The $50 Per Week Grocery List

So my little family is facing a time where we don't really have any extra money floating around. It took me almost three years and two kids to finally figure out how to grocery shop. Every time I went to the grocery store I, somehow, ended up spending at least $100! I would make my list, check the paper for sales, and buy the off-brands that are cheaper and I would still be shocked at the register. It just wasn't working.

I finally caught on and have actually gotten really good at grocery shopping. I have my little route I take once in the store; I know what we need, where to get it, and I don't even tempt myself by "browsing" the snack aisle. Who cares if it's on sale, it is not in your budget or on your list or even on your grocery store route! (Is it sad I have a route for grocery shopping? Motherhood, what have you done to me!) 

Anyways, I've gotten to the point where I spend only $50 every week to feed my little family of four. Both of my kids are still small, only two and five months, so I can get by with this. 

This kind of grocery shopping isn't fun. It's not like I'm making gourmet meals every night off of 50 bucks a week, but if you're in a jam--this is a great way to save some money and actually eat healthy. Yes, healthy! Exciting ey? 

So, first you have to have your staple ingredients at home and then this $50 is like food maintenance to keep your cupboards stocked. The staples I'm talking about are spices, marinade, rice, peanut butter, honey, oatmeal, things of that nature. You obviously don't need to buy these things every single week.

From there, this is what my list looks like:

-Apples

-Bananas

-Strawberries/oranges/peaches/avocado

(I usually get 3 types of fruit for the week).

-Broccoli 

-Zucchini

-Onion

-Bellpepper/potatoe/asparagus/greenbeans

(Usually get 4 veggies- 4th one depending on what's on sale).

-Lettuce

(I buy the pre-made salad bags of lettuce with carrots and other veggies in it).

-Chicken

(I get boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about $12 worth).

-Lunch Meat

-Milk

-Eggs

-Yogurt

-Cheese

-Bread

-Croutons

And that's it! Looks like nothing, huh? I'll tell you what we eat, so you don't think I'm starving my family! 

Breakfast James and I usually have two scrambled eggs with avocado and one slice of peanut butter toast. Or we make some sort of veggie omelette.

Lunch we'll have a salad. Lettuce, lots of veggies, and croutons. Sometimes adding shredded chicken. Or a sandwich with a side of fruit. 

Dinner we'll have baked chicken, rice, and a vegetable. 

Ashlyn usually eats a banana and peanut butter toast for breakfast. A piece of ham and apple slices for lunch. And yogurt, toast, and some kind of fruit at night. She picks at everything we eat as well. Tristan eats baby food and formula, obviously.

You can add seasonings, marinades, and spices to everything to make it scrumptious! To help me stay on track, at the beginning of each week, I boil 3 chicken breasts and then shred it. Then I put it in some marinade or seasoning (I'm on a barbecue kick right now) then toss it into some tupperware. Then for lunch it's super easy to make salads with shredded chicken. Or if I don't feel like baking chicken for dinner one night I'll just make a stir fry with the shredded chicken, rice, and veggies. 

This shopping list isn't fun and we eat the same things every week. I love to cook and making new things, but our budget can't afford that right now. So this is what we normally eat and it's pretty healthy and doesn't taste too bad either. Hope this helps if you're trying to save a few bucks or eat a little healthier!