me where most of our grocery money is going.

Normally my menu's are done by today but I spent all day tweaking and updating my price sheets. Hopefully I'll have our menu for next week done no later than Friday.

**MakeADollarHollar** · 12-28-2011, 05:17 PM

Good Deals...you and I cross posted...Great Job!!

**alotofgooddeals** · 12-28-2011, 05:24 PM

its so addicting...i have already written out my menu for the next week andi think i can do grocery shop for under $50....i am so excited to give this a try....thanks for starting this thread....all things are possible if we have the ambition to give it a try!