Meal planning - family of 8 for only $25/week! | How to meal plan!
Vložit
- čas přidán 21. 07. 2024
- I've taught you HOW to meal plan, but now it's time to show it in action! Here's my ACUTAL meal plan for the week, with just a $25 budget! 4 balanced meals, including 2 sides (one of them being a veggie side), on a VERY tiny budget. See my list and list of meals as well as much more info at: funcheaporfree.com/meal-plann... Note this video was made for our September monthly challenge called Shelftember! You can find info about it here: FunCheaporFree.com/Shelftember
LINKS OR PRODUCTS MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO:
♡ My planners can be found here: FunCheaporFree.com/Planners
♡ How to Meal Plan Video: • How to MEAL PLAN! (hin...
♡ Kitchen Staples Video: • KITCHEN STAPLES! What ...
♡ Freezer Tour: • Freezer tour! + Things...
♡ My new Shelf Cooking website! shelfcooking.com/
♡ Helpful Recipe Site: www.allrecipes.com
♡ My budgeting program: budgetbootcamp.com/ USE THE CODE CZcams TO GET 10% OFF!
♡ More info on doing a food inventory: shelfcooking.com/kitchen-inve...
♡ The pens I like: amzn.to/2mP96EK
**We may earn commission when you use some of our links at no additional cost to you.
♡ About me:
I'm a blogger at funcheaporfree.com/. My husband Bubba and I have 6 kids in 8 years and live in Utah. I'm all about family, budgeting, frugal living, productivity and organization, and fun! You might have seen me on TLC, The Today Show, Rachael Ray, Good Morning America, Inside Edition, and more. I have two programs, a super fun budgeting program called Budget Boot Camp (bit.ly/1PWZZXb) and Productivity Boot Camp (bit.ly/2ILSGTn).
What would you like me to do a video on next? Leave a comment in my video and let me know!
FOLLOW ME AT:
♡ Blog: www.FunCheapOrFree.com funcheaporfree.com/
♡ My budgeting program: budgetbootcamp.com/ USE THE CODE CZcams TO GET 10% OFF!
♡ My productivity program: bit.ly/2ILSGTn USE THE CODE CZcams TO GET 10% OFF!
♡ Instagram: FunCheapOrFree / funcheaporfree
♡ Facebook: FunCheapOrFree / funcheaporfree
♡ Twitter: FunCheapOrFree / funcheaporfree
♡ For house details go to: funcheaporfree.com/thepageproj...
♡ Email contact@FunCheapOrFree.com for any inquiries.
♡ Want to send me something? Send to:
12180 s 300e #1028
Draper, UT 84020
I don’t know if you will see this but you have changed my life with your videos I was spending $350/week on groceries and always broke and I’m a nurse!!! Now I live on 70% of my income and saving $580 biweekly and spend $80 a week on groceries on average. Now we have family vacations planned for next year, honestly from the bottom of my heart thank you 🙏🏻 Edit: OMG I got a heart from Jordan🥰!!! Edit: awww where did it go😢come back to me Jordan’s ❤️!! Edit: yay it’s back❤️🥰
Wendie Beall GREAT JOB!!! That’s inspiring to me!
Wendie Beall That’s awesome! Keep it up!!
WOW, great job girl!
Whew Wendie!! Gave me chills! That's awesome!
Thank you guys for all of the nice comments... I have a family of 4 and if you have watched any of her videos you would quickly realize I was doing everything “backwards” just like she said, spending so much money per week and wasting so much food, I have taken all of her tips and tricks to heart and practice them and built upon them (I also try not to waste anything like veggie scraps I make veggie broth and freeze it instead of throw it away) I also pass along all of her tips to my family and friends!!!
Who else would like a video of how she has so much energy with 6 kids and being pregnant with twins?
Indeed
Yes I would! she is amazing
@@reynahoupt6405 lol
Yesss!!
Right?? I'm dragging just with one child!! But, she also probably has more time/flexible schedule whereas us average people are working 40+ hours a week outside of the home. And that's not any shade to her, she found her passion, worked hard to make it work & is reaping the benefits.
Remember, she's been doing these videos for something like 10 years (? give or take)- so she's got an established system. She does StOctober after Shelftember. Stoctober is about stocking up in October- month long goal of buying in bulk or prepping freezer meals, etc ... Shelftember is you cut down on spending by making yourself really use *everything* you have in the house first.
