Real helpful

Our local news programs have "budget tips" for grocery shopping. Here is a few examples:

Buy store brand instead of name brands.
Buy large packages of things then seperate into portion sizes.
Use coupons.
Plan ahead before you go to the store.

Well no duh, dumbo!!
Those are things any college student can suggest.

I would like some real help with "budget tips". Can someone please plan out a weeks worth of meals with the following criteria:
1: cheap
2: healthy, somewhat
3: easy to fix
4: oh, by the way my family doesn't like: chicken, rice, pasta or casseroles of any kind. My husband DOES like meat (as in beef) and fried stuff.
5: did I mention cheap?

I am just finding it harder and harder to stretch our budget any further and feed everyone. We have been eating many hotdogs/hamburgers from the bbq. And grilled meat with veggies. And lots of taco salads.

I am also finding it more difficult to eat healthy while on our tight financial constraints. Healthy food is more expensive. Why? I bet more people would eat it if it was the same price as the other things. Like fat free hotdogs. They cost about 2x the price as regular ones. And bread. Whole wheat is more expensive than the white, cheap stuff.

I know money is tight for everyone right now and prices have gone up so much on EVERYTHING. I used to be so proud of what I spent on food for my family: less than $75 a week! For a family of 6! That's pretty impressive, no? Now, I haven't walked out of the store spending less than $85 in a very long time. It's only a $15 difference but that's weekly.

I went shopping tonight and just was very frustrated with the whole process. Making a menu, making a list, going to the store, fighting the crowds, paying for the groceries, loading into the van, unloading into the house, putting everything away.

Only to have someone, certainly, say: "Are we having this? Again?"

I think there will be a special place in Heaven for grocery shopping mamas.