$5 Dinners Week of 10/3 $4.80 Average Cost

October 3, 2011 by Cricket

My goal is to provide dinner for my family for an average of $5 except on special occasions. We don’t have to eat beans and rice to accomplish this goal! I shop the grocery sales each week. Then I plan my menu based on the foods I have already at home (at a great price). I balance more expensive meals with less expensive ones. We typically only cook a main dish 4 or 5 times a week. Each main dish cooked will serve 4-6, and the leftovers will be for easy dinners on the weekend, or to freeze for another week. This cuts down on cleaning, cooking, and meal planning– saving us lots of time!

Spaghetti, Cheese Toast, Sweet Peas, Pineapple
4 servings spaghetti @ .50
1/2 jar sauce @ .34
1 can pineapple @ .93
1 can sweet peas @ .45
4 pieces of bread @ .16
4 slices of block mozzarella @ .24
garlic salt
Total Cost = $2.62

Ham Steaks, Macaroni and Cheese, Green Beans, Pears
4 precooked ham steaks @ 3.00
macaroni box @ .25
extra cheese @ .40
butter and milk for mac @ .10
1 can green beans @ .25
1 can pears @ .76
Total Cost: $4.76

Strawberry Pancakes and Sausages with Bananas
12 little sizzler’s sausages @ 1.00
pancake mix @ .33
1 pkg strawberry muffin mix @ free (super 1 food club Q)
syrup @ .25
4 bananas @ .84
Total Cost: $2.42

Dairy Queen
2 kids meals- chicken strips (including ice cream!) @ 6.58
1 jr. buster @ 1.39

Total Cost: $7.97

Hawaiian Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Chips and Cheese Dip, Pears and Pineapples
4 frozen preflavored chicken patties @ 3.78

3 medium potatoes @ .40

butter, milk and cheese for potatoes @ .10
Tortilla Chips @ .33
Cheese Dip and Rotel @ 1.31
Leftover Pears and Pineapples @ free
Total Cost $6.12

Average cost of the meals we’re cooking this week: $4.80.

This post is part of Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.