All her little month programs all sort of inform and support each other.
So if you are watching this video today thinking "I don't have that much food in my home." Then maybe don't try a Shelftember this month. Try doing a stock up this month- while you're stocking up this month, just remember that to make room in your stocking up budget for the holidays coming up this month and next month. Then try to tackle a shelf cooking next month.
And don't beat yourself up if you can't hit her $100/month goal on your very first shelf month. The goal of the shelf month is to retrain your habits- develop a habit that has you using food you have on hand to cook with. So start by setting smaller goals- like say, this week, we will eat all the leftovers rather than throw leftovers away. Or this week, we will use up the random canned foods that we've been ignoring in the back of the pantry. Or this week, we'll make 3 freezer meals and start building a freezer stock of freezer meals.
It's about taking the tools and applying those that will work for you. You may not be able to implement all her tips at once, but try one or two tips one month and try some other another month.
Thank you SO much!
This should be at the top.
Spiffy Shorts -What an encouraging and sweet comment.
This explained a lot. Thanks :)
Yes, thank you! I stock up at a different time of year and right now I'm going through my stockpile so this is helpful.
I see a whole lot of complaining in these comments about the fact that she already has a lot of food, and that of course it will be easy for her to spend 25$ only when her kitchen is essentially stocked well. That was not the point of the video. The point was to give you the method that before you go food shopping you should check what you have already, and build upon that. It’s just a method! And she showed you how SHE does it with HER kitchen. If this method doesn’t work for you because you utilize all of your groceries when you buy them then that is a good thing ? You’re not wasting ! This was for people who tend to go buy things at the store and then leave them in their pantries/freezer/fridge and didn’t use it up when the next shopping trip
Comes around. Don’t just blindly go shopping, see what you have on hand first, so that you can use it to MINIMIZE WASTE! And it’s a very good idea!!!!!
This wasn’t so that you can be bitter about the fact that her kitchen looks like a grocery store. Her and her husband do well for their family, and you all can too ! She is only human. All that she has accomplished you can accomplish as well.
Thank you, Selena! ❤️
Of course ! Love this and ALL of your helpful videos !
Mary Mary She did say that the typical cost of meals is $100/month/per person. She gives really good money saving tips that people with less should have in their arsenal. We should all use up what we have around the house, and supplement in what we’re missing, but most people go to the grocery store with a blank slate. That wastes food and lots of money!
Mary Mary I can’t imagine how you got that conclusion from what I wrote. If one weren’t on a budget, then that person could go to the store without thinking of what they have laying around at home. Just buy everything without planning or utilizing leftovers is for people who aren’t on a budget. If you use up every single scrap of food every week, then you’re already saving money by not wasting. However, if you buy all premium items, and the reason for no leftovers is because you buy already prepared foods and avoid buying bulk then you’re not doing so great.
Very well said. I do the same and it WORKS
Your "before shopping" looks like more food than my "after shopping". 😳😳😳
Glad I'm not the only one who thought that.
So true right?! I would only spend $25/ wk on grocery shopping as well if this is how my kitchen looked
It definitely is more food than my after shopping. And sadly my freezer hasn't had anything but ice and 3 ripe bananas in it in a couple of weeks. Of course there's only 3 of us, not 8, but still.
@@Sarahness1114 Yes! I was a bit disappointed to see that she was just utilizing her own food...
Let me say first, I enjoy her channel, but this should have been titled How to meal plan. That’s all. I mean I keep a large pantry and deep freezer stocked also but I haven’t always been able to do that. It’s not hard to meal plan and spend next to nothing when you have most of what you need already. Clickbait. I guess it worked. I clicked..
Staple items in my freezer: ice
Crystal Clark lol yes 🤣
Lol ice and a rogue waffle here.
Crystal Clark
If there is a big blizzard you will be very hungry. So many things can happen, time to get ready... Better look for specials and discounted items, seasonal items and large packages, as bulk tends to cost less over time. Cook at home, freeze leftovers for days when they really come in handy. Stock your kitchen, your pantry fridge and freezer. Don't let things go bad, stay on top of it.
Save your sturdy mayo and peanut butter jars, when empty they are great for dry items.
