EXTREME GROCERY BUDGET CHALLENGE
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 พ.ย. 2024
- Hello. I'm Ardent Michelle. In this video, I'm planning a one week menu for a family of 4 with a tight budget. This is an extreme grocery budget challenge in which I'm trying to incorporate convenience foods into the mix so that meals are quick and easy to prepare while still being nutritious. Grocery haul on a budget, frugal living.
#grocerybudgetchallenge
#budgetchallenge
#groceryhaul
#extremegrocerybudget
#extremegrocerybudgetchallenge
#walmartgroceryhaul
#ardentmichelle
Check out my son's channel to see the budget friendly ramen he came up with
Foodie Justin - Delicious recipe made with ramen noodles
Spicy Garlic Ramen
• Spicy Garlic Instant R...
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MENU
BREAKFASTS
15 Servings honey nut o’s cereal with ½ cup milk each
1 Scrambled eggs with toast (2 slices bread)
1 Toast with peanut butter and 1 hard-boiled egg
Toast with peanut butter
1 Toast with peanut butter and 1 hard-boiled eggs
Saturday - 4 Chorizo and scrambled eggs (6 eggs) with toast
SUNDAY - 4 KOREAN egg toast sandwiches = 8 eggs
LUNCHES
KIDS LUNCHES DAYS 1-5
DAY 1 2 pizza slices with ½ apple, honey nut cheerios and carrots
DAY 2 2 Peanut butter sandwiches, chips, and ½ orange = 4 slices bread
Day 3 2 cheese sandwich /grilled cheese , ½ red apple, chips
Day 4 2 peanut butter roll ups -2 tortillas with sliced banana, carrots, apple, and cheddar
Day 5 2 Cheese sandwich, chips, and ½ orange = 4 slices bread
10 Peanut butter & green apple sandwiches, ½ orange, chips
2 Bowls chicken ramen
DINNERS
8 Servings white chicken chili first serving garnished with 2 tortillas
4 servings chicken fajitas =8 tortillas with red and green bell peppers, onions, chicken, sour cream and cheddar cheese
4 servings chimichangas =8 tortillas with refried beans and sour cream
8-10 servings chicken noodle soup with noodles, chicken and carrots
4-5 servings buddha bowls = pinto beans, 1 cup rice, carrots, tortilla chips, garnish with slice of jalapeño
AFTER SCHOOL SNACKS
PIZZA
Hardboiled eggs
2 Top ramen
Cinnamon toast
Green apples and peanut butter
INGREDIENTS LIST
chicken breasts -4 pack 6.99
green bell pepper 0.68
beans pinto 1 lb 1
white beans navy 1.14
onion yellow 0.5
rice 0.72
chicken broth 1.34
diced green chilis 1.56
eggs 18 2.42
apples -2 red 1.41
red bell pepper 1.38
top ramen 2 1.42
2 breads great value 1.68
peanut butter -great value 1.76
carrots 16 ounce bag 0.9
jalapeno 0.28
apples -2 green 1.24
tortillas 20 ct great value 2.71
chorizo 1.28
honey nut o's 2.12
blue diamond milk 2.37
cheese 1.68
ziti noodles 0.86
sour cream knudsen 1.77
bananas 4 1.17
TOTAL 40.38
chips 1.1
oranges 1.46
TOTAL $42.94
Pantry staples used: cumin, chili powder, garlic salt, cayenne, oregano, chicken bouillon powder, oil
RECIPES
WHITE CHICKEN CHILI
www.allrecipes...
I used 1/8 teaspoon cayenne and didn’t use heavy cream. 1/8 teaspoon cayenne had quite a bit of heat. You may want to use less. I substituted navy beans for the great northern.
Variations- add corn, use corn-starch to thicken, make a vegetarian version, use the second can of chiles. Serve with corn-bread, Serve with lime flavored chips on the side
*To save money use only 1 can of green chilis
CHICKEN FAJITAS
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
To contact me, send emails to:
ardentmichelle1@gmail.com
To send me mail:
15333 Culver Drive Suite 340 #546
Irvine, CA 92604
I am always amazed at what you come up with. This was impressive. Your love of culinary and your family is so evident in your meals. Thank you for sharing
Glad you like this one. 😁 This took me a long time to film and edit ☹️ The smaller ones are so much easier. I'm glad you enjoyed this though. 😁👩🍳
You're incredible! Thank you for showing all of these delicious, creative meals. I lost my job in October, and your budget videos have helped me a lot to adjust to living on a reduced income. Many blessings!
