Technically, it's day 7.
Since I haven't gone to bed yet, it's still day 6, but there will be rehearsals in NJ for faire and then Bung's Tavern afterwards.
Lunch:
Chicken and corn chili - $ 1. 33 per serving
Cornbread gems: $ .25 per serving
Which is good, since I'm planning on getting pulled pork afterwards when we all go out ($ 10.00). Dining splurge of the week but worth it after we spend all day outside in the rain!
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Day 6 of 2 week budget dining plan
Forgot about food. Oops. I'm working on a paper for class and the whole "making dinner" thing slipped my mind.
So while I finish the paper (taking a break at the moment!), I am enjoying a half-serving of tomorrow's chicken-corn chili ($ 8.00 for 6 servings) with a handful of chips, some cheese, and sour cream. Not bad. Not bad at all.
So while I finish the paper (taking a break at the moment!), I am enjoying a half-serving of tomorrow's chicken-corn chili ($ 8.00 for 6 servings) with a handful of chips, some cheese, and sour cream. Not bad. Not bad at all.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Day 5 of 2 week budget dining plan
Simple and quick, because I have a ton of homework to do.
2 servings
Purchased pre-made chicken cordon bleu (low sodium)
Broccoli spears
Homemade mashed potatoes
Chicken: $ 2.50
Broccoli: $ 1.00
Potatoes: $ 1.70 (made with sour cream for some umph, upping the cost a bit)
Total: $ 5.20, or $ 2.60 per serving
Not the least expensive, but healthy and fast! The potatoes boiled while the chicken baked. The broccoli heated up while I mashed the potatoes.
I love to cook, I really do, and I envy those people who can blog about their inexpensive gourmet meals they spent hours making. But I'm a divorced mother of a 21 year old. I work full time, take 10 credit hours with PSU, and rehearse for a renaissance faire on the weekends. Time is a precious commodity! Some day there will be wonderfully creative meals once more - this will probably happen in November, after the seasons are over for both of the faires in which I've been cast!
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Day 4 of 2 week budget plan
Pesto pasta night - aka Really Cheap Dinner night
1/2 box wagon wheel pasta - $ 0.49
1/2 jar of pesto sauce - $ 1.25
Total: $ 1.74, or $ 0.87 per serving
Not much to say about this. Filling, yes, but lacking in things like vegetables.
I was curious to see what the total dinner cost has been for 2 servings for the last few nights. Here it is:
Per serving:
Monday: $ 1.78
Tuesday: $ 2.16
Wednesday: $ 1.25
Thursday: $ 0.87
$ 6.06 per person for 4 days worth of dinners, or an average just over $ 1.51 per person per day for dinner.
I recently had a conversation with a friend about how hard it is for people who subsist on food stamps to have a healthy, satisfying menu on such limited funds, but I think this may prove that it is possible without resorting to all packaged junk as I did the last time I tried one of the food stamp challenges. Yeah, I didn't last long on that one, which limited participants to $ 4.72 per day for all food and drink per person.
1/2 box wagon wheel pasta - $ 0.49
1/2 jar of pesto sauce - $ 1.25
Total: $ 1.74, or $ 0.87 per serving
Not much to say about this. Filling, yes, but lacking in things like vegetables.
I was curious to see what the total dinner cost has been for 2 servings for the last few nights. Here it is:
Per serving:
Monday: $ 1.78
Tuesday: $ 2.16
Wednesday: $ 1.25
Thursday: $ 0.87
$ 6.06 per person for 4 days worth of dinners, or an average just over $ 1.51 per person per day for dinner.
I recently had a conversation with a friend about how hard it is for people who subsist on food stamps to have a healthy, satisfying menu on such limited funds, but I think this may prove that it is possible without resorting to all packaged junk as I did the last time I tried one of the food stamp challenges. Yeah, I didn't last long on that one, which limited participants to $ 4.72 per day for all food and drink per person.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Day 3 of 2 week budget plan
Tonight's dinner - 3 servings
Ham steaks - $ 1.99
Brussels sprouts - $ 0.99
Rice-a-roni - $ 0.79
Not the healthiest meal, but it's not fast food and it's not expensive. And hey, veggies! I love veggies!
