Planning, Planning, Planning

Warning: This is likely very boring for you.

Dinners for the next two weeks (not to be eaten in this order):

French toast
Grilled cheese sandwiches
Pancakes
Breakfast Casserole
Homemade chicken nuggets w/honey mustard dipping sauce
Sunshine chicken
Beefy lentil soup
Tater tot casserole
Potato soup
Spaghetti
Polish sausage/potatoes
Sloppy Joes (known here as "BBQs")
Tuna noodle casserole
Hamburgers/hot dogs on the grill

I seem to go in spurts. Lately we'd been eating a lot of beans and rice, previously a lot of potatoes. Now I'm feeling kind of breakfasty/soupy/casseroley, apparently. Spell check loves me.

Lunches:

Leftovers
Lettuce salad (me mostly)
Bean burritos
Sandwiches
Ham
Hot dogs
Eggs

Breakfasts:
fruit
GF Waffles
GF Cereal
Toast
Fruit
Yogurt

Snacks:
fruit
veggies
GF animal crackers
GF cookies
applesauce
fruit snacks (we try to limit these, but of course the kids luuuuuurve them. We have the best luck with the Gerber brand, which doesn't have any artificial colorings)

Then I make the grocery list, which is helped by a fairly well-stocked pantry, and lots of fresh fruits and veggies that I just bought. The juices and the chips are all part of recipes, we don't normally buy those for snacking.

To buy, and each item's budget:
ham (2)
chicken breast (7)
sour cream & onion chips (2)
orange juice (2)
rice (1)
ground turkey (7)
V8 (2)
powdered nonfat milk (2)
instant chicken bouillon (2)
plain yogurt (2)
spaghetti sauce (1)
spaghetti noodles (1)
GF spaghetti noodles (3)
polish sausage (2)
tuna (1)
egg noodles (1)
hot dogs (2)
sandwich meat (2)
GF waffles (2)
GF animal crackers (3)
apple sauce (2)
fruit snacks (3)
whole milk (4)
diapers (15)
baby wipes (5)
cat food (10) - We do not buy cheap food. We buy Purina One, as recommended by our vet, after switching from Science Diet. Cheap cat food = sick kitties. Period.
litter (5)
litter bags (3) - Totally not environmentally sound. Totally not caring.
TP (5) - When I was a kid, I had the hardest time remembering if "TP" stood for toilet paper or toothpaste. Is that funny or does it just make me look stupid(er)?
pop for SuperDad (3)
flour (1)
butter (2)
Total = $105

I'll probably take about $115 in cash with me to the store, just in case.

I find that having a budget for an item gives me a way better chance of meeting my budget than trying to add up the total budget in my head.

Anyway, if you made it this far, YAY! ;)