Use the following free FRUGAL MEALS PLANNER for seven days at a time for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks for one person. Repeat them every seven days, and they will work for any month, regardless how many days are in them. Make a list of all the ingredients you will need to make these meals and snacks for yourself, including anything you need to make as substitutions, then cross off all ingredients you already have in your food pantry, refrigerator, or freezers. What is left becomes your grocery list for another seven days of meals and snacks.
If you need more food for more people just add on whatever amounts you will need.
Search only for real bargains on any of your ingredients because being a frugal shopper means being able to take advantage of bargains when you find them. To be a frugal shopper you need to keep an adequate stock of all ingredients you will need in advance of making your meals or snacks you require. Don't get discouraged if you can't do this immediately. Just try to buy a few extra items every time you shop so that eventually you will have a good supply on hand.
Remember this is my frugal meals planner, which I made from what my own body and mind needs, so feel free to make any necessary substitutions for items that your own body and mind needs and you can afford to buy. Keeping a steno pad and ink pen handy on your refrigerator or near your computer will help you to remember what ingredients you are out of as well. Jot them down as soon as you realize you are either getting low on any you have in stock or when you run out of them, before your next seven days' meals and snacks will need to be replenished. Store your recently purchased products in the back of your food pantry so you will always use your oldest products purchased first.
It should be your goal to keep enough foods and beverages in stock to last you for at least one month at a time. If you are short on space in your freezers or refrigerators, you can always use shelf-stable foods and beverages which only need to be refrigerated once they are actually opened if they are perishable items. Many grocery stores are beginning to stock more shelf-stable foods and beverages for their customers who plan ahead for emergency situations. Once an emergency has happened, it is usually very hard to get the products you need. As you probably already know, shelves in stores empty very fast at those times. Whenever you can choose between easy-to-open products or those needing a can opener, buy the easy-to-open products. If you choose the products that need a can opener or are hard to open, make sure you have a strong and durable manual can opener on hand at all times, in case your electrical service fails. Don't forget to keep several cases of bottled water on hand for emergencies, as well as personal hygiene products like disposable wash cloths and disposable shampoo caps, and some way to be able to heat water in an emergency, which you can buy online by doing a search on them, if you can't find them in your local stores. Dr. Katz Thera Breath Oral Products do not require water to use them in emergency situations and really do work to stop bad breath odors when used every day even in normal situations at least twice a day.
Having a good supply of stock items you would need to survive on hand will give you a sense of security and peace of mind. Long-term products can be used for your meals planners. Small pots, pans, skillets, antiseptic hand soap, bar soap, hand gel sanitizer, Butter Spray, cans or jars of fruits, canned beans, canned vegetables, canned soups, canned meats, pouches of chicken breasts and seafood already cooked, instant foods you could make with nothing but cold or hot water added to them, individually wrapped snacks, personal hygiene and toiletry supplies, paper products like toilet paper, facial tissues, garbage bags, paper towels, disposable plates, bowls, cups, napkins, and silverware, seasonings you enjoy, and any type foods that do not need to be cooked, can be prepared quickly, or could be eaten without being cooked such as freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, even ice cream, are necessary to keep on hand for emergencies. Check out Emergency Essentials that sells My Choice smaller quart-sized cans of shelf-stable foods and drinks, and freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, cooked meats, and ice cream, and Walmart.com that sells Augason Farms Emergency Foods like Morning Moos Milk Alternative cheaper than Augason Farms website for emergency products you can purchase online and have delivered to your home. When Morning Moos Milk Alternative is mixed properly, you cannot tell it from regular milk. It should be mixed in a blender with warm water the night before you will need it, then chilled overnight in a container in your refrigerator. Hershey's UHT Whole Milk is sold at Kroger Stores and is shelf-stable for your food pantry for up to one year. It needs no refrigeration until it is opened, then it needs to be placed in your refrigerator. I like to keep a quart of it in my refrigerator a day before I will need it so it will be nice and cold when I open it. Parmalat UHT Milk is sold in Walmart stores and has a six month expiration date that can be stored unopened in your food pantry until you open it, then it needs to be refrigerated. All are great products to keep on hand so you don't run out of milk ever again, as are canned Luck's Fat-Free Pinto Beans which are already cooked and taste as good as home cooked pinto beans, or other Luck's products, and boxes of dry cereals like Product 19, Crispix, Total, Grape-Nuts, and Granola. It's also good to keep a case of Ramen Noodles on hand. Before you place such an order, make sure you have the necessary space needed to store them. Such emergency planning products will last a long time when properly stored and unopened. They usually still last for a year or more once opened, except for the ones that need to be refrigerated once they are opened.