Total: $ 3.77, or just over $ 1.25 per serving
Ham steaks - $ 1.99
Brussels sprouts - $ 0.99
Rice-a-roni - $ 0.79
Not the healthiest meal, but it's not fast food and it's not expensive. And hey, veggies! I love veggies!
Total: $ 3.77, or just over $ 1.25 per serving
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Day 2 of 2 week budget plan
Breakdown of tonight's dinner - serves 4 (there will be leftovers for lunches!)
Thin-sliced sirloin: $ 5.82
Cheddar pasta with broccoli: $ 0.99
Broccoli and cauliflower: $ 0.99
Texas toast: $ 0.85
Total: $ 8.65, or just over $ 2.16 per serving
Considering I can easily spend $ 6.00 - $ 7.00 for soup and salad at work for lunch, this is a bargain!
Last night's meal made 3 servings, which I forgot to post!
Chicken breasts: $ 3.15
Potatoes: $ 0.75
Green beans: $ 0.79
Dressing: $ 0.65
Total: $ 5.34, or $ 1.78 per serving
Soon there will be photos. I just seem to have misplaced my camera!
Thin-sliced sirloin: $ 5.82
Cheddar pasta with broccoli: $ 0.99
Broccoli and cauliflower: $ 0.99
Texas toast: $ 0.85
Total: $ 8.65, or just over $ 2.16 per serving
Considering I can easily spend $ 6.00 - $ 7.00 for soup and salad at work for lunch, this is a bargain!
Last night's meal made 3 servings, which I forgot to post!
Chicken breasts: $ 3.15
Potatoes: $ 0.75
Green beans: $ 0.79
Dressing: $ 0.65
Total: $ 5.34, or $ 1.78 per serving
Soon there will be photos. I just seem to have misplaced my camera!
Monday, March 24, 2014
Menu planning on a budget
Planning the next two weeks' worth of menus. The only things I need to purchase: rolls and the right kind of beef for stew next week. Not too bad!
| Monday | Chicken, potatoes, green beans (an okay meal, but the potatoes could have used more time! |
| Tuesday | Steak, pasta, garlic bread |
| Wednesday | Ham steak, vegetables, rice |
| Thursday | Pesto pasta |
| Friday | Chicken cordon bleu, mashed potatoes, broccoli |
| Saturday | Tilapia, rice, Brussels sprouts |
| Sunday | NJRF Rehearsal day – Chicken-corn chili for lunch; Dinner at Bung’s Tavern |
| Monday | Pork chops, couscous, asparagus |
| Tuesday | Black bean chicken and salsa |
| Wednesday | Spaghetti |
| Thursday | Sloppy joes |
| Friday | Sausage biscuits and gravy |
| Saturday | Beef stew, rolls |
| Sunday | NJRF Rehearsal day - Leftover beef stew and rolls for lunch; Dinner at Bung's Tavern |
There is little to purchase for this menu - not a bad deal right now. I need to stock the freezer well over the next month or so, but that will take time as well as money. With my roommate's change in employment, things are going to be extremely tight around here for a bit, so I want to make sure things are stocked and taken care of.
Hooray for upright freezers!
Hooray for upright freezers!
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Turkey chili with rice
It's cold out! That means soups, stews, and chili. Tonight was turkey chili with rice, made in the crockpot.
Simple, really.
1 lb turkey, browned ( $ 3.99)
1 large can diced tomatoes ($ 1.75)
2 cans red kidney beans ($ 1.98)
Spices (negligible)
Rice ($ 0.50 )
Total: $ 8.20
Servings: 2 dinners and 8 lunches
I think that's a keeper. Lots of meals in the freezer to grab on the way out in the morning!
Simple, really.
