Our ALDI Menu Plan For This Week

Yesterday, I shared how I am changing up how I usually grocery shop and menu plan this week in order to give you some different ideas on how to save money on groceries.

If you’re interested in what I bought for $110 at ALDI yesterday, be sure to check out this post here.

Let’s Talk About Kroger

One of the things I often hear from people is that they don’t have a Kroger store or any store that marks down items or has good sales. If you don’t have a Kroger store, first make sure that you don’t have a Kroger affiliate store in your area.

While the Kroger affiliate stores sometimes have different deals than Kroger, many times, the deals are very similar. Best of all, many of the Kroger affiliate stores also mark down groceries, too! (Psst! My favorite site to find great deals at Kroger and Kroger affiliate stores is KrogerKrazy.com.)

Don’t Have a Kroger? Take Heart!

If you are in an area that doesn’t have a Kroger or Kroger affiliate, take heart! There are many other ways to save money on groceries! As I always tell people, instead of saying, “We can’t do that!” Or, “That won’t work for me!” Ask yourself: “What can we do? What do we have to work with? How can we save more?”

What stores do you have in your area? Take stock of all of them — dollar stores, ethnic markets, farmer’s markets, local farms that sell to the public, health food stores, discount stores. Do some research to make sure you’re not missing anything that might be a goldmine of great prices!

Can you grow or make more of your own food? Could you cut back in some areas or replace more expensive products you usually buy with a less expensive alternative?

A can do, creative, committed attitude will take you far. If you believe you can cut your grocery bill, there are probably some new ways you will discover. If you believe you can’t, you’ll likely just sit there and do nothing!

Here are two testimonials that people messaged me on Instagram today that I thought might encourage you:

This week, instead of shopping the deals and markdowns at Kroger, I shopped exclusively at ALDI. I love ALDI — especially when there’s not the option of the deals and markdowns at Kroger!

Want to Save Some Time?

And instead of planning my menu from scratch, I’m using the Eat at Home Menu Plan service. We’ve used this over the years during busy seasons and it can be a lifesaver… especially if the thought of planning a menu and writing a grocery list is overwhelming! Best of all, the recipes are simple, inexpensive, and almost everything can be purchased at ALDI!

I’m using the Eat at Home Slow Cooker/Instant Pot plan (I’m doing the second week of September). Oh and it’s on sale this week for the lowest price of the year when you use coupon code EASY at checkout. That makes it as low as $1.13/week to have someone do all the leg work for you! (That’s the best deal that they offer and the coupon code locks in the rate for the life of your subscription!!! See some sample menu plans here.)

Here’s what’s on the menu for this week:

Breakfasts:

Cereal/Milk, Eggs, Oatmeal, Fruit (everyone makes their own)

Lunches:

The kids have lunch at school 4 days this week. Jesse and I usually have salads and leftovers. The day the kids bring their lunch, they bring either leftovers or a snack-y type lunch or PB&J. On the weekends, they do more snack-y type things for lunches.

Snacks:

Popcorn, Apples with Peanut Butter, Healthy Peanut Butter Cups, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Dinners:

• Monday — Bean Burritos, Fruit (I used tortillas, ground beef/turkey we had already browned in the freezer, refried beans, taco seasoning, and cheese.)
• Tuesday — Slow Cooker Cheesy Hamburger Soup (recipe is below), Fruit, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Wednesday — Slow Cooker Chicken Fiesta With Black Beans, Rice
• Thursday — Brown Sugar Chicken and Sweet Potatoes in the Slow Cooker, Steamed Peas
• Friday — Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken and Root Vegetables, Fruit, Bread
• Saturday — Dinner Out
• Sunday — Leftovers/Fend For Yourself

If you are interested, I made tonight’s dinner in the crockpot on live video. You can watch it here. I subbed cheddar cheese for Velveeta.

The soup looks SO yummy! I can’t wait to eat it tonight!

By the way, the plan above is what I’m aiming for. However, it is subject to change based upon how our week goes and if I feel like baking or get a hankering to make something else to add to the list (provided we have the ingredients!)

Be sure to follow my Instagram stories for more behind-the-scenes details on what I’m cooking this week + lots of money-saving tips!