I'm so glad. 😁 Thanks for letting me know. I think of my viewers like you when I'm creating these videos. I try to make them nice for you.
My admiration for you grows with each video! You really knock it out of the ballpark! Well done! As an aside, I personally think it's gracious that when I offered a well-intended comment, you took it as such, were humble and have tried to understand where I was coming from as the viewer. Now that is class, maturity and someone who deserves great success. Very proud of you! Thank you for the time and care you put into these wonderful videos.
I appreciate your comment 😁 I enjoy hearing my viewer's perspectives, especially the thoughtful ones. Thanks for watching. Glad you liked this video!
Thank you for including the vegetarian conversion ideas! I love your ideas and have been adding them in to my diet - thanks for sharing! 💚
Glad you like them! 👍
Excited to see what you come up with. I think we could all stand to save a little money on food.
You can also just use one half of the seasoning packet, the ramen will still have a nice light flavor with half the salt. I then save the unused packets when I make homemade soup. 😋
Great idea. 👍
In our household, it's usually two blocks getting made, and we often do this and have extra seasoning packets for future use.
@@yvonnepalmquist8676 Another great idea to cut the sodium in half.
Sometimes I do the opposite. Add the whole packet but up the water to 4 cups. Then I add some frozen veg and cut up leftiver chicken to turn a small bowl of souo into an entire meal
I do this all the time! One whole packet is waaaay too much for me
I can't even imagine shopping & cooking for a family. I lived thru the 1980's when prices skyrocketed and I had 3 teens. It was so difficult to make nice & filling meals, especially after I lost my job. I actually made every soup recipe in my cookbook to help stretch the meals & keep things interesting.
I grew up eating the same soup for a week. Mom made an extra large pot of soup every Sunday and we ate it all week long. 😝 It was more work but a different soup every day made a world of difference, at least to me.
My mother struggled, too, in the 1980s as a single parent. 😕
I agree with you. Variety is so satisfying.
It takes a lot of time to plan budget meals when you're cooking for a family. So much easier for just one person.
What's great about making a different soup every day is you can freeze the extra for a time when you're busy or don't feel like cooking. It might feel like more work on the front end, but then you get to work less later!
What's great about making a different soup every day is you can freeze the extra for a time when you're busy or don't feel like cooking. It might feel like more work on the front end, but then you get to work less later!
@@rachelholdt6840 Yes! We make a huge six quart pot of soup every week, slightly condensed, and separately freeze four of the quarts. I freeze the soup in one cup increments in a square silicon food saver. Six cubes of soup fit into a gallon zip-loc bag. One frozen cup of soup plus a bit of water is one serving. Some days everyone wants a different soup and I have turkey, chicken, chili, sausage & white bean, ham & white bean, salmon, tomato, mushroom, coconut curry, and lentil soups. No cans wasted and the zip-loc bags are reusable. The soups are nearly free, made with saved scraps and homemade stock.
In addition to creams and slurries, you can also thicken soups, stews and chilis by pureeing some of your beans. Or if the flavor profile allows, you can also add potato flakes.
Great ideas 👍
Loved the eggs and Chorizo. That's what we eat all the time. We also do eggs with cut up hot dog weiners and tortillas you can put ketchup on top. Delicious!!!
It would have been great to serve them on corn tortillas along with the sour cream...but our little budget only went so far....so toast it was. Great idea with the weiners.
Fried bologna with eggs is yummy, too.
I’ve found so much inspiration from watching your videos and have already tried out a few of your recipes with great success. Your recipes are not only creative and budget-friendly but also incredibly delicious.
One thing that particularly stands out to me is your calming voice. It makes watching your videos an even more enjoyable experience. The way you present your content is both relaxing and informative, which keeps me coming back for more.
Yay, thank you! 💜 I'm glad my videos inspire you and that you find my videos calming!
Michelle, I burst out laughing when you talked about having to "hide" the tortillas and how much your teens were eating. Brought back so many memories of trying to keep food in the house when I had teens. I think teen boys can be bottomless pit when they really like something.
Very true!
Yes....especially when they really like something and they loved the chili and fajitas this week.
When my boys were teens my "go to" even for their between meal snacks was a box of pasta and a simple jar or can of sauce. Luckily for me, my boys could eat pasta everyday and that's a snack that would last them quite a few days (depending on their activity level) for only about $2. Teen boys can be bottomless. I would just make it and store it in the fridge and they would help themselves when they wanted.
