Xtra Cash 4 The Holidays

So it always happens during the Holidays.....we run short on Cash (Like who doesn't?!? :P ) Things seem to come up and even though we save throughout the year in a Christmas fund....some years it seems we need a bit more.......(Like we may be called to gift/give unexpected money or we may host and need more $$ for the dinner or we may offer $$ to whomever is hosting to help out .....) So for us....we are on a budget. I get X amount of dollars most weeks to spend on food and gas...it's always the same. This is the ONLY cash that ever crosses my stay at home Mom's hands and I am VERY grateful to have it....So I need to make it last....especially during the Holidays. I have a family of 6 and this is about the lowest I can go on groceries....this list includes if you had to buy EVERYTHING for the menus...sometimes I do not so it may be even lower.....like I don't always need sugar or peanut butter/jelly, you get the point...some things carry over week to week (shampoo and dish soap usually do too) So on really tight weeks I might use this menu and save the extra cash for other needs. This is one of my own personal menus that I use during "those times" It would be more $$$ in the summer when the kids are home and we needed more lunch items. Some of you could probably get by on less and so could we if we went to only water and less snacks. I keep this printed out in a binder I have and I shop at a Save-a-Lot in my area....If you have to go to a BIG named store I would expect to add 10 to 15 dollars more to the list....if your family is smaller than 6 then you could save even more !!! On Hillbilly Housewife's web site there are some cheaper menus but this is my personal version made from the likes of my family. If my family doesn't like it, it does me no good to serve it cuz they won't eat it. If you are really tight....try a skip week- where you get all creative and try really hard to just cook with what you have on hand in the freezer or pantry....I find I can do this every once and a while...but don't expect anything real glamorous...haha.. and remember stingy is counting each penny....frugal is making each penny count ...hopefully so you can bless your family and others this season!!!

$56 Menu (6 people)Dinners
French Toast/ham/apples (apples sliced and eaten fresh)
Pancakes/ ham/apples (apple slice leftovers sauteed with small amount sugar and butter- can be used as topping on pancakes or microwave jelly for a nice syrup)
Roast Chicken (we use 2)/ mashed potatoes/green beans (roast both chickens at same time for other dinners below-make double batch mashed potatoes for next meal- make broth from bones for next meal)
Chicken & Homemade Noodles/corn/leftover mashed potatoes (make noodles with flour /eggs/dash salt- roll out /cut/cook in broth- reheat chicken & mashed potatoes. Save leftover noodles in broth for chicken soup meal)
Creamed Chicken & Veggies over homemade biscuits (or toast) with carrot sticks (make biscuits-chop leftover chicken, corn and green beans left over from last 2 meals and add to basic cream sauce (2 tbls butter melted add 2 tbls flour add 1 c milk boil till thick- season to taste) add chicken & veggies serve over warm biscuits.
Chicken Soup with Sandwiches or dumplings in soup (grilled cheese or PB&J)(take leftover noodles in broth- chop carrots and add any leftover creamed chicken and veggies to make a creamy chicken veggie soup -can make drop dumplings instead of sandwiches (flour/egg/ salt)
Spaghetti/meatballs/homemade garlic sticks (Butter bread , sprinkle with garlic, cut into 3 or 4 strips and broil)
Lunches
Any Leftovers (each meal usually has leftovers and kids are in school so we don't need too much)
Simple sandwich (PB&J, Egg Salad, Grilled cheese if you have any cheese, Chicken Salad if any chicken left over) Creamed eggs over toast...serve with apples (homemade apple sauce) or carrots.
Breakfastseggs (scrambled/fried/poached/omelets)
Cereal
toast
juice
pancakes/french toast
fried apples/fritters
Snackscrackers (w/cheese or peanut butter)
popcorn
pretzels
apples-sliced raw or baked with sugar
carrot sticks
can make simple sugar cookies or snicker doodles with what's on grocery list. Even apple pie/ cobbler if you have enough apples left!! - Be creative
DrinksWater
koolaide
juice (Oj or apple)
milk

Grocery List10 pks koolaide $1.00
5 Lbs sugar $1.99
Orange Juice 2@ .79 = $1.58
1 Gal White Milk $3.19
1 Gal Choco Milk $3.19
1 Bag Pretzels $0.99
Popcorn 6 pack Micro $1.68
1 Box saltine Crackers $0.99
4 Loaves bread (bread thrift store) $1.59
1 Box Life Cereal $3.19
3 18 pack eggs 3@ $2.19 each = $6.57
1 Jar peanut Butter $0.99
1 Jar Jelly $0.99
1 Box Spaghetti $0.59
1 Jar Spaghetti Sauce $0.89
1 Pack Meatballs $1.99
2 Roasting Chickens 2 @ &3.99 each $7.98
2 cans corn 2@ $0.49 each= $0.98
2 cans green beans 2@ $0.49 each= $0.98
1 Bag Baby Carrot Sticks $0.99
1 Pack Ham slices $2.99
1 Bag Flour $1.99
1 Bag Apples (3 Lbs) $1.99
1 Bag Potatoes (5 Lbs) $2.99
1 Shampoo (Sauve) $0.79
1 Dish Soap $0.99
1 Pack (Double size roll) Toilet Paper $1.89
______________
Total $$ $55.97
Tax 6.75% non food items $0.91
Grand Total $56.88

*Edit: here are some links to some great low cost/frugal menus!!$10 Grocery List
$31 Dollars a week Menu
$30 Dollars a Week
$45 Emergency Menu for 4 to 6
$70 Low Cost Menu for 4 to 6