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 🫶🏽🎉
Snaps from the chaos of last week 📸😮‍💨 Snaps from the chaos of last week 📸😮‍💨

Last week completely drained me. First, Ryheem was in the hospital. Then I got sick. And the wildest part? I also hit 10K followers.

I always imagined that moment would feel like fireworks…But instead, I was crying in the hospital parking lot. It was literally the happiest and hardest week of my life!!

I didn’t have the energy to cook or clean. I barely got out of my bed. I had found myself in a funk that I tried really hard to escape by baking, shopping, cleaning, even playing in my daughter’s hair. But most days, the only reason I left the house was because the boys had football practice.

I’m not sharing this for sympathy — I’m sharing it because it’s real. It’s so easy to assume someone has it all together. But the truth is: I crave community just like you do.

I love showing up and sharing my world here, but it means more than you know when I feel seen, too.

And while I’m still not fully out of it, I’m grateful. Grateful that the days don’t feel as dark. That God is a healer and a promise-keeper. And that even when I’m falling apart, something beautiful can bloom. 

#momlife #familylife #motherhood #momsofig
My husband is my rock. My best friend. Seeing his My husband is my rock. My best friend. Seeing his strength leave him was one of the hardest things I’ve ever faced. But prayer WORKS 🙏🏾

After three long days in the hospital, he’s finally home, resting and recovering.

Thank you all so much for your prayers, messages, phone calls, and well wishes. We felt every bit of it, and we needed it more than you’ll ever know. 🫶🏽

For better or for worse. In sickness and in health. We’re in this forever baby. I got you and I love you ❤️ Thank you Jesus 🙌🏽 #marriedlife #marriage #husbandandwife #grateful #godisgood
What can I say, I’m just a 90s baby. Born and ra What can I say, I’m just a 90s baby. Born and raised 😂🎶🫶🏽 #90sbaby #90smusic #rnb #millennials #momsofig
Even though we started over and have one kid in di Even though we started over and have one kid in diapers, this time around feels lighter 🥹🙌🏽

I don’t know exactly when it happened. When the chaos became bearable. When the joy stopped getting buried under my never ending to-do list. But here we are. Laughing. Letting go. Actually having fun. 

It’s not the easy season. But it’s definitely the good one. The fun one. And I’m learning to enjoy it while I’m in it. 

For every mama in the thick of it, I’m right there with you, but I’m here to tell you, YOU WILL WIN ❤️💦 #momlife #girlmom #boymom #motherhood #momof5 #familylife
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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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Our Cheap $50/Week Meal Plan For A Family of 5

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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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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 🫶🏽🎉
Snaps from the chaos of last week 📸😮‍💨 Snaps from the chaos of last week 📸😮‍💨

Last week completely drained me. First, Ryheem was in the hospital. Then I got sick. And the wildest part? I also hit 10K followers.

I always imagined that moment would feel like fireworks…But instead, I was crying in the hospital parking lot. It was literally the happiest and hardest week of my life!!

I didn’t have the energy to cook or clean. I barely got out of my bed. I had found myself in a funk that I tried really hard to escape by baking, shopping, cleaning, even playing in my daughter’s hair. But most days, the only reason I left the house was because the boys had football practice.

I’m not sharing this for sympathy — I’m sharing it because it’s real. It’s so easy to assume someone has it all together. But the truth is: I crave community just like you do.

I love showing up and sharing my world here, but it means more than you know when I feel seen, too.

And while I’m still not fully out of it, I’m grateful. Grateful that the days don’t feel as dark. That God is a healer and a promise-keeper. And that even when I’m falling apart, something beautiful can bloom. 

#momlife #familylife #motherhood #momsofig
My husband is my rock. My best friend. Seeing his My husband is my rock. My best friend. Seeing his strength leave him was one of the hardest things I’ve ever faced. But prayer WORKS 🙏🏾

After three long days in the hospital, he’s finally home, resting and recovering.

Thank you all so much for your prayers, messages, phone calls, and well wishes. We felt every bit of it, and we needed it more than you’ll ever know. 🫶🏽

For better or for worse. In sickness and in health. We’re in this forever baby. I got you and I love you ❤️ Thank you Jesus 🙌🏽 #marriedlife #marriage #husbandandwife #grateful #godisgood
What can I say, I’m just a 90s baby. Born and ra What can I say, I’m just a 90s baby. Born and raised 😂🎶🫶🏽 #90sbaby #90smusic #rnb #millennials #momsofig
Even though we started over and have one kid in di Even though we started over and have one kid in diapers, this time around feels lighter 🥹🙌🏽

I don’t know exactly when it happened. When the chaos became bearable. When the joy stopped getting buried under my never ending to-do list. But here we are. Laughing. Letting go. Actually having fun. 

It’s not the easy season. But it’s definitely the good one. The fun one. And I’m learning to enjoy it while I’m in it. 

For every mama in the thick of it, I’m right there with you, but I’m here to tell you, YOU WILL WIN ❤️💦 #momlife #girlmom #boymom #motherhood #momof5 #familylife
5 kids. 2 parents. What were we thinking? 😂🐺 5 kids. 2 parents. What were we thinking? 😂🐺💦

We spent the 4th of July weekend this year at @greatwolflodge — and it was a lot. A lot of noise. A lot of walking. A lot of snacks. A lot of towels. A lot of joy.

We had 5 kids running in 5 directions. There were moments I wanted to cry — and moments I laughed until I couldn’t breathe.

I didn’t get the perfect picture. But I got something better: presence.

Somewhere between the water slides and the late-night pizza, I caught myself watching them. Really watching them. And it hit me: they won’t be this little for long 🥺

The 4th of July means freedom. And this weekend gave me mine — not from responsibility, but from distraction. From comparison. From rushing through what matters most.

We left tired. Hair wet, suitcases messy, hearts full. I won’t remember everything from this trip. But I’ll remember how it felt. And that’s enough.

You can read all about our weekend at Great Wolf Lodge with 5 kids, including how much we spent (and saved!) over on the blog today! www.DanielleSkeaton.com 🔗 LINK IN BIO

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