@@yvonnepalmquist8676 Yes, they go for readymade, easy food so keep the cheap stuff handy. Lol
@@yvonnepalmquist8676 I love pasta!
You're an amazing cook Michelle
Thank you 😁
This type video is always impressive to me. I've never seen a meal I wouldn't eat that you prepare. Have a great week and thanks for giving us yet another budget friendly tutorial. 🙂❤️
You are the sweetest 🥰 I'm always hopeful my recipes will be liked. I appreciate you!
I came across your channel last week and have been watching your previous videos. I love them all! Your budget meals are so creative and I want to try making them soon. Thanks for all you do! ❤
Yay! I'm so glad you are enjoying my content 😁
I want more creative vegetarian ideas! On a budget! Thank you for thinking of us in this video! 😘
You're so welcome!
I am a good cook but sometimes I need inspiration and other ideas, I get stuck in my own rut. You provided some really great ideas and the "extra" tips or ingredients you said could be added was spot on. I like how you bought the bulk of your ingredients but assumed we had a stocked spice cabinet, that is real world. I do like to see people in the videos but you had a lovely voice to narrate for us so it was all good. I stumbled upon you video, but I am glad I did I will be subscribing and watching more of your videos.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments and welcome to my channel 😁 I prefer to stay behind the camera. I appeared briefly in one of my videos but probably won't again. I'm just a person that likes to cook and eat good food on a budget. 👩🍳
You should have so many more viewers. You are great at what you do!! Maybe you should change the name & style on some of your videos to attract more viewers. You have grace, style, imagination, and healthy ingredients. Also yummy recipes.
Hi Michelle. I would love to see some weekly meal plan videos (solo or family) that use a fugal but not necessarily extreme budget (Like $40-50 for solo, $100-125 family of four). I do love watching your videos and appreciate the time you put into making them look good as well as have interesting content.
Thanks Sarah. Geez ....I would eat whatever I wanted for $40 or $50 a week. I'm just not sure it's low enough for my viewership. I've been thinking about adding a second channel for some other content where budgets are higher. Let me ponder this for awhile. It would be fun for me.
I tried the french toast/omelet with cheese, I added ham and topped it with syrup. My family and I loved it..it tasted better than a Mcgriddle. Thanks
YAY!! 😁 Glad you liked the KOREAN street toast. 🍞I thought it was a lot of fun and I will definitely be making that again. I feel like the options are endless for that one.
When I was a teenager in the 50’s (yes, I’m older than dirt) My boyfriend and a friend of his would come over quite often. His friend’s mother had died when he was quite young and he appeared to be rather neglected. He would literally devour everything in the house if he could. My mother was quite sympathetic but one day she had made a pie and wanted to save it. I searched the house and couldn’t find it. She had hidden it in the clothes dryer.
Hello 👋 That's a funny, yet tragic story at the same time. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people that do not have enough food to eat. ☹️
You have a beautiful voice and helpful content. I make my fajitas the same way because the vegetables come out with an amazing caramelized taste.
Thank you 😁 I appreciate that. I used to fry my peppers and onions but I love them so much better this way.
The way you folded that egg sandwich, brilliant!
😂 cooking is fun!
The most important ingredient l saw being used was.......Love.
And you cannot buy that at any store.😉
Yes 😊 🥰 This is true 👍
So glad to see another video. I think this video is great and I got lots of ideas, even though there is only two of us.
I hope you like Ibotta. It for sure has a learning curve. The trick is to stack the bonuses with the offers, concentrate on free offers, offers for items you always buy or brands you already love.
I would love to see a behind the scenes vid on scoping out the deals and planning your recipes.
Thank you 😁 I'm planning an upcoming video on how to save money on groceries. Hopefully that will cover some of these items. 😁
Re: the price difference between the noodles and pasta - the first package had egg noodles, which are made with flour and eggs, whereas the second package had pasta, which is made only from flour and water. I believe the eggs contribute to the price difference :)
You are so right! I just saw noodles. Lol.
@@ArdentMichelle and the price difference!! ;) I'm positive if there were differences between the two products' nutrition labels that anything 'missing' in the pasta didn't make a dent in the nutrition available to your family over the course of the week. Everyone loves how you work these challenges!
