E-Mealz Part 2

So, after talking to Tim we decided we REALLY don't need the 7 meals in our plan. Since it makes 6 portions and there are only 2.5 of us that really eat right now, we can easily cut that back to 4-5 meals. For this weeks plan I chose 5 meals because one is a breakfast dish. Tonight was my grocery night. Because I wanted to see how much it really cost me (once modified) I decided to go to Wal-mart and buy my stuff for the week since that is where the plan is priced for. I was surprised how accurate the listed prices were. I would think Wal-marts across the country would have different prices for items, but about 98% of them were right on. The ones that were off were usually the meats or possibly a product that came in a different size.

Anyway, the plan said my total for this week should have been $84.03 for all 7 meals. When I crossed off 2 meals and went through my pantry for things I already had, it actually only cost me $31.97. I calculated the stuff I had on hand to equal $11.65. That means my 5 meals will end up costing $43.62 NOT $84.03. Of course, there are basic supplies not figured in to the cost so it would be higher. I still think you could do this plan on $50 a week. That's more reasonable. Even with that, I think we'll have a lot of food this week.

On another note, I usually don't shop at Wal-mart because the people annoy me. However, with a much shorter list it seemed much more reasonable. I also discovered that a lot of the things that go on sale at Meijer are that price normally at Wal-mart. I did use my price match ads for a couple things (not on the list). Once I use up the stuff in the pantry I'm going to try really hard not to buy stuff that isn't on the list. I could save a LOT of money from our budget if I just stick to this plan. We'll see how it goes.