Tonight for dinner was Walking Tacos and a side of Tonight for dinner was Walking Tacos and a side of Road Rage apparently 🙄🤣 #dinnertime #whatsfordinner #momlife #boymom #girlmom
I still can’t get over how amazing it was to spe I still can’t get over how amazing it was to spend this weekend in the Hocking Hills. Treehouse living with 5 kids is wild 👀 Technically, one wasn’t enough…so we stayed in two! #hostedstay 

We got the opportunity to check out the new treehouse lodging available now @hhtreehouseresort and while splitting our crew up into two spaces isn’t our usual kind of trip, I’m so glad we went. We made some fun core memories in the forrest and not once did anyone ask me for the WiFi password #MomWin 🙌🏽

If you’re looking for something whimsical and different, check out the themed luxury treehouses at @hhtreehouseresort. It may not be practical for every family, but it might be the perfect reset for yours🌲✨🪵 

#makingmemories #momlife #motherhood #familytime #hockinghills #hosted
Our last getaway before school starts! We were inv Our last getaway before school starts! We were invited to stay in not one, but two dreamy treehouses in the Hocking Hills for a fun family weekend. And while we wouldn’t normally book something like this (hello, big fam 😅), it turned out to be such a good time. 

There’s also a giant bounce house + mini golf on the property, so the boys had the time of their lives!!

📍 Located at 26633 Main St. Rockbridge, OH 43149 - about 40 mins from Columbus.

Huge thank you to @hhtreehouseresort for hosting our party of 7! Save this post if a cozy escape to #HockingHills is on your bucket list 🌲✨

#hosted #family #travel #momlife #familylife #ohio #midwest
We are going glamping!! Had to come to @walmart to We are going glamping!! Had to come to @walmart to grab a few things 🪵🛒 #shopwithme #groceries #groceryshopping #momlife #walmart
Squeezing in some summer fun at @hhfamilyfuncenter Squeezing in some summer fun at @hhfamilyfuncenter before school starts. I cannot believe we didn’t know about this place sooner! You can bring your own food and drinks for snack breaks. We also grabbed some Wendy’s nearby for lunch, but overall, it was a beautiful day well spent ☺️⛳️ #momlife #familylife #familyfun #hockinghills #cbus
7-Minute Dinner = Mom Win! 🙌🏽🏆 It’s saf 7-Minute Dinner = Mom Win! 🙌🏽🏆 It’s safe to say I’m officially obsessed with @easystreetmeals. Pre-diced. No stress. Just flavor 🔥 Available now at @gianteagle. RUN, don’t walk ❤️ #GiantEaglePartner #momlife #family #dinner #dinnerideas #tacos
Daddy’s Girl loading 🥹💕… #girlmom #dad Daddy’s Girl loading 🥹💕… 

#girlmom #daddysgirl #girldad #toddler #momlife
❤️ #datenight #momanddad #wifelife ❤️

#datenight #momanddad #wifelife
Cheers to 10k followers! 🥹 I still can’t beli Cheers to 10k followers! 🥹 I still can’t believe it. This little community we’ve built means so much to me, but I couldn’t have done it without my amazing and supportive husband by my side every step of the way. 

For anyone else waiting for something, just know that when you trust God’s timing for your life, you will find out that you’re not late or behind, but you are exactly who and where you’re supposed to be. Here’s to many more milestones ahead yall!🥂🫶🏽

#10kfollowers #couplesgoals #husbandandwife #marriedlife #momsofig
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Danielle Skeaton

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By: Danielle Skeaton

How to Plan Family Meals On A Budget

When you have a family to feed, buying groceries every week can get expensive. Especially right now with grocery prices skyrocketing.

These days we’re getting less food for more money.

Its crazy! Thankfully, there are lots of ways to save money on groceries that still work. Learning how to weekly meal plan and stick to it is one of them.

You may not feel the results immediately, but the more you make weekly meal planning a habit, you will soon find extra money you didn’t know you had.

Today, I’m sharing five strategic ways I feed my family of six on a budget through weekly menu planning.

Related: Overcoming My Grocery Shopping Anxiety

1. Plan to eat the same meals.

You probably don’t notice that when you eat the same budget-friendly meals in rotation for breakfast, lunch, and dinner it keeps your grocery bill under control.

Now, our grocery bill is pretty predictable at around $150-$180 every week because we plan to eat a lot of the same things. Then for dinner, we try one new recipe at a time so we don’t get sick of our favorites.

2. Plan to eat from your pantry.

If you need meal ideas, start with the ingredients that you don’t need to buy. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found items like noodles, sauces & condiments, or rice buried in my cabinets that I turned into easy meals!

So check your pantry, fridge, and freezer to see what meals you can make from what you already have! Sometimes those ingredients will help you put together meals you would’ve never thought of, which will save you time and money as you’re menu planning.

3. Plan to eat less meat.

The biggest budget buster for groceries is always buying meat. So to offset this cost, I recommend you have a meatless day on your menu once a week.

You can make homemade pizza or find kid-friendly vegetarian recipes on Pinterest to try with your family!

But if you prefer to make meat the star of every meal, chicken is definitely one of the cheapest cuts of meat you can buy. And there are SO MANY ways you can cook with chicken—from pulled chicken sandwiches to chicken tacos, homemade chicken nuggets, and southern fried chicken (yum!).