@@mwahl1686 yeah you're probably right about that. Thanks for the complement 😁
Another enjoyable and informative video. White chicken chili yum. So many delicious menu items. Thank you
Glad you enjoyed this video 😁
I love those tortillas also. But I love to add kosher salt to a cold dry frying pan with a Few pats of unsalted butter. It's important the pan is cold and the butter is unsalted. Then I turn the heat on med an melt the butter. Once it's sizzling hot I add the flour tortillas. I let 1 side soak a little of the butter then I flip it. Less than 30 sec. Then I move the flour tortillas around to soak up the butter and then I toast it. I flip it and let it toast on the second side. And since I added the melted the butter in the beginning no more butter is needed. And because u add the kosher salt to the pan it gives a grainy salty taste to the flour tortillas. It's so good. I love it. It's sort of like the texture of salted french fries. But the great value flour tortillas are fluffy. So good.
Ok this sounds like something I would LOVE! Thanks for this suggestion. Definitely going to try this👍
Peanut butter sandwiches w shredded carrots is really good.
🤔 hmm. I dunno about that 😂 I'll have to be in a daring mood to try that one. just kidding...it's probably yummy!
Try the grilled peanut butter sandwich with some cheddar. Surprisingly very good
Fajitas look delicious and easy. Wow! Thanks!! I enjoyed this video.
Yes...honestly I wish I would have made these more when I used to entertain. It could have been such carefree dinners 😂 Plus I love that you can meal prep them in advance. Glad you liked this video!
Grilled peanut butter and green apple sandwiches are pretty amazing. I like peanut butter and blueberry tortilla rolls.
Yum. 😋 I love the balance of sour green apples and sweet peanut butter. I've never tried pb and blueberries before. Sounds interesting 🤔
Thank you for sharing this budget friendly recipe. Budgeting better with my groceries has been heavy on my mind with all the rising prices. This kind of video is so helpful for me and I am sure many others right now. I try to budget best I can but I know I can always learn more. I make cooking videos too so you know I’m making lots of food so every penny I can save on groceries counts. I hope that we can continue to learn from each other. Never stop learning and growing!
Thanks so much and best wishes for your channel 😁
Girl you did an amazing job! High five! I love watching your videos and the music you put in the background too. :)
Thanks Hannah. Glad you like them 😁
I am a great shopper myself. Everyone in my family has major but different food allergies. I have to shop at all four grocery stores in my small town to source things we can eat and sometimes drive over an hour each way to get to Trader Joe’s. I have items and prices categorized in my head. I wish we could shop as cheap as you show. No gluten. No soy. No cow dairy. No potatoes or tomatoes. Or legumes. We can’t eat the majority of the things you cook. But I still am getting ideas of ways to work ingredients differently and I love reusing leftovers in a new meal. I got a much better job so we are no longer dirt poor but now we waste food (I over shop due to food insecurity as a young adult) which hurts my heart. Learning how to better utilize my ingredients and save them so they don’t go to waste. Thank you.
Hi Chris 😁 I can certainly relate to what you are saying because I have the same issue about wanting to have extra food in the house for well-being and peace of mind. Maybe you can find a way to freeze or otherwise use the items. I find that if I focus on zero waste then I feel less guilty about purchasing. I'm actually working on a gluten free budget challenge right now that I'll be releasing next Monday the 12th. Hopefully there are some ideas in there that you can use. Sounds like you are working around a LOT of allergies. That is tough. Hopefully you can modify my recipes. Thanks for watching my video!
Loved the video! Those Korean egg toast sandwiches look so good, I'll definitely be trying that next weekend!
I had fun with those. Glad you liked it 😁Let me know what you think after you make them!
Amazing, loved your videos, got very excited to see new vids. Thank you for your time.❤️👍
I'm so glad you look forward to my videos 😁 I'll try not to disappoint. 😉 Thank YOU for watching!
Love these kind of videos. You did a great job!
Glad you enjoyed! 😁
Love this and plan to use the menu as a template for my own version. Definitely trying those tortillas. Here in Texas we use a lot of them. Thanks, it was another awesome vid.
Yay! 😁Glad you are going to be able to use some of these recipes. Hope you enjoy 👩🍳
Those are nice lunch boxes. They work really well. I don’t put extremely liquid/wet items with the separate lid.
I ate them myself 😂
Thank you! I appreciate the grocery list & meal plan.
You are welcome 😁 Glad it's helpful. Let me know if you need anything else.
I’m always so happy to see your videos Michelle!
Thanks Wendie 😁🥰
I enjoyed this video so much. Thanks for showing a variety of foods, several are new to me. I appreciate all the hard work.
Glad you enjoyed it!
A good way I found to stretch the meat a for tacos fajitas ETC is to and rice it taste great and makes it go so much farther! Love your videos
Thank you 😁 great idea to utilize an inexpensive and delicious filler such as rice!
