Couponing to Disney

(Photo Credit: The Walt Disney Company)

Let’s talk meal planning. Many of you have asked to see how I put the groceries purchased in my weekly Kroger trips to use. The Saving to Disney plan has had a tremendous impact on my budgeting and grocery shopping, so I’m thrilled to share how I use that resource to make meals for my special diet family.

In my recent Kroger Trip post, I posed the question every parent dreads: do I need to increase my grocery budget? My girls are growing (so fast!) and eating more food (so much food!) This has also affected my meal planning. I used to be able to make a meal knowing I would have enough leftovers from several lunch servings the next day. With my littles growing appetite, this is no longer such a sure thing. Which makes me think I need to start expanding my meal planning repertoire.

My husband is a Type 1 Diabetic, so our diet is predictable. It consists primarily of proteins and produce. When we find something we like, we tend to do a lot of repeats. But I didn’t realize just how much we were repeating our favorites. It can be hard to take a chance on new meals when you’re paying top dollar for things like meat and vegetables. Believe me, I know. But it only takes a few repetitions for a routine to turn into a rut. So, I’m going to be proactive. Spurred on by my little girls’ not so little tummies, I am making a conscious effort to try one new meal a week. Wish me luck!

Meal Plan for 9/7 – 9/14

Thursday

• Dinner-Homemade Chicken Nuggets and Carrots (1/2 chicken bought on this trip, carrots from a friend)

*We have several friends with gardens. Well, they call them gardens, but I would say they are closer to backyard farms. Find some friends who want to give you vegetables. It will save you all the dollars. Better still, consider growing some of your own. When we move, I’m going to try my hand at tomato plants!

Friday

• Breakfast-Cereal with bananas and milk
• Lunch- LO Chicken Nuggets
• Dinner- Pizza!

*Every two weeks we have Family Movie Night, where we do pizza. If you’re following the Saving to Disney plan, meals “out” like this one might be on your grocery budget. That is great! We do it a little differently and take it out of our entertainment budget. As long as that money is accounted for in your budget, you’re good to go, whatever the category it comes from.

Saturday

• Breakfast-Scrambled Eggs with Diced Turkey, Cheese, and Tomato (All bought this trip)
• Lunch- LO Pizza
• Dinner- Cajun Pasta with Pork Meatballs and a Side of Carrots

*I got these pork meatballs on sale this trip. Using the same idea from last week with the Bolognese sauce, I used a sale protein and integrated it into a menu staple. The name of the game is being flexible. Find a way to make sale meat work for you!

Sunday

• Breakfast- Cereal with Strawberries
• Lunch-LO Cajun Pasta (for adults), Cheese Quesadillas with Apple slices (for littles)
• Dinner-Bacon Apple Chicken with Roast Potatoes

*We had this exact meal just last week. Remember that routine/rut fine line I was talking about?

Monday

• Breakfast- Strawberry Shakes (milk, strawberries, and bananas this trip)
• Lunch- LO Bacon Apple Chicken
• Dinner-Salad with Chipotle Chicken (other 1/2 of the chicken purchased this trip)

*We always do salad on Monday nights. I know, I just talked about branching out, trying new things, etc. But Monday nights I go to Zumba, and salad is one of the easiest things to make and dash. No re-heating for Mr. B and it’s still delicious for me an hour later. When you are meal planning, take into account special events or obligations that might affect the time you have to make or eat a meal. Save complicated meals for evenings when you have more time. Keep a few “Easy” recipes in your back pocket for last minute soccer practices, school events, etc.

Tuesday

• Breakfast- Fried Eggs Over Tomato and Onion (onion and eggs from a previous trip)
• Lunch- LO Salad with Chipotle Chicken
• Dinner- Homemade Turkey Bolognese Over Spaghetti (for the littles) or Carrot Zoodles (for the adults)

*Have you heard of Zoodles? They’re “noodles” made from veggies! So really, they’re vegetables looked in noodle shape. That you can heap with delicious sauce and cheese. The most popular veggies to use for Zoodles are Zucchini and Carrots. This week I am giving Carrot Zoodles a chance. If these Zoodles work out, this is would be a game changer for us. All the delicious noodle parts of the pasta, without the insulin needing carb part!

Wednesday

• Breakfast- Potluck with Mom’s Group for me and the littles, Eggs with Blue Cheese and Onion for Mr. B
• Lunch– LO Noodles and Zoodles all around!
• Dinner-Chicken Avocado Burritos (Chicken from the freezer) and sliced mango

Thursday

• Breakfast-Homemade Oatmeal with Apple and Strawberries
• Lunch- LO Chicken Avocado Burritos
• Dinner- Dealer’s Choice

*Leaving Thursday night dinner open. Hoping I can find some deals on protein during my usual Thursday shopping trip. I’m already dipping into my emergency freezer meat this week, so I need to be on the alert for deals to build my stock back up!

How have you handled a budget increase? What about when your routine starts looking like a rut? Give me all your meal planning wisdom in the comments!

Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey three years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!