Week 68 Menu Plan - Using What We Have

I'm starting to think of drastic ways to decrease our spending ... just the other day I calculated we spend $16,000.00 a year on insurance and real estate taxes. The insurance is for the 3 vehicles, the hazard, wind and flood insurance. The taxes is on the house. I didn't even calculate the boat insurance since Hubby deals with that himself ... but I think that's around $3800 a year ... so really, TWENTY THOUSAND dollars a year just for insurance and real estate taxes.

YES. We have a serious problem in South Florida. The insurance industry so needs to be overhauled down here ... we have no choice for the wind insurance which runs around $3800 or so a year with a $10,000.00 deductible. If I didn't have a mortgage, I wouldn't have to have it, let alone insure it for the amount they (insurance company) deems is necessary to rebuild the house should a hurricane come through.  Not that I would go without insurance. But at least I could say I only want to be insured up to $200,000 instead of the mandated $500,000 (I think it's $650,000 this year). Uggg.

Ok ... enough of that ... just sharing some of the things that have been really opening my eyes ... not to mention the cost of food and gas ... I am just appalled that milk is $4.39 now. Really. Eggs? Walked right by them as I'd rather get EXTRA LARGE good eggs from Costco instead of the tiny things offered at the local grocery store. Although, Target does have them on sale for 99 cents a dozen so I might just swing in there and pick up 5 dozen or so. But back to my rant:  $4 for a loaf of whole wheat bread?? I'm thankful I don't eat a lot of bread and most of the family does NOT mind the cheap stuff from Aldis!

Ok Ok ... sorry, I'm hitting one of my extreme frugal stages (they come and go around here) ... so we are looking at the following eats this week:

Sunday - Ribs in the crock pot ... Hubby will make a batch of baked beans and I'll make a small batch of coleslaw (ribs from freezer, thankfully, baked bean ingredients in pantry and coleslaw from fridge)

Monday - Grown Up Grilled Cheese Sandwiches ... skipped this last week. All ingredients in fridge and pantry (Hubby will be on his own with the kids because I'm taking my aunt & uncle to see my dad, this will be a huge surprise, 25 plus years since they've seen each other last ...)




Tuesday - Spicy Chicken and Cabbage Stir Fry (using the smart chicken from freezer and bag of coleslaw from fridge)

Wednesday - I'd like to make Chicken Enchiladas for dinner ... plan to cook a whole chicken in the crock pot on Tuesday to shred for tonight. This will remove a big hunk of meat from the freezer, yahoo! Rest of ingredients in pantry and fridge!

Thursday - I'm off today and tomorrow! Woohoo. Costco should be on the schedule today ... looking to make Chicken Chili ... still have not put the recipe up! Working on that today! Chicken from freezer (if I have leftover chicken from the crock pot, I'll use that!) balance of ingredients in pantry and fridge

Friday - I'm thinking my Aunt and Uncle from Arkansas will want to do something so I'm leaving this open for dinner out

Saturday - Hubby's choice ...being that tomorrow is Easter Sunday, I'm hoping for something simple and not a lot of leftovers!

What are YOU cooking up this week?  Go check out Menu Planning Monday for more ideas!

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