Menu for 12/7

The weather is turning colder and so more hearty items are making it onto my menu each week.  Some considerations for the menu plan this week were using up the leftover Roast Pork that I made on Monday, the fact that I want a hamburger (my husband will still grill as long as it isn't snowing or raining, lucky me!), and trying to keep my budget on the low side.

I am keeping the basic expenses as low as possible because my grocery store is having a meat sale this weekend.  I already know that I want to get a couple of pork tenderloins since I just used the last one from my freezer.  Beyond that, my purchases will depend on how much money I have left and how good the prices are.
Also, we donate non-perishable food to a local organization that provides weekend food packs to students that are on the free lunch program at school.  Our store also has canned vegetables on a great sale this week, so I'll be buying that with part of my budget.

As you start to pay more attention to prices in general, and sale prices specifically, you will begin to know when a sale price is a good one.  When you are buying to stock up, always pay attention to how much is actually taken off of the original price.  You will probably be surprised at the number of times that the actually sale is less than $.10 off the original.  Now if it is something you need, go ahead and buy it.  But you and I both know that at some point it will sell for a much better price.  That is when you buy multiple.

So here is my menu for the week:

Roast Pork (leftover)
Gingery Pork Meatballs with Noodles (it didn't get made last week)
Chili - this will be dinner two nights
Hamburgers
Grilled cheese sandwiches and homemade tomato soup

When we do grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner, I always buy a specialty cheese and usually a great bread instead of having just a basic cheddar on wheat sandwich.  I'll pick the cheese based on what is available and price.  The bread is a compliment.  Sometimes we have Brie, sometimes blue cheese and cheddar, it all depends on what catches my interest.