More menu math
The children had so much fun doing Menu Math the first time, the very next day they calculated the cost of a new set of meals. I’m not sure why I waited so long to share the results; I think I was debating whether to add to the original post or make it a new one; and then after procrastinating for long enough, I forgot that I was Procrastinating For A Reason and just moved into Standard Procrastination Mode.
I guess that would give you a small peek into “the methods and madness,” as promised in our blog’s tagline. So what do you think? Is it a little scary inside my brain, or disturbingly comfortable?
These figures were based on the same prices as the first post, but our cost for produce has shifted suddenly and favorably so the numbers aren’t quite accurate anymore. The menus aren’t quite representative of our present eating style either, since we are suddenly eating far more fresh fruits and vegetables. But nonetheless, here are the numbers:
DINNERS:
- Sloppy joes - $5.57
- Baked herb chicken - $6.05 (8 lbs of thighs/drumsticks)
- Taco chicken - $3.95 (8 lbs of thighs/drumsticks)
- Ham/potato chowder - $6.53
- Chili over rice - $6.53
- Taco salad -$10.45
- Burgers - $11.38
- Meatloaf and mashed potatoes - $9.47
LUNCHES
- Bologne sandwiches - $3.68
- Hot dogs - $3.02 (served on bread instead of buns)
BREAKFAST
- Breakfast in a bowl - $3.06 (grits, eggs, cheese and sausage all cooked in one pot)
- Oatmeal - $2.79 (with brown sugar, milk and butter)
- Muffins - $2.83
- French toast - $6.15 (surprisingly high, but the prices of eggs, milk and bread have skyrocketed)
DESSERT
- Chocolate chip cookie dough - $2.53
- Yellow cake - $2.40
- Butter frosting for cake, above - $ .94
And for lunch today…Vegetable Fried Rice, using leftover rice from a dinner earlier this week and lots of our abundant fresh veggies from our trip to the produce terminal. I’m hungry just thinking about it. This calls for eggs and we’re fresh out of them, but I suspect it will be perfectly delicious without, though a little lacking in protein. We’ll just have to see what we can do about that…
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Please, the recipe for breakfast in a bowl. I’m a northerner who loves grits but has no grit cooking skills. Have pity on me!
where do you get 8 pounds of chicken for $3.95 or $6.05 the best I can do is like $1.89 a pound.
mj,
We get 10 lb bags of leg quarters at Walmart for about $4.50 - it’s by far the cheapest deal around!
This seems like so much fun- I really want to try this! Have you considered hosting a Menu Math carnival? I am as interested in discovering what some of our meals cost as I am in reading yours and others.
Thanks for sharing yor findings- am glad they didn’t get lost forever in your “standard procrastination mode”. Now we can all enjoy.
Suzanne
That is great! Have you noticed a big difference in your budget then?
Suzanne,
If you want to do this on your blog, I’ll be happy to add a link to the post itself. We could turn the post itself into a carnival!
Martha,
I’ve noticed that our occasional runs to WalMart cost $20 instead of $80-100. We still run out of dishsoap, diapers, etc. but the food is going much, much farther.
ok Kim thanks for the info/ I did find the chicken at Walmart here for the same price 46 cents a pound, I will buy that when I get chicken w/ the bone but gotta say we eat mostly boneless breasts here
That is great! Just curious what do you do to the herb baked chicken that makes it cost so much more than taco chicken?