I laughed to hard at this
😂😂🤣 same
I’m 27, I don’t have kids just a cat. Why am I watching this
Mel S same
Feel you... I'm 27 yo, without kids, with cat - and watching as well 😂
Siisss I feel you. I’m 27 no cats or kids. I just want to keep as much as my peasant teacher salary as possible.
30, single, no kids. never learned to cook and literally watch all her meal plan / prep videos LOL
same 33 with a chihuahua. Shes pretty much a cat :)
These videos are great but seriously she already has a weeks worth of groceries so yeah I can see how its easy to meal plan for $25 a week. Lets try doing this when the fridge is mostly empty.
Amy Banack she has several refrigerators and freezer not seeing it running dry anytime soon.
Jordan, I keep a magnet white board on each freezer and as I put it in I write it on it or hash mark things like chicken breast, hamburger meat, etc. When I use it, I erase it. Then my inventory is done constantly and I just take a picture of those the day I sit down to meal plan. I do this with a sheet of paper taped inside my pantry doors as well or laying inside the big multiple item baskets. I just scroll through the pics when I do my online grocery shopping. Then run and pick up everything later that after noon at the 3 different stores I use to price shop. From start to finish, grocery shopping and meal planning takes a fraction of the time now. Hope this info blesses someone.
I do this too, but it's a clipboard with paper and I make tick Mark's. SUPER helpful with out big freezer as we buy 1/2 a cow every year and it's easy to loose track of 100 lbs of ground beef and 35 steaks!!
My life goal is to do THIS. I'll never have to dig and it takes a quarter of a second to jot down an item added to the cabinet
I use a dry erase and write right on the freezer door/lid. :D
OK...that's just brilliant. Kids could also just color and draw on the bottom section with those as well. We may adapt to this. Thanks for the idea. Blessings to you and yours.
Stephanie Karen Dunn I tried this in college with pieces of paper stuck to the fridge/freezer. My friends thought I was crazy, but hey! At least I knew what was in there without having to dig!
Here are the 4 meals I'd make w/your list:
*Coconut salmon w/rice and green beans
*Steak fajitas (with bell peppers, avocado, tortillas, cilantro, salsa)
*Naan pizzas (pepperoni, tomato puree cooked into sauce, mozz & parm) + salad
*Minestrone (carrot, onion, zucchini, spinach, tomatoes, and beans or pasta from pantry), bread
Thanks for the great video!
Yum, can i come over for dinner at your house?
@@lukilocket yes, dinner party pls! 😀
Lucy Taylor I was about to say... I was sold with coconut salmon...
recipe for your coconut salmon, please
@@marilouo4321 Brush fillets with beaten egg and season, mix 3/4 c panko and 3/4 unsweetened coconut together on a plate and season this as well. Press the fish flesh side down into the mixture. Put on a foil lined pan amd bake at 375 for 12-15 min! For crunchier topping, when I have time, I'll toast the coconut and panko in coconut or canola oil (just a tsp or 2) for few minutes before dredging the fish so it gets a little golden.
I wish I had 1% of the food you have in your home...Mine is like: Ramen, potatoes, hot pockets. Here to learn and make a huge change!
Edited: Soooooo, after watching a few of your videos, I have budgeted the remaining of the week and only need to purchase $11 worth of food! Now, thats for 4 dinners for 3 people (2 teens) and 8 lunches and breakfasts (for 2 people)! The great thing is that I have 1 kid at school who gets reduced/free lunches and breakfasts. Makes a world of difference!
I am so stoked!
@@SophiaslayGamiing I can't believe that someone found a way to be mean on such a non-controversial video. I'm baffled that you took the time to scroll through the comments just to write that mean comment. Some people!
@@SophiaslayGamiing but she didn't say anything mean
Melissa Alonso Wow, what a negative person you are. I bet you hear that all the time though, huh? Shame on you smh
Way to go Leanne!
What about next week and the week after?
I went through my pantry & fridge last night after watching this video. I have 7+ meals to make without having to buy a single ingredient!! Thank you Jordan!!
Isn't it amazing what we can have hiding in our pantries?!
“Nothing go make yourself some cereal and get off my back!” I literally spit my drink out lol
Nikki Martin for real! It’s like a window into my life right there!