I am totally impressed! You have a lot of clever ideas, and the food looks delicious! I needed this video so much, I eat out several times a week and it’s draining me financially. Thank you. Would love to see some ideas without egg. Thanks again! 😃🌮🥗🥪
Hi Dionne 😁 So glad you liked this video. Check out some of my other videos. Are you referring to breakfasts without eggs?
Been waiting all week to see ur video! Absolutely loved it again... u do a great job of being creative 👏
This makes me feel good 😁 Glad you are enjoying my videos. That means we probably enjoy the same kind of food! 😋👩🍳
thank you for all the great ideas
You are welcome 😁
I recently found your channel, and I've been binge watching it!💜 I thought I did pretty good with my grocery hauls (usually under $100/week for our family of 4) but wow! You also make some amazing looking meals out of what you get!🙌🏻😋
Jess, I love your videos too! And your family is sooo adorable
@@wendoxia thank you so much!🥰
Thanks Jess and welcome to my channel 😁 $100 a week for 4 people IS a good budget! 👍 This is definitely on the low side. I'll have to check out your videos 😁
@@ArdentMichelle 🤗
You really are amazing. You had such variety for such a great cost.
Thank you so much 😁
Thank you for posting this video. Groceries prices keep going up very day. It will help me shop for my family meals.
You're welcome 😁 I'm so glad this video will be helpful. Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. Hope your family enjoys the recipes. 👩🍳
I love peanut butter and apples but never thought about it in a sandwich. Peanut butter & banana sandwiches are yummy, the tortilla is a great idea. Will definitely try it. 🍎🍌 The lunches look so delicious
Glad you liked it. I ended up eating the lunches myself 😂
Ibotta is a wonderful tool! I use it all year round and use the money as a "poor moms savings account" saved our butts first year I found it bc ended up buying diapers/wipes and Christmas gifts for my kids when hubby an I were both down for almost 2weeks each in the same month so our budget was shot I made use of our extended pantry (aka PREPPER pantry lol) skipped going grocery shopping for the fresh stuff we usually like and had 2 weeks of "Pantry Staples Meals" (canned vs fresh fruits/ evaporated milk for baking & Mac and cheese/ oatmeal & tang vs cereal&milk/ ECT) payed our bills and used the Ibotta savings to get household essentials/ hygiene products and had enough to get the kids PJs and stuffed animals plus 2 books each and a bit of Christmas candy for their little stockings & on the tree.
Hey Michelle! I just purchased a bread machine so that I can make my own bread. I get four loaves out of a bag of great value bread flour. Just a thought. You can shop your local thrift stores and possibly find a bread machine, if that is something that you might be interested in doing. I love mine!!!
Hi Jennifer 😁 That's awesome! I'm a newbie to baking. Is that the self-rising flour?
@@ArdentMichelleno you just buy standard flour if you're making bread because you need to use yeast for the rise.
Grilled peanut butter, honey, and banana sandwich! Mix the pb and honey, and banana together. spread then grill on great tasting bread slathered in a good salted butter! Or, just air fry them.
Sounds delicious! 😋
Great job!! Thank you for sharing in such a needy time.
You are so welcome! 😁
Another outstanding video, AM. I am curious as to where you purchased those darling little egg-shaped containers (w/clear tops) which you put the lunch snacks in. Thanks so much and have a great week!
Thanks Linda. 😁 I think I picked those up at Home Goods. I love them. I've found lots of uses for them. Glad you like them too! Thanks for watching!
@@ArdentMichelle Thanks for the info!
You’re good always looks so appealing! These videos are my favorite. Great work!
Glad you liked this one Amy 😁
Thanks, I was in the middle of a Walmart order & trying to decide what the best, fluffiest tortilla would be.
😂 Yeah they were so yummy!
Not sure why TH-cam recommended your videos but I’m glad. Great tips! You got a new sub!
Yay! 😁Thanks so much for subbing and welcome to my channel. I work a full time job outside TH-cam, so my apologies for the late response. Glad to have you here. 😊
My trick for noodle soup, we make it, eat it and the leftovers I add lots of ice cubes to stop the noodles from continuing to cook into the dish I used to put them away. So they cool down fast in the ice and stop cooking. I love the type of noodles you used 😊
That's a great tip! 👍 I love my pasta best when it isn't overcooked.
You never cease to amaze me! Those fajitas looked delicious :)
Thank you 😋
Yay a new video!!!! 🤩🥳🎉🥰😍💕 I LOVE IBOTTA! ♥️♥️
Awe...thanks 😁 Glad you look forward to my new videos. I'm an Ibotta newbie. How long did it take you to get used to using it?