You need some kind of emergency lighting, such as oil lamps, regular candles, tea candles, 100 hour liquid parafin candles, battery-operated lights, flashlights, or lanterns. Don't forget to keep matches or lighters on hand and extra batteries. A camping stove that operates on propane, or cans of Sterno fuel, or an emergency stove with canned gel fuel can help you heat water indoors in emergencies. A portable grill and charcoal could be used outside, but not indoors.
People who are disabled, homebound for any reason, senior citizens, full-time students, workaholics, or any adult aged people who don't have the time or means to shop locally can also use SCHWANS FROZEN FOODS where you can place your orders online. They can be delivered to your home twice each month. You can keep their foods stored in your home freezers. Schwan's foods are high quality, easy and quick to prepare, and provide the nutrition you need to be healthy, providing over 350 products to choose from. They will also accept EBT food cards.
Nuts.com also sells many food products you can't find locally, that are excellent in quality, and are shipped promptly. Just read their true testimonials to realize how people all over the world are pleased with their products and services.
The Prepared Pantry.com sells a lot of baking essentials and supplies that you should check out online.
BREAKFAST:
1. 2 Scrambled Eggs, Toast, 4 oz. Peach Applesauce Cup, Schwan's Orange Juice
2. Schwan's Pecan-Caramel Roll, Taster's Choice Hazelnut Instant Coffee Stick, Morning Moos Creamer
3. Instant Fruit and Cream Oatmeal, Cinnamon Toast, Coffee, Creamer
4. Fruit Bowl, Yogurt, 2 large Butter Croissants, Jam, Granola Bar, Welch's Passionfruit Juice, Coffee, Creamer
5. Product 19 cereal, Crispix, Grape-Nuts, Total, or SunBelt Banana Harvest Granola cereal, Hershey's or Parmalat whole milk, Freeze-dried fruit, Juice
6. Schwan's Pancakes, Butter, Maple Syrup, Coffee, Creamer
7. 10 whole Almonds, 1 Hard-Boiled Sliced Egg, Sliced Avocado, Orange Juice
LUNCH:
1. Chicken Noodle Soup, Saltine Crackers, Applesauce Cup, Diet Gingerale
2. Toasted Cheese Sandwich, Cream of Tomato Soup, Milk, Fruit Cup
3. Beef Stew, Buttered Bread Slices, Fruit Cup, Soft Drink
4. Chili with Beans, Oyster Crackers, Watermelon Drink, Slice of Poundcake with Sliced Strawberries or Peaches over it and Light Whipped Cream over the top
5. Chunky Vegetable Soup, Crackers, Diet Dr. Pepper, Yoplait Yogurt
6. Luck's Pinto Beans, Magic Potatoes, Cornbread, Vidalia Sweet Onion, Sliced Tomato, Decaf Iced Tea stick mixed into a bottle of chilled water, Fruit Cup
7. Cream of Chicken Dumplings (can of Cream of Chicken Soup mixed with equal amount of Half and Half milk, 1/2 stick margarine, and pinched-off into bite-sized pieces entire can of biscuit dough,) Schwan's Frozen Green Peas and Corn Niblets, Decaf Iced Tea, and Individual Fruit Pie with Schwan's Vanilla Ice Cream cup
DINNER:
1. Schwan's Oven-Baked Chicken Breast, Orange Gravy (can of Cream of Chicken Soup equally mixed with Orange Juice and heated,) canned whole green beans with sliced almonds, Potatoes au Gratin, Butter Croissants, Faux Creme Brulee (vanilla pudding cup with Smucker's sugar-free Caramel Sauce over it,) and Decaf Iced Tea
2. Schwan's Mini Pot Roast Beef and Gravy, Sliced Bread, Mashed Potatoes, Schwan's Baby Broccoli Florets, Schwan's Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream Cup, Decaf Iced Tea