Oh my gosh, so did I! Hahaha
This absolutely cracked me up 😂
Just keepin' it real! 🤣
Jordan Page, FunCheapOrFree I’ve said those exact words to my kids lol
As a single mom of seven kids I do everything you do except I don’t have a recipe book and only recipes I have are for deserts that I don’t really make that much. I just see what I have on hand and invent stuff lol . My kids have always said “we go look in the pantry and can’t find nothing to eat and you come out of the pantry with a whole meal
That's the original frugal way to cook 😊
Fair play to you, being on your own with so many children. I have two and a husband who is in his final year of uni, so I'm on my own a lot and it drives me nuts.
@@pavlal.4552 I’m used to it now I’ve been divorced for 4 years now
all the haters in the comments saying she already has so many groceries in her home clearly don’t understand. the reason she has all this is because she has been using this zero waste method for years. not saying her food is years old, but she uses things up so that she can spend her extra grocery money stocking up and then once again she uses what will go bad first and now she has excess to store and it just snowballs. if you use this method one day you’ll have tons of things in your pantry, fridge, and freezer. she created this abundance it wasn’t just magically there she made it happen using this method
It sucks Bc when you think this is possible to feed your family there’s some hope then for her to have that title and actually have her fridge stocked up ... like come on
How to feed 8 with $25 a week: already have hundreds of dollars of food
Right
😝 exactly what I was thinking
“Her kitchen looks like a grocery store” - my 7 year old👍🏻👍🏻
Exactly what I said to myself haha
Reason why I could not feed my family for $25 a week, lol. My kitchen definitely does NOT look like hers!
That’s what I said too.
Please be aware for your kids that you can replant things as seeds from current groceries. Onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, (Meyers) lemons, oranges, etc. You just need potting soil and a pot. Please prepare for the nearest winter it's supposed to be bad this year. If you have a fireplace make sure you have lots of wood set aside for when the power goes out. I'm living in an apt and looking for land that's seller financed so I can build a homestead for my kids. My job at Walmart will help me pay my kids thru college. I need to get an all wheel drive vehicle to make it thru ice and snow so I can get to work and not be tardy. I've purchased iron skillets 2nd hand just make sure they're stamped. This is for cooking food over a fire pit in case it comes to it. Be prepared for a bad winter. Stock up on supplies. Stay safe. ♥
@@hthbean LOL! she already has the store in her pantry and fridge.
1st step: start with a full house of food 😂😂😂
Tsukihime Sooooo true!! 🙄
🤣
It's genius! Spend nothing on groceries by already having everything!
Yes. I remember a couple of years ago Jordan did a budget video then admitted they had bought a load of meat separately 😂 .... hmm!
I think she is just really well stocked up and didn’t realize others may not have it like this. Basically what she is saying is just start with whatever that you may have to help to bulk up your meals
I understand the other comments saying “You have full freezers etc “ but I have to say... she did say exactly this at the beginning of the video guys! She said using what you have with only spending 25 bucks throughout the week to COMPLETE the meal so she was not misleading at all 🤷♀️
Thank you, Charlotte!
People just want to hate, mock and be negative. They don’t really want to learn. This woman is an angel 😇.
I found you by a facebook clip of your TLC show, and I thought, "God this woman is nuts, I've gotta go watch her CZcams and read the comments." Now, I hate TLC a little more than I already did and you have become one of my favorite subscriptions because I am a planner at heart and recent college graduate so I am all about meal planning and saving money. Thank you!!
Awwww so glad you found us! ❤️
You could even do a video about toilet cleaning, I would binge it immediately.
karpfenteich82 she has. I watched it 😂😂
She has it real quick in one of her quick cleaning videos 😂
karpfenteich82
She has a 20 min one about doing laundry, that has like 6.000.000 views. Maybe start with that 😉
"nothing go make yourself a bowl of cereal, get off my back!!" 😂😂
You as a person seem awesome. However this video is not what i was expecting, we are a family of 5 with an average income and there is never that much in my fridge or my 1 freezer at a time. I cook every night for my family so i was expecting tips on how to plan a grocery trip for meals not use the hundreds of dollars of food you already have in your home. I did enjoy the video and learn a few tricks but just felt this is for a very well off family. Nothing wrong with that, that is just not my situation 🙂
Sarah Delgado Lopez you should find local pantries in your area. I’m a single mom and having the extra dry goods is a life saver
@@thekjjackson1649 yes! Im thankful for them always! People would be amazed what amom can do with some canned beans and veggies 😂❤
This was for a challenge she did back in September.
