I know, I used to post my weekly menu here, and I should probably get back to doing that.  One of the reasons I do weekly menus, or longer, is so I am prepared and not scrambling for dinner every night.  But the other reason is to save money and use up what we have in the freezer and pantry.  And because I only get paid once a month, it is in my best interest to plan ahead so we don’t have an unnecessary lean week at the end of the month.  And this month, I need to be sure I’ve budgeted for every single thing, or I’m going to be in big trouble come Christmastime.  Someone has to pay for Santa’s visit!

So this month I did a very daring thing.  I looked at what was in the freezer, counted every package of meat, and came up with 12.  Our dinners always contain meat.  I know, we could have meatless meals, but that doesn’t work in this house, mainly because of me.  I am definitely a carnivore, and my body (and I) know it if I have not had enough meat protein.  So after counting up what I had, off I went to the store, picking up more meat and veggies and pasta and other things to combine into meals.  Once home, I added the newly purchased meat to the list (after putting it in the freezer, of course), and I had enough to plan ahead 31 meals for December.  I wrote them all on a big list and posted it on the refrigerator.  I didn’t duplicate any meals directly, and there is plenty of variety.  Some nights are cheap meals, some more expensive, but the fact is, I have what I need to get this done.  The only supplement will be fresh fruit, milk, and bread, and maybe a few odds and ends along the way.

I’m thrilled I could manage this.  This is the first time I’ve tried to do it, but I know others that make this work well, and I intend to make it work too.  It will save us a ton of headaches and time, not to mention my pocketbook!

I am very blessed in that I received an upright freezer last month from a friend.  I couldn’t do this without that freezer space being available to me.  The last seven months without a spare fridge/freezer have been terrible, and I’m glad I don’t have to squeeze everything into one small freezer any more.

Bon apetit!

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