1 lb turkey, browned ( $ 3.99)
1 large can diced tomatoes ($ 1.75)
2 cans red kidney beans ($ 1.98)
Spices (negligible)
Rice ($ 0.50 )
Total: $ 8.20
Servings: 2 dinners and 8 lunches
I think that's a keeper. Lots of meals in the freezer to grab on the way out in the morning!
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Chicken in the crockpot
More chicken! There was a sale on pre-seasoned chicken (3 halves for $ 3.68) and I love Cajun seasoning, so...
4 servings
Chicken ( $ 2.45 )
Giant sweet onion ( $ 1.98 )
Potatoes ( $ 0.75 )
Broccoli ( $ 1.00 )
Total: $ 6.18, or about $ 1.55 per serving.
It could have been less if I'd only used half the onion, but I had already cut the root end off before I realized just how BIG that thing was.
Still, pretty healthy and cheap. Still staying on target.
4 servings
Chicken ( $ 2.45 )
Giant sweet onion ( $ 1.98 )
Potatoes ( $ 0.75 )
Broccoli ( $ 1.00 )
Total: $ 6.18, or about $ 1.55 per serving.
It could have been less if I'd only used half the onion, but I had already cut the root end off before I realized just how BIG that thing was.
Still, pretty healthy and cheap. Still staying on target.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Sunday chicken dinner
It's been a busy week here. My daughter moved up to State College for a few months, and my roommate and I have been prepping for auditions (New Jersey Ren Faire yesterday and PA Ren Faire on the 25th).
Today's dinner made enough for 4 and cost just over $ 1.34 per plate for four people.
Chicken: $ 3.25 (on sale)
Stuffing: $ 0.99 (on sale)
Beans: $ 1.09
I made a one dish chicken/stuffing/green bean casserole thing that made enough for four people. I have lunches for a couple days from the leftovers!
Today's dinner made enough for 4 and cost just over $ 1.34 per plate for four people.
Chicken: $ 3.25 (on sale)
Stuffing: $ 0.99 (on sale)
Beans: $ 1.09
I made a one dish chicken/stuffing/green bean casserole thing that made enough for four people. I have lunches for a couple days from the leftovers!
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Chicken dinner for under $ 2 a plate
Tonight's dinner will be slow-cooked roast chicken, large pearl couscous, and green beans. Because of the season, we are eating frozen vegetables instead of fresh. I'd make a terrible chef!
Costs are based on 4 servings, though there will be leftovers.
Chicken: $ 4.38 (whole chicken on sale for $ 0.99/lb)
Couscous: $ 2.40 (4 servings out of a 10 serving container. Not on sale this week, though!)
Green beans: $ 1.00 (Frozen vegetables are on sale this week)
Total: $ 7.78
Cost per person: $ 1.95, rounded up
Bonus: I will make stock after the chicken is done. The additional costs come to about $ 1.50 worth of vegetables to make stock for soup this winter.
Costs are based on 4 servings, though there will be leftovers.
Chicken: $ 4.38 (whole chicken on sale for $ 0.99/lb)
Couscous: $ 2.40 (4 servings out of a 10 serving container. Not on sale this week, though!)
Green beans: $ 1.00 (Frozen vegetables are on sale this week)
Total: $ 7.78
Cost per person: $ 1.95, rounded up
Bonus: I will make stock after the chicken is done. The additional costs come to about $ 1.50 worth of vegetables to make stock for soup this winter.
 |
| Ready to start the crockpot! |
A New Year and a New Blog!
I previously posted to Eating Around, but that blog was originally started to document dining experiences as my family traveled. Life changes, we change, and I decided to start a brand new blog to focus on a new direction: budget dining. Whether it is eating in or eating out, Budget Dining is going to focus on how to do it inexpensively.
Each post will primarily focus on menus and costs to prepare or purchase. This is an ongoing learning experience for me. I would love to have others join in and add their experiences and suggestions as the year progresses.
For now, though - happy dining!
Each post will primarily focus on menus and costs to prepare or purchase. This is an ongoing learning experience for me. I would love to have others join in and add their experiences and suggestions as the year progresses.
For now, though - happy dining!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)