@@ArdentMichelle It took a little time but not much. I’ll go through the whole list of items and mark the ones I might be buying in the next week or month ( some offers last forever ). I look for the FREE AFTER OFFER, the BOGO offers, the ANY ITEM offers and the ANY RECEIPT offers. If I’m at Walmart for example I’ll look at the WM list of items that I’ve already marked and see if I’m getting any that day. You can also upload receipts a week ( maybe 2 weeks? ) later which is good. I’ve earned >$175 in 2-3 years of using it off & on….. 🤔🥰
Awesome video !!! I always look forward to you challenge meals!!! Some of the best on YT!!! Thanks for all the ideas :)
Thank you! 😁 Glad you liked this video.
Great job! everything looked so delicious!
Thanks so much! 😊
Michelle you literally had me laughing at hiding the foods! When I had all 5 living in the house, man oh man! We have to come up with clever ways that's for sure! Meanwhile for your viewers who want to spend as little as possible and still have amazing meals with hardly any time in the kitchen? Hahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
I used to hide things in my cleaning drawer as hubby and the 2 teens were allergic to cleaning
LOL. Yeah it's next to impossible to have lots of delicious meals with no cooking 😂 but I did my best. I feel sorry for parents that are trying to make food last and they DO have to hide some ingredients or they will be gone. My boys are college age and feed themselves mostly...with the exception of a meal that I cook every now and then. But it does seem like when I set aside foods for my video those are the ones they are attracted to. 😂
So happy I found your account. I’m a first year teacher, recent college grad, looking to move out. And boy am I nervous! I know my budget will be tight. I can’t wait to stay your other videos!
Glad you are enjoying my content and find it useful. 😀 Welcome.
You always have such great ideas! You have been giving me a lot of inspiration. I cook for myself, but you wncourage me to make it look nice with your beautiful presentation.
Love that! 😁 I'm so glad you are enjoying my content. Thank you so much for watching 🥰
I appreciate that you shopped at a place many people can shop...
Buuuut
I love watching you get your AMAZING food deals, too...😂
I don’t have a Winco but I like watching you get those crazy deals🤑
Yeah those are my favorite videos to make 😊
Those Chimichangas look great! I need to try that.
Thank you 😁 Glad you like them.
A cheap breakfast I grew up on was simply toast spread with peanut butter and topped with warm applesauce. Maybe you’ve tried it already, if not, I’m sure it would fit into a future budget meal plan.
I've never heard of that combination. I have some applesauce in my house. I'll try this tomorrow 👩🍳 Thanks for the tip. 😁
Love your videos! Your voice is so soothing!
Yay! I'm so glad 😁 Thank you!
I wish we had prices like yours.In my part of Canada right now its 9.00 for romaine lettuce, 1.75 a litre of gas, 6.00 for four litres of milk...chicken breasts 8.99 a pound and beef is anywhere from 7.99 up to 28.00 a pound. I had to have a talk last week with my kids and it goes against every inch of my being to have my kids not being able to eat what they want but groceries for a single mom of four last week were 420.00 . I cried when i saw the total and i was putting things back.So yeah...inflation is going to make us cut out so much
I know it must be so hard to try to stay on a budget with kids and especially in Canada where the prices of groceries are so high. 🇨🇦💲My heart goes out to you. My sons are in college so they buy their own food now, even though I occasionally sometimes cook them dinner. Maybe your kids will learn how to budget from you. This is a much needed skill that I don't think many kids learn.
I used to think teen boys had hollow legs they just simply never get full. I so look forward to your post. I like my P.Butter sandwiches with sliced pickles (usually sweet pickles). Have to try the apple.
So true...my sons are in early 20's. I ate peanut butter and pickle sandwiches many years ago but haven't in a while for some reason. It's a nice contrast. 👍
Hi, I don't know if someone has already said this in the comments; but you should grate cheese as it goes a lot further xx
I like the lunchboxes where are they from? Another great helpful video. I am a family of only 3 but these meals would work for us too. Thank you for sharing!
I picked them up at Walmart. Glad this video was helpful. I thought this might work for a family of 3 if the children are younger, although you would need more for lunches but the dinners should be covered.
@@ArdentMichelle Yes my daughter has a big lunch appetite. She is at home with me but she would certainly enjoy the same menu items. Thank you for the reply.
