My Last Menu Monday...sort of...

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! Ours was the usual chaos, without the organization. Because of my lack of attention to detail, we had a houseful of guests who had to maneuver their way through a clothing maze in the bathroom; didn't eat dinner until after 8 p.m. because I failed to notice that the prime rib I had set in the fridge to thaw needed more than the 2 days I gave it; and our guests had to dodge, weave, and knee the 4 dogs that I neglected to have kenneled for the festivities.

*Sigh*

It was perfect.

Now that we're in our last week of 2011, I am working on my organizational skills. By working on, I really mean, acquiring some.

I'm a late bloomer.

While looking over our spending habits in the grocery store, I noticed 2 things.

1. We spend entirely too much.
2. I always spend more when my Mister is with me.

Since I'm not willing to endure the hell that is the grocery store alone, #1 has to change. So, starting January 1, 2012, our grocery shopping will be limited to once a month. This means that meal plans will be planned monthly instead of weekly. By visiting the store less, our goal is to slash our ever-growing grocery bill in half. Face it, the more times a person goes into a store, the more money is spent. Even if you have a list. Stores have mastered the gentle art of persuasion and practice these technique's on the unsuspecting consumer at every opportunity. Fancy packaging, deli/bakery smells, happy music, in-store advertisements placed right at eye level, and friendly greeters are all part of the master plan...to get us to spend more.

It's time to beat them at their own game.

This week will be the last of my weekly meal plans. Starting on January 1, my monthly plan will be under its own tab at the top of my blog. I will also be keeping a monthly grocery total in the side margin of the blog. My hope is to be able to share some tips as I go, some of them you may already know, while others may be new to both of us. The end result will be the same...more money left in our pockets.

Game on.

Here's what's cookin' this week...

~Monday~

Eggs fried in ghee, Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls (left over from Christmas morning!)

Beef stew, cornbread

~Tuesday~

Cinnamon Rolls, plain yogurt w/ frozen mixed berries

Navy Bean & Ham Soup

~Wednesday~

Hashbrowns, eggs fried in ghee

Pot roast, mashed potatoes w/ gravy, green beans

~Thursday~

Sourdough pancakes

African Peanut Stew

~Friday~

Cheese/onion omelette's, toast

Creamy Potato Corn Chowder

~Saturday~

Simple Soaked Oatmeal w/ cinnamon & dried apples

leftover soups

*New Year's Eve snacks~cheese fondue, sausage, sourdough, Banana Splits

~Sunday~

Scrambled eggs, toast

Spicy Hoppin' John, cornbread

This post is linked to Menu Mondays.