Super respectful comment, and honestly so nice to see. All to best to you and your family!😊
The point is to use logic in meal planning so you can start stockpiling. She only needed a head of lettuce at the end. So the other $24 was going into stockpiling. By using what she has on hand, she's not wasting food and building her stockpile.
That awkward moment when your fridge actually has no food and living by the day ☹️😔😂
You’re not alone.
Girl me too 😖
me three ..
Hey! What are you doing peeking in my window?
Queen Serenity
Empty fridges and empty freezers make people feel sad. So does an empty pantry.
☺Let's look for true specials, seasonal items, discounted items, and some items in large packages, such as rice, flour, oats, because they are money saving that way. Stuff your pantry. If there is a huge blizzard, you will be able to eat.
Step 1 - Already have a fridge stocked with hundreds of dollars worth of groceries
😆
I noticed that too!!! If I had that much stuff in the kitchen, I wouldn't be grocery shopping!!!
@@cfa345 agreed
Right?!! Like wth? Who needs to grocery shop when you could feed an army already? I feel $25 is a bit inaccurate of an expectation for the rest of us. Good tips tho.
A lot of the time we THINK we don't have any food when we actually do. It's just lost in the back of the fridge or freezer, or it's things that aren't easy or convenient to make so we avoid using it. Her point was to take inventory of what you DO have and try to use it in order to save money so you can have more money later to get MORE groceries. I have 8 kids and if I didn't use up what we have on hand, even when it seems inconvenient, we wouldn't eat some days because we don't always have the money to get more food. We have to stretch it out. It has helped a TON to meal plan because I know what we're going to eat every day of the week and I can buy what we need instead of just what looked like a good idea or what sounded yummy at the store. I would put the groceries I gotten with no plan away and promptly forget about what I had bought and then have to go to the store a couple days later to get stuff for dinner. It was a total budget killer. It also made me feel a little anxious every evening trying to figure out what to make for the family to eat. Not fun.
I would like to buy food for my students and just have a pantry in the classroom for when they come tell me they are hungry. Some don't qualify for free lunch, but don't bring their own lunch. I would also have to ask if I'm allowed to at least give them snacks!
Edit: I don't have 8 kids but I do have 88 students!
Jordan, just found your channel today while staying home from this coronavirus stuff. First I would like to say I truly love the humor you inject into your videos. They are informative and humorous and just what we need right now. You have taught me today a new way to build meals and I look forward to trying it. Thank you for the time and effort you put into each video and for sharing them with us. I cannot wait to watch more. Stay safe out there.
Its easy to spend 25/week when you have FULL fridges/freezers. I love your videos though :)
That's kind of the point. This is the goal. Start where you are and stock up. Once you're at the point where she is, maintain it: Stock up throughout the year, practice in September, and should an emergency come where you're low on funds, you've got things to get you by (stocked pantry) and habits that will help you use what you have (shelf cooking), plus if you have a few extra dollars (the $25/week), you can fill in the gaps.
@@angela_flute52689 Not everyone has the space and multiple freezers or a large enough family to "stock" up - if you want to eat mostly fresh it also doesn't make sense. Gasp - my home doesn't have a pantry :o
@@elissa3188 lol right! The video should be called like how to shop your pantry or something. It's misleading and not practical for lots of people
I agree. I have a freezer but I've meal planned for over 10 years now so we only buy for what's on the meal plan and that's exactly what we eat. I personally meal plan for 2 weeks at a time and by the end of that two weeks are pantry, refrigerator and freezer are empty. We do not have an actual Pantry we just have two cabinets in our kitchen. We also eat a whole food diet so we go through a lot of fresh food.
Point is that it isn't $25/week.
If I had that much food in my house I wouldn't go grocery shopping at all
Just lettece lol
Hehe lol
6 kids tho! They eat so much
Megan Behrmann good point
Same
Agreed: $25/month is misleading and her on-hand stock is ridiculous. HOWEVER, the idea of "shelf cooking" is pretty smart (plus cleverly named). It does make sense to "shop" the fridge first. Very good advice.
Title is misleading, maybe change it to more appropriate like: How I meal plan with what I ALREADY HAVE or Meal plan hack, something in those lines.
I was really excited to see what kind of meal you can feed a family of 8 with just $25 (with no inventory).
