November Meal Plan

You’ll have to excuse the lack of posts lately. With the recent flash flooding my area sustained, our schedule is a bit out of whack. Hubs leaves earlier for work to help oversee repairs to roadways, the boys get on and are dropped off later than our norm, and we have to travel extra distance and time to get to where we need to be. There is also much more traffic on our sleepy little road than there ever was as where we are on the ridge is the only mainline now. While I am grateful that we’re only inconvenienced and not rebuilding our lives like others in the area, it is still something that we’re not accustomed to yet, and will be in place for a while.

Today I thought I’d share with you our November meal plan. Each month I share our monthly meal plans in hopes that it gives some meal inspirations for you and your family. Our monthly meal plans have worked wonders for helping us save money. With a list of meals to go through for the month, there’s no shortage of meals, and we certainly don’t feel like we’re stuck in a rut. Plus, planning meals once a month saves time too! For more information on the 5 easy steps to make our meal plan, and how you can make your own, check out this post.

But before we get to what our November meal plan is, I want to talk about the elephant in the room. The fact that I raised my monthly budget. First of all, with all the talk out there about trying to be frugal and reduce monthly grocery budgets, I want you to know that yes, it is okay to raise your budget. A budget isn’t meant to be static. It’s meant to change based on your current needs.

I debated raising it to $600, but figured we’d try for $550 this month. In our area, and for our family diet, that’s still a reasonable amount. I can’t find dairy and a few other items exceptionally cheap in PA because their prices are regulated. We currently pay $2.99 per half gallon of lactose free 2% milk, and go through roughly 2 gallons a week. I also buy bread rather than make our own, and buy family packs of meat as we need it rather than continue to watch prices and stock up all at once. I choose convenience on some things which makes it a give and take.

Now before we get to the meals though, here’s what I take into consideration when I plan our month of meals.

We’re a family of 5. Hubs and I eat smaller adult portions, Bookworm {11} usually eats a slightly smaller portion than Hubs and I. Then there’s Monkey {7} and Lady Bug {4}. When you combine their portions, it’s about a portion size for Hubs or I.

I plan from what I have on hand in the freezer or pantry first, but I don’t specifically do stockpile shopping. After I check our pantry & freezer, I buy items that we need for the week and combine with coupons when possible.

I plan out dinner only. Unless it’s noted, sides consist of a fruit or veggie, possibly a grain, and is based on what I have in my fridge and pantry.

We have one big meal each week. If I make a roast, we’ll use it for our big weekend meal, and then use the leftovers as ingredients for the week’s remaining meals. If there’s extras leftover, we’ll stick them in a labelled ziploc bag in the freezer to use at a later date. I try to plan one meal of leftovers throughout the week, sometimes more. It helps us clean out what’s in the fridge so we have less food going to waste.

Breakfasts are usually oatmeal, cereal, toast and peanut butter with fruit, cottage cheese and a fruit, or yogurt with granola. It may seem limited and boring, but keeping breakfast choices simple makes it much easier on our hectic morning routine since Hubs is out the door at 6:30 and the boys are on the bus at 6:50.

Lunches are packed each day for Hubs and the boys, while Lady Bug and I eat at home. Lunches are either sandwiches, salads, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, or leftovers as the main course. It’s served with a fruit/veg, yogurt or cheese, a drink and a “treat” {gummies, chips, etc}. Snacks, such as crackers and Nilla cookies, are also prepped at home and sent in to school.

During the summer and fall, I freeze and can what I am able to grow and get cheap from local you-pick farms and farmer’s markets. It enables me to keep what we eat fresh and local, but also limit our preservative and additive intake.

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Salisbury Steak with Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Chicken BBQ Sandwiches
Cheese Steaks & Fries
Crescent Dogs
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Roast Chicken Dinner
Sausage & Gnocchi
Chicken & Biscuits
Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup
Tacos
Pizza x2
Chicken Noodle Soup
Roast Beef Dinner
Pancakes x2
White Chicken Chili
Beef Stroganoff
Beef & Barley Stew x2
Ham, Orzo & Peas
Meatloaf & Fries
Nachos
Salmon Cakes
Turkey Dinner x2
Turkey Corn Chowder
Baked Ziti x2
Potato Soup