3. Michelina Fettuccine Alfredo or canned Spaghetti and Sauce, Schwan's Mixed Vegetables, Welch's Grape Juice, Schwan's Garlic Toast, and Marie Callender's Coconut Cream Pie
4. 2 Chung Vegetable Egg Rolls, Rice-A-Roni Fried Rice, Bigelow Green Tea Coconut Water stick mixed into a chilled bottle of water, 4 Fortune Cookies
5. Sauteed Filet of Trout, Salmon, Tilapia, or Haddock, Lemon Wedge, Kraft Easy Mac and Cheese, Faux Slaw (frozen uncooked Schwan's CA Blend Vegetables placed in a food processor to chop up fine, then add mayonnaise, sea salt, and black pepper to suit your tastes, no cooking needed,) Marie Callender's Key Lime Pie, Lemonade
6. Grilled Schwan's Sirloin Steak, A-1 Sauce, Large Baked Potato with butter, sea salt, and black pepper, 8 oz. Diced Tropical Fruit, Decaf Iced Tea
7. Turkey Breast cutlet with Gravy, CA Blend Vegs., Cranberry Sauce, Sage-Cornbread Dressing, Sweet Potatoes and canned Pineapple Chunks, Decaf Iced Tea
SNACK SUGGESTIONS:
1. Microwave Popcorn, Diet Soft Drink, Almond Nougat Candy
2. Turkey Sandwich on Whole Wheat Bread, Milk
3. Pace Salsa and Tostitos, Watermelon Drink
4. Fig Jam and Nutella Sandwich, Milk
5. Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich, Grape Juice
6. Apple and Bottle of Chilled Water
7. Almond Nougat, Lay's Potato Chips, Orange Juice
8. 2 Bean/Cheese Burritos, Watermelon Drink
9. Sunbelt Bakery Fudge Dipped Coconut Granola Bar, Hot Green Tea
10. Whole Grain Cereal, Milk
11. Ramen Noodles cooked in pan of boiling water 5 minutes then drained, with garlic and onion powders added to it, and 2 Tbsp. margarine makes Garlic Noodles
12. Cooked Quick Barley, margarine, salt, black pepper
13. Cooked Instant Brown Rice with frozen cooked Chopped Spinach and cooked Scrambled Eggs
14. Waldorf Salad and Apple Juice
15. Chef Salad, Chilled Bottle of Water
16. Yogurt cup
17. Sliced Tomato Sandwich on Whole Wheat bread with mayonnaise, salt, and pepper and Diet Dr. Pepper
18. BBQ Chicken Breast, Potato Salad, Baked Beans with diced apples added, soft drink
19. Fried Egg and Cheese Sandwich with sliced green and black olives, Milk
20. Whole Grain Crackers with Hummus Dip
21. Sliced Fresh Vegetables with Hummus Dip
22. El Charrito frozen Queso Enchiladas dinner, Watermelon Drink
23. Quesadilla (flour tortilla with shredded cheese over entire area, topped with another flour tortilla laid flat on a plate, microwaved for 2 minutes,) Watermelon Drink
24. Flour tortilla topped with cinnamon applesauce, sprinkled with shredded cheese, then topped with another tortilla laid flat on a plate, microwaved for 2 minutes,) Milk
25. Flour tortilla spread with Nutella, then topped with mini marshmallows and another tortilla laid flat on a plate, microwaved for two minutes,) Milk
26. Smores (graham cracker topped with chocolate bar and mini marshmallows, microwaved for one minute, and another graham cracker over top,) Milk
27. Bruschetta (toasted bread rubbed with garlic and brushed with olive oil, topped with slice of mozzarella cheese, slice of tomato, and basil leaves,) Grape Juice
28. String Cheese, Almonds, Black Olives, Pretzels, Dark Chocolate, Water
29. Cottage Cheese and Pineapple Fruit Cup, Bottle of Water
30. Banana with 1 Tbsp. Peanut Butter, Milk
31. Planter's Mixed Nuts, Juice