Cannot believe it will soon be “family of 10” sending lots of love from England 😍😍
Love the “shop your kitchen” method! Keep in mind, “family of 8” only includes 2 adults and 6 kids that are all under 10 or 11. One is only a year old. $25 is very hard if you have multiple teens in the house 😳
Absolutely! On Instagram at the beginning of the month-long challenge of #shelftember, I suggested going up if you had teens or people with special dietary needs. You can read more about the challenge here: funcheaporfree.com/shelftember
My family includes my 2 parents, 2 college/uni age kids, and 2 high schoolers, $25 may be a stretch but $50 is for sure average and almost always under $100, even when we splurge
Sheri Pride plan and have leftovers. Problem solved.
And if you are doing all three meals not just dinner.
We don't usually have leftovers and if we do, they become my husband's work lunch.
We have the most trouble with the snacking and 'you know I do not like this, Mom' comments from my teen, tween and nearly tween. They devour everything in sight, if they like it.
Me: *Doesn’t have a family
Me: *Doesn’t meal prep
Me: “Yes I gotta watch this video”
I love you lol, it hit home when you said “just eat some cereal and get out my face” but seriously it is so nerve wrecking coming up with deals throughout the week for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the whole family, I’m a mom of three and a husband and it is so stressful, I appreciate this video so much , thank you!!!
I'm a little confused, if you meal plan every week, how come you have so much food leftover? It looks like there's no room in your fridge and freezer(s). At the end of every week, my fridge and freezer are empty (except for the likes of butter or red sauce). What I'm saying is, if you stick to meal planning every week, should you not be buying only what you will use and not end up with a ton of meat or cheese to use up?
FrannieFine I think she buys in bulk when things are on sale so she freezes everything from cheese to meat that’s probably why her freezers are so full !
It's September so her grocery budget is small but in other months the budget is bigger and she stocks up on sale items and that really helps her build up her "stash"
@@thans3993 That is exactly what I was thinking I'm pretty sure she did a video on it a year ago
shop flyers, if something is on sale buy one for now and 2 for later, that's how you build a stockpile. Also cook double and freeze half for later.
She’s said in previous videos that her family is big on having guests/family over and she saves money by buying things in bulk so then there’s plenty extra to save for later
I've been shopping from my pantry for years. I tend to stock up as items are on sale. (I'm at the point where I pretty much know what to pick up. I keep a list in my phone.) I've started using Ibotta. It's helped a lot. It's just 2 of us and a cat. Hardest thing for me is space. I'm in a tiny apt w little cabinet or closet space. I have bookcases in my kitchen. (I had them from my previous larger home, and worked w what I had.) My kid wants to eat out all the time. We don't because I'm frugal. She's 11 and starting to realize that we can save the money and do fun things. Like see a matinee for a new movie. I tell her how much we saved by making it ourselves. I'm a single parent. I make enough to pay the bills. We're clothed and fed. That's the important thing.😊
You're amazing
I love that she has NORMAL food that we all eat it’s affordable and I recognize it
I do this once a month in my house (it's just my husband and I) and sometimes I play "chopped" to get rid of pantry/fridge items. Super fun
What is "chopped"? I always have odds and ends in my kitchen, I'd love to hear new ways of being creative and utilizing them!
@@vjl8689 super late reply lol. I play chopped like the cooking show 'chopped' where they are given random ingredients and have to make a meal of them
How can we gradually stock our pantry and fridge with “staples” without going broke? Mine are always empty bc we try to use up everything before shopping
Tori Lynne thank you! Same!
You wait for these items to go on sale and you by 2 extra. So if a 20lb bag of rice goes on sale for $5 instead of $8, buy two more. That goes for pretty much everything.
You have to have the money to buy extra things when they go on sale though
It really depends on your income. If you are clearing out your pantry to the bare bone because no funds are available, then starting really slow will be required. If your just eating it bare out of habit then don't, leave some items behind and go for your next grocery trip. Let's say you have 5$ spare dollars a week, you can buy extra cans of veggies, beans or boxed goods, cereal, you would usually buy. Take advantage of sales on pantry items you need. Even if you buy a 2-3 cans extra week at Aldi for $0.49 each, they start to add up. If you want, split your pantry into "extras" so you don't use the items up in that section and you will see it start to grow.
