It’s the start of the week and in getting organized with dinner for the busy week ahead, I headed to our local Market Basket yesterday to shop The Dinner Daily menu customized for our local store specials. Like most of us, the start of the work week brings out the to do lists and the return to busy schedules with little down time.
On days when I do not have a plan, the dinner hour comes rolling in with a big black cloud. That feeling of “darn, what are we doing for dinner”, only made worse by the realization I now have to drive to the grocery store late in the day to do the 6 pm scramble. It is the worst and I know many of you can relate. dAlthough my family uses The Dinner Daily consistently throughout the year, some weeks I just do not seem to get it together due to busy weekend schedules and endless hockey games, work, and life with a busy family. But it only takes a few of those “unplanned” days and the stress it brings to get me back on track, not to mention what our grocery bills look like at the end of the month.
Getting Organized with Dinner
So yesterday I started the week with our Market Basket menu and shopped our list for 5 easy dinners. I used the menu as it was delivered, although it is easy enough to swap out meals and side dishes or exclude a meal altogether. What was on the menu? Take a look below:
And, as shown below, there were 17 in store specials used in our menu, allowing us to really drive down my food costs all while providing easy and healthy dinners. I love that I can go to the store and do not have to think or plan or even worry about the budget. I walk right past those flyer stands with not even a second glance…its already incorporated into the plan. I feel so organized and yet I did none of the work!
As you can see below, all of the main meals are based on a key store special, and many of the side dishes are based on the fresh produce sales.
So how much did all this goodness and organizational bliss cost me at the register? $72.90 for 5 dinners, including one or two sides per meal, for a family of 5.
This calculates to about $14 per dinner or $3 per person.
Although that is real savings in your pocket, it does not take into account the time savings of not having to do the Market Basket shuttle 3 to 4 times a week. And the most wonderful part of it all, when dinner time rolls around and the kids say “Mom what’s for dinner?, I just look at my menu and happily say “Beef Fiesta Skillet..be ready in about 30 minutes!” (Major points for this working mom!)
AND, knowing that all the ingredients are in the pantry and fridge.. my black cloud just turned to blue skies overhead…
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