It is incredibly sad to me that Walmart where so many of us with a lower income have to shop, especially in rural areas has such high prices on produce. Where is their commitment to better health for their customers? I even asked the local Produce Manager in my area for the produce that was no longer fit for human consumption for my farm animal sanctuary? He told me they SELL it to be used in animal feed! They don't miss an opportunity to make more profit and yet where is the give back to their customers?? Thank you again for fantastic ideas and inspiration, and you never forget the vegetarians out here!
Yeah it's too bad Winco isn't everywhere. I feel like even the expensive stores have better produce prices if you buy them on the sale ads.
Everyone needs to hop on the peanut butter cheddar cheese (or American cheese) train! My mom made inexpensive lunches for us growing up and this was our FAVORITE. Peanut butter, cheddar cheese, melt in the microwave for about 30 seconds, best on English muffins 😍 did anyone else grow up with cheese and peanut butter?
Hi Kristen 😁 As crazy as this sounds, I'm willing to try this combo. 😂 I've never heard of this one before. Thanks for sharing!
Sometimes I get lucky and can find Walmart's store brand green chiles in a 7 oz size instead of the 4 oz sizes.... it's only something like 0.20 more.
Great point 👍 That would have been a better deal. 😊
Another brilliant tutorial! Thanks!
Thank you Robin 😁
The tofu was perfect for the chili it was delish just as you predicted!
Hi Lyla 😁 Glad you liked it with tofu.
I just love your videos. I will admit that I'm surprised at your comments about Walmart produce being so expensive. I realize it must depend upon where you live; here, Walmart beats pretty much everything, including Aldi. Thank you for the time and effort you put into these budget meals. I know it must help countless people.
P.S. I've never heard of Korean street toast, but I'm so going to try that tomorrow morning. :)
Hi Chanda 😊 I guess everything is relative, but I'm shocked that your Walmart beats ALDI. 😳 I live in an area with some crazy good produce deals, so it makes the Walmart produce seem very high.
I LOVE that you are making the Korean street toast. 💜 😋 By now you must have tried it. What did you think? I loved it with the raspberry preserves. I want to try it with the strawberry preserves since that is the most popular way to eat it. I do feel like it could be made in so many different ways though. Let me know how it went.
11 hour long working day! But the consolation is that you get more holiday pay and more days off.
My son had to work a lot extra for a period so now he has a month's extra paid holiday. 10 weeks of holiday in 2024.
You are as always creative and it is interesting to see your films here.
Happy New Year and may 2024 be a good year for all of us!
how awesome to work at a job where overtime gets you more days off. That's awesome 😁 Glad you are enjoying my videos. Happy New Year 🥳🎉
@@ArdentMichelle All jobs give more paid holiday days if you work overtime. It is a requirement for the employer, isn't it like that where you live?
Well, my son who is very curious about food ,he is traveling to Northern Thailand and Vietnam with a his best foodie friend for 5 weeks just to travel around to eat. And such trips bring me food gifts such as spices and sauces 😍.
I have lupus so unfortunately the journey is over for my husband and me, but thats life.
And one more thing, love that your sons are so busy and love food-beautiful!
@@maidsua4208 No it's not like that at all here in California or any other state I've been in in the U.S. Where are you?
Your son is so fortunate to get to travel to Thailand and Vietnam. My friend who is also a foodie and travelled all over the world says Thailand was her favorite place.
@@ArdentMichelle Yes, he is very happy :).
I live in Scandinavia. Here, everyone has 5 weeks paid holiday and then there is an additional bonus if you work a lot of overtime. I, who turned 60 last year, get an extra week's paid holiday.
@@maidsua4208 Wow. 😳This may be one reason why Nordic countries rank higher on the happiness scale. I believe the norm here in the U.S. is 2 weeks per year, but at my last job I was only able to take a week off, but I did get paid for 2 weeks. Generally this increases with the longer someone is at a job though. Taking 2 months off is unheard of.
you are so fortunate to have winco and wholesome foods--wish we had them here in the Southeast...we can pray...dts/usa
I know...I'm so fortunate. Maybe they will expand to the Southeast.
Great meals thanks love your videos thanks ❤️ 😊
You are so welcome! 🥰
Fabulous as always!
Glad you liked this one 😁👩🍳
amazing, lots of inspiration :) greetings from Prague (Czech Republic)
Hi Petra 😁 Thank you very much! 😁
Your soup looks delicious!
So do the buda bowls.
Thanks 😁
Another great meal plan ..
Thank you 😁
I love your content, but I also love the music you use for your videos.