@@morgangoode9791 unfortunately there is no way around that but you can try to start slow, a can here and there when money permits. Get the items that have the best shelf life
I follow you for ages and we have a strict budget. Im in UK and this week we only needed to spend £9.80 which is equivalent to $12.09 I love being more prepared xx
Catherine Binns how? 👏🏻😱
For those who are saying she already has a ton of food in her pantry so... yes that is exactly the point. She is talking about using first what we already have, and on top of that spending no more than $25/week. Also, she CLEARLY stated that $25/week is not typical and she is only doing this in September to use up what she already has in stock. She recommends normally calculating roughly $100/person per month as her grocery budget.
I have a dry erase sheet on my fridge that I write what I put in the fridge and erase it when I use up the last of each item. It really helps me remember the leftovers I have when they get shoved to the back - I know they are there so I go looking for them.
Great idea!!
I did "shelf-tember" this month and I was really surprised how much I was able to make without ingredients from the store. I did have to start with one $150 grocery shopping trip, but that was standard. I cooked the whole month on that plus my pantry/fridge!
Way to go!!
Aww I feel like this title is deceiving. You have a lot of food already, so of course you can feed your family for 25.00 a week extra for the month of September lol Your tips are great though!
Yes! I love Jordan... But I did notice there was so much food in her freezers and shelves prior to shopping. I am a family of seven... We would totally skip the store with that much food.
@@victoriadiaz6773 yes....great video but a little misleading.
If you watch her previous videos she has videos about stocking up on prep for shelftember.
100% agree
She clearly discloses that at the very beginning... If y'all paid attention. That is quick enough to go watch something else.
Can you do a video that shows this process with having almost nothing on hand to get restocked?
Right? The most expensive part of my groceries isn't the fresh produce. It's when I have to restock my olive oil, spices, and kitchen staples which run out on a regular basis because we cook everything from scratch.
I had really low expectations watching this video. but my mind is completely blown away right now... We have been budgeting for two years, but we always had food waste. I just applied this method to my pantry and BOOM! I have 6 more meals I can make for my husband and I that's in our house. WHO KNEW?!
Thank you!!!!
I've been a crazy coupon lady for many years. Jordan's concept of shopping your fridge, freezer, and pantry first is awesome! Even more awesome is combining that skill with buying items on sale and saving them for later. For example, if pasta is on sale for $.50, buy some extra to have on hand for next time.
Be intentional with your cooking! Family life can be stressful enough without needing to worry about spending too much money or not having time to cook.
This is such a good video. Thank you! Something I like to do is cook big portions about 3 times pr week and then freeze the rest. Then I can have a good, healthy meal every night of the week , but I only have to cook 3 nights a week! BAM! Love it!
I really need to get my act together so that I can do this!!! Been wanting to for forever!
@@Kamben79 I know. I thought about if for forever before I finally started doing it and now that I am, I can't believe I ever hesitated. It saves me so much time AND energy!
Absolutely !! double up and freeze for another night !! saves time and money !
Never go to the supermarket on an empty stomach that is rule 1.
Well of course you can feed a family of 8 for 25 $ bucks a week if you got a fridge two freezers and a pantry all STUFFED
that's how you do it: stock up when veggies/fruit /meat is on sale or your store runs a case sale too. But yeah, I hear you-- she had to spend some money earlier on her "inventory", so it's not really $25/wk
We participated on this challenge this week, we are foster parents and right now we have 3 little ones foster and our 2 biological children. We are a family of 7, I was able to do $30 per week!
Way to go!
If you foster you get lots of money from government. No need to worry about grocery spending. My neighbors foster and get $2000 per kid!
Me taking inventory of my freezer: "I have ice cubes, more ice cubes, a crusty French fry stuck to the bottom shelf and 2 Popsicles. "
LOL
same.
Oh my, oh my. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have found your videos! You got me all domesticated 😄 it was a much needed change not even mentioning that for the first time in my life..... I’m saving $$$!! I love watching your videos, so informative, helpful, and I have so much fun watching them, I love your humor 😄 Thank you and please keep doing what you do! ♥️ in today’s world no one tells a gal how to run a household 🤪
Getting a grip on how much you are spending weekly on groceries is a game changer. Minus paying more attention to random spending, meal planning like this has saved us so much money every month. Also, cooking things from scratch is soooooo much cheaper!