(I cook with chicken a LOT and my kids don’t complain!)

4. Plan to eat leftovers.

Once or twice a week I will plan to make a Stretch Meal—which is one meal intended to stretch over two days!

It gives me a break from cooking and it helps our grocery budget stretch further.

When I make these Stretch Meals, I always store the leftovers inside food storage containers to keep it fresh to eat the next day!

But you can also use the leftovers from your Stretch Meals to pack lunches instead of ordering food.

5. Plan around sales.

Some moms plan their ENTIRE menu around what’s on sale every week! (I have to admit, I’m not that creative.) The best way to do this is to grab the sales ad from your favorite store before you go shopping.

Then, you can plan what you’re going to make for dinner during the week using the ingredients that you find from the sales ad!

Plus, planning your menu around sales is a smart way to save money on meat and other groceries without couponing. Because you can stock up and freeze it for later, or treat your family to a steak or roast beef dinner without going over budget!

You certainly don’t have to use all of these methods to stay on budget. You can try a few at a time and or mix and match until you find the right formula that works for you!

These days, I primarily plan to eat the same meals, plan to eat leftovers, and plan to eat from my pantry because combining all three is helping me kill it even with inflation! I’m sure if I also started planning around sales, I could save even more money on groceries, but I supplement this by shopping at grocery stores that already have very low prices (Walmart and Aldi are my fav!).

Cheap & Easy Dinner Ideas You’ll Love:

  • Simple, Cheesy Ranch Chicken Alfredo To Make This Week
  • Slow Cooker Honey-Garlic Chicken Thighs
  • One-Pot White Chicken Chili
  • The Baked Ziti Recipe That My Picky Kids Approved

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Welcome to my little corner on the internet! I’m Danielle Skeaton — wife, mama of 5, and storyteller at heart. I'm so glad you're here. About Me
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Tonight for dinner was Walking Tacos and a side of Tonight for dinner was Walking Tacos and a side of Road Rage apparently 🙄🤣 #dinnertime #whatsfordinner #momlife #boymom #girlmom
I still can’t get over how amazing it was to spe I still can’t get over how amazing it was to spend this weekend in the Hocking Hills. Treehouse living with 5 kids is wild 👀 Technically, one wasn’t enough…so we stayed in two! #hostedstay 

We got the opportunity to check out the new treehouse lodging available now @hhtreehouseresort and while splitting our crew up into two spaces isn’t our usual kind of trip, I’m so glad we went. We made some fun core memories in the forrest and not once did anyone ask me for the WiFi password #MomWin 🙌🏽

If you’re looking for something whimsical and different, check out the themed luxury treehouses at @hhtreehouseresort. It may not be practical for every family, but it might be the perfect reset for yours🌲✨🪵 

#makingmemories #momlife #motherhood #familytime #hockinghills #hosted
Our last getaway before school starts! We were inv Our last getaway before school starts! We were invited to stay in not one, but two dreamy treehouses in the Hocking Hills for a fun family weekend. And while we wouldn’t normally book something like this (hello, big fam 😅), it turned out to be such a good time. 

There’s also a giant bounce house + mini golf on the property, so the boys had the time of their lives!!

📍 Located at 26633 Main St. Rockbridge, OH 43149 - about 40 mins from Columbus.

Huge thank you to @hhtreehouseresort for hosting our party of 7! Save this post if a cozy escape to #HockingHills is on your bucket list 🌲✨

#hosted #family #travel #momlife #familylife #ohio #midwest
We are going glamping!! Had to come to @walmart to We are going glamping!! Had to come to @walmart to grab a few things 🪵🛒 #shopwithme #groceries #groceryshopping #momlife #walmart
Squeezing in some summer fun at @hhfamilyfuncenter Squeezing in some summer fun at @hhfamilyfuncenter before school starts. I cannot believe we didn’t know about this place sooner! You can bring your own food and drinks for snack breaks. We also grabbed some Wendy’s nearby for lunch, but overall, it was a beautiful day well spent ☺️⛳️ #momlife #familylife #familyfun #hockinghills #cbus
7-Minute Dinner = Mom Win! 🙌🏽🏆 It’s saf 7-Minute Dinner = Mom Win! 🙌🏽🏆 It’s safe to say I’m officially obsessed with @easystreetmeals. Pre-diced. No stress. Just flavor 🔥 Available now at @gianteagle. RUN, don’t walk ❤️ #GiantEaglePartner #momlife #family #dinner #dinnerideas #tacos
Daddy’s Girl loading 🥹💕… #girlmom #dad Daddy’s Girl loading 🥹💕… 

#girlmom #daddysgirl #girldad #toddler #momlife
❤️ #datenight #momanddad #wifelife ❤️

#datenight #momanddad #wifelife
Cheers to 10k followers! 🥹 I still can’t beli Cheers to 10k followers! 🥹 I still can’t believe it. This little community we’ve built means so much to me, but I couldn’t have done it without my amazing and supportive husband by my side every step of the way. 

For anyone else waiting for something, just know that when you trust God’s timing for your life, you will find out that you’re not late or behind, but you are exactly who and where you’re supposed to be. Here’s to many more milestones ahead yall!🥂🫶🏽

#10kfollowers #couplesgoals #husbandandwife #marriedlife #momsofig
Finally 🫶🏽🎉 Finally 🫶🏽🎉

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