Glad you like my choice in music 😁
I found that when I fry my noodles just a bit they don't get soggy in my soup.
That's a trick I have never heard of. Do you fry them before you cook them? Kind of like browning the rice & pasta in Rice A Roni?
hmm......Interesting approach 🤔 I'll have to give that a shot.
Do you ever use chicken thighs? Here in Australia chicken thighs are far cheaper than the breast, and they don't dry out as fast when cooking.
What's my favourite cheat meal? Leftovers which have been frozen in single serves. We don't have 2 minute noodles at home (ramen to you) as I'm allergic to gluten. Gluten free 2 minute noodles are awful so I'd rather not have any.
I actually don't eat chicken but yes chicken thighs are cheaper. My sons don't like the dark meat of the chicken for some reason. If you have any great budget recipes for the thighs feel free to send them my way. 😁
You're amazing! You have real cooking skills, other channels with these challenges just buy canned food and eat it straight up
Thanks for the nice complement and for watching my video 😁
I’m def going to try this budget
Yay! you can customize it for yourself. Let me know how it works out. 😁 👩🍳
The stock you made looked great. What temp medium? And how long? Last time I tried to make it turned out horrible 🙄. I do have the cuttings in the freezer, it is ok to freeze them right?
Hello. 😊Yes absolutely you can freeze them. I cooked my broth for a long time. I'm not sure exactly how long. I just let it cook at medium temp while I was doing other things. You'll need to add some salt. Thanks for watching 😁
If you take a good, clear, easy to read photo of the item and the tag under it, then you can get the clerk at self-check to correct the price for you at Walmart.
I always do the self-checkout at my Walmart. There are hardly any lanes with staff these days!! Good point though 👍
I love all of your ideas here. It all looks so good! The lunches are adorable, but I have to ask… why don’t you core your apples? 😧 No judgement; it’s just very strange to me as I’ve never seen them served like that without the cores removed. Don’t you encounter seeds while eating them? What am I missing here? 😂
But honestly, lovely job with this budget. 😁 You chose a lot of versatile ingredients and kept it interesting and nutritionally diverse.
You must not have noticed, but the second apple in the video had the core removed. I was filming in a hurry....but honestly I ate those lunches myself and I'm perfectly ok to eat around the core. I eat whole apples all the time. If I was a full time TH-camr you guys would have such great videos to watch and my apple would always be cored😂
@@ArdentMichelle Love it! 😂 Gotta save those seconds. 😉
The Korean Street toast is a new idea--looks very worthy--and cheap--thanks! dts/usa
You are so welcome! 😁
I forgot, also a sense of humor!!
Ramen noodle spice packets may contain things to which folks are allergic. I toss those and use a little soy sauce and toasted sesame oil, or other herbs and spices instead. I also prefer to eat ramen as a saucy noodle, rather than a soup. I cook them in the microwave, in less water than called for. Of course that would probably defeat the purpose of trying to stretch them to more servings.
It’s been a while, so I don’t remember the exact amount of water (perhaps 1/2 to 2/3 of what the directions say).
1. Add water to a quart size bowl and heat to boiling in a microwave.
2. Add the Ramen to the boiling water. You may need to scrunch the ramen block a bit to get it in the bowl. The water should just barely cover the noodles.
3. Microwave for half the time specified on the package.
4. Stir noodles and microwave on 50% power for the remainder of the time specified on the package.
5. Add desired flavorings.
I would often add finely cut veggies or protein on top of the noodles. Even a small amount makes them both more nutritious and tastier. I usually cooked any protein separately to ensure that it was fully cooked, because microwave ovens don’t evenly cook.
I used a 1-qt Corelle mixing bowl, because they are deep. I don’t see those anymore. This is the closest to it that I could find today:
www.amazon.com/Corelle-Red-Band-28-Ounce-Bowl/dp/B000KYX6AW/ref=sr_1_25?keywords=corelle%2B1%2Bquart%2Bbowl&qid=1648484160&sr=8-25&th=1
Hi Bev. Thanks so much for sharing your ramen recipe 😁👩🍳 I love to see viewer recipes.
Cooking your noodles in water vs the broth will help your soup to go farther by not soaking up so much of your base. ❤️
That is true but your noodles won't be as flavorful.
Valuable information
Glad you think so! 😁
When you cooked your beans, did you cook them in broth or add any seasonings?
No I didn't. You can if you want, but I just made them without seasoning. I love the flavor of them as is.
@@ArdentMichelle thank you for answering my question. The broth just looked so rich and flavorful. Navy beans are my favorite 😋