Grocery Deals and Dinner Menu

There were some good produce sales this cycle, including fresh strawberries for 1.50/lb and several apple varieties for .88/lb.  Grapes were also .88/lb, as were fresh green beans and beefsteak tomatoes.  Cucumbers were .50/each, so we picked up two of them.

We have found that the Lenten season is by far the best time of year to stock up on canned tuna.  The sales seem to have started a bit early this year, but we're not complaining.  This past weekend, Safeway had Starkist tuna 3 cans for $1 (limit of three per person per visit).  The three of us went while we were out and about, stopped at one Safeway and a couple of Walmart stores, and with some that Husband picked up the day before, and then a batch we picked up the next day, we purchased a total of 45 cans.  We still had some cans at home, too, so now we have enough for the year.

Husband continues to enjoy the Ibotta process.  It is stretching our $200/month (which is $180/month right now, because we used a chunk a couple months ago to stock ground beef) considerably, and he has been able to combine Ibotta offers with coupons on several occasions, making some of his purchases very low cost, free, or even slightly profitable.  The sense I am getting from him is that some of the deals are only feasible when there is a sale, an Ibotta offer and a coupon, but he enjoys the 'game' of it, so that's good!  He has gotten everything from bread and taco shells to yogurt and fresh produce, and he has even gotten a new Truvia Nectar product for very low cost.

With about a week left in the budget and next week's supplies already purchased, we have just over $35 remaining in our grocery budget.  Husband has earned $60 in Ibotta rebates in February, which we add back in.  He's doing a great job!

We have cereal and milk, granola and yogurt, fresh strawberries, eggs, toast, and oatmeal that can all be made for breakfasts.  I may make some muffins or pancakes one day as well, depending on my available time.  For lunches, we often have leftovers from supper, and Husband and I have been having lunch together one day a week.  This week we're planning on buffalo chicken bites, cucumbers & celery w/ranch, tots and some fruit.  Daughter won't mind missing that meal - she doesn't like spicy foods.  She takes her lunch to school - soup in a thermos sometimes, sandwiches, a 'snacky' lunch of cheese, nuts, crackers, fruit and vegetables, and always a couple of snacks to get her through her busy school day.

Our supper menu this week is a fairly simple one.  Here is the plan:

M:  battered fish portions, tartar sauce, steamed rice, glazed carrots, fresh cucumber slices, sliced oranges
T:  sheet pan bbq chicken w/warm dijon potato salad, roasted fresh green beans, sliced apples
W:  Italian chili over macaroni, sliced apples
R:  shoyu turkey (similar to teriyaki), steamed rice, fresh cucumber slices w/furikake, sliced oranges
F:  tacos w/ lettuce, tomato & cheese, refried beans, green salad, sliced apples
S:  biscuits w/sausage gravy, home-canned green beans, sliced oranges
S:  pizza, carrots/celery/cucumbers w/ranch, sliced apples

Do you plan a menu?  If you do, what's the plan for this week?