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In this week’s meal plan recap, I’m sharing how I kept my weekly groceries under $35, what meals I made, the freezer meals I prepped for busy nights, and tips for saving money without sacrificing flavor or variety. Dive in for meal inspiration, budget-friendly recipes, and exclusive discounts!
November Goal Recap
In last week's edition, I shared that my goal for November is to stay under $35 a week, or $140 for the month. This won't include Thanksgiving, and if I need it, I'll use my Ibotta cash rewards to cover any overages.
What I Bought This Week ($31.57)
This week I shopped at Walmart and did grocery pickup. My order was originally $35 and change (you have to meet the $35 minimum for free pickup), but it dropped after some of the produce was weighted.
Thankfully if this happens, you still get free pickup! My final total was $32.57, but I earned $1.00 cash back on the instant yeast on Ibotta.
I didn't need the yeast for this week's meal plan, but I know I'll be doing a lot of holiday baking over the next two months, so I stocked up now while it was on sale.
Everything here was a fairly good deal, except the basil. I paid $1.78 for each and they were only 0.5 ounces…It was like two leaves of basil in each container. Quite possibly the worst deal ever.
Thankfully I made it work for my meal plan, but I won't be making this mistake again! Looking into planting my own herbs and greens ASAP!!
What I Planned for the Week
Every week before I grocery shop I make a meal plan. I don't always stick to it, but it helps to have a roadmap for the week. This is what I originally planned:
- Freezer Crockpot White Bean and Kale Soup with Garlic Bread
- Pesto Pasta Bake
- Sweet Potato Burrito Bowl
- *Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos
- Freezer Red Pepper Soup with Grilled Cheese
- *Freezer 15 Bean Chili with Baked Potatoes
As you'll see below, I never got around to making the cauliflower tacos or chili with baked potatoes, so I've moved them to the beginning of this coming week's meal plan.
And because I kept my cauliflower in airtight mason jars, it's still fresh!
What I Cooked This Week
Monday: White Bean and Kale Soup
I had a really busy day Monday so I made one of my homemade freezer meals for dinner. This is what the White Bean and Kale Soup looks like in a gallon-sized ziplock bag with my homemade sticker on the front.
When I freeze these bags as flat as possible, they're usually really easy to break in half and place in the crockpot. Or if they're really frozen solid, I thaw them until cool water for a minute or two to loosen things up.
Then after 8 hours, it cooks through perfectly! These seriously save the day when I don't have time and want something hot waiting for me.
Tuesday: Pesto Pasta Bake
This pasta bake is an existing recipe on the blog. It's not the prettiest looking but it tastes SO good and is really easy to make. The pasta cooks directly in the casserole dish and you can really load it up with as much veggies as you'd like.
I made it with my homemade pesto and a homemade cream cheese out of the tofu I bought.
Wednesday-Friday: Sweet Potato Burrito Bowl
This week I planned to make my Vegan Burrito Bowl so I could re-photograph it and republish an updated version. I tweaked the original recipe just a bit and added my homemade chili corn salsa to it and it turned out absolutely delicious!
In fact, it was so good, we continued to eat it for the next 2 days (and why I didn't make the tacos or chili loaded potatoes!).
Saturday
On Saturday night we had dinner at my mom's and I brought over the food. The Roasted Red Pepper Soup and Garlic Bread were in my freezer, and the green beans I had from I think the week prior and needed to use them up. It was amazing!
Freezer Meals I Made
All I froze this week was leftover Chipotle Black Beans and Cilantro Lime Rice. Whenever I make either of these recipes, I always max out my Instant Pot and make as much as possible at once.
This way, we can have more burrito bowl nights with very little prep in the future. Plus, cooking your own rice and beans from scratch can save you so much money over time!
November Progress Report
Here I'll keep track of what I've spent for easy budgeting as the month goes by.
- Week 1: $31.57
- Week 2: TBD
- Week 3: TBD
- Week 4: TBD
Total spent so far: $31.57.
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Discount Codes
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- Ibotta: Get $5 cash back when you sign up & submit first receipt!
- Walmart Grocery Pickup: Get $10 OFF your first 3 Grocery Pickup Orders with code TRIPLE10.
- Caraway Pans: Get $150 OFF your cookware set
- Souper Cubes: Get 10% off your cart with code HOMECOOKEDROOTS10
You can also see all of my Trusted Products on the blog!
Meal Planning Ideas
If you're planning your meals for the week, I have several meal ideas here on the blog. Some of my favorite collections to browse include,
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