I am fully aware that people live on very tight budgets. With that being said, yall need to prioritize. If I didn't have stock of some staple items in my kitchen I would be beyond stressed. What do yall do if you get snowed in? What do yall do if everyone in your house has the flu and cant go grocery shopping? You need to always have some sort of food in your house that you can cook in case of emergencies. Basic items like pasta and sauce are not expensive. Buy chicken in bulk....IT IS SO MUCH CHEAPER. Sam's will have 90/10 ground beef for a little over $3/lb sometimes. Find which grocery store in your area is the cheapest. Buy store brand items. Yall are acting like it's a sin for her to have her freezer stocked and her pantry semi full. This is literally how every kitchen I have ever been in looks like....even with each one have SIGNIFICANTLY different budgets. I've seen people without a budget grocery shop and I've seen a single mother with 2 kids living on less than $30,000 a year grocery shop. Were the items they purchased different? Yeah. But they both managed to stock staple items in their kitchens.
If you have a vacuum sealer: re-seal open chips packages that you won't finish soon immediately. ;)
Or put them in a freezer safe glass jar and store in the freezer 😁 I did that after Christmas last year and all those chips lasted for months! 👍👍
I love all these tips!! Thanks guys.
I actually saw another channel close them tightly and use a clothespin to seal before freezing.
I use binder clips.
@@mandlerparr1 me too
"Inventory" LOL. I can tell you what my inventory is at the end of the month without looking: Fridge - empty. Freezer - empty. Pantry - Oh, that closet that I use for storage? Yeah, empty of food.
SerenityGamesToo 😂 facts
Hahahahahahaha I'm watching a video about adulting that doesn't apply to me so I'm gonna comment about how much it doesn't apply to me ahahahahhahaha
Hahahahahha, I'm old enough not to call it "adulting". But thanks for making a fool out of yourself, it's always entertaining.
SerenityGamesToo
Time to find true specials, seasonal items, discounted items, and a few money saving itms in bulk, such as rice flour oats, and also potatos. Empty fridges, empty freezers, empty pantries make people feel sad.
What if there is a huge blizzard, and you cannot leave home?? Be ready.
Jordan - Shelftember made me laugh because I did a pantry challenge end of January and all of Feb. I did really well and was able to work down my pantry stock and my freezer. I was proud of myself. We went on a family trip the first week of March then came home just before Covid started. I had a HUGE 0h crap moment! Luckily I was able to find what I needed to get my pantry and freezer back up to normal par levels. We are a family of 3 adults and a happy side note was that nothing in my house is even close to an expiration date due to the pantry challenge. :-)
I have a monthly meal plan. I do the same thing 2 of the days of the week. Sunday- leftovers and Monday-soup and sandwiches, the rest of the week I schedule around meetings, practices etc. There is also usually a rice meal, pasta meal, Mexican meal or salad night. I can precook the rice and pasta on Sunday.
LOVED. THIS. VIDEO! I'm ALWAYS a "shelf cooker" and I find it so much less wasteful, cheaper, and much more organized. My best friend is NOT and it makes me NUTS! She goes shopping every day and ignores what she has, and I'm like, I could feed both our families for easily a MONTH just from ur fridge, freezer, and pantry! SO glad to see tou do this! 💯😘👍✌
@Mawmaw Sue we have plenty and would still be just fine but aren't you so sweet for your concern
I use Evernote for saving recipes now - it saves trees and you can search by keywords, such as ingredients or cuisines. You can also add tags to note favorites, whether something is a main or side dish, etc. Makes things even easier!
Kristian Morey Thank you for the tip!
I've been using Evernote for everything for about 8 years now and I will never look back!
Would you possibly mind detailing more of what you use Evernote for? I got it like almost a year ago and I feel like I purposely neglect using it, but I always see others get such great, creative use out of it. I'm not sure if I'm being lazy or just don't fully see the greatness. I would love to hear how other people use it.
I love paper, I will not likely stop using it, especially for the therapy of it. I am totally for saving trees but they're not stopping cutting them down anytime soon, houses and paper, toilet paper, all the paper. At least a ton of them are replanted, seeing as stopping it is so far off.
Yes! I even include star-rating tags (* through ****) for the recipes. Just know to search for something like tag:chicken tag:main tag:`****`, you can't use the apostrophe, but the tick mark that shares a key w/ the tilde.
Will there be updated guidelines for inflation?
I am trying your method and I never buy “last minute ready dinner” anymore. I notice less extra spending!
NEW TIP for me - I now make a video of me looking and say what I have in the freezer, than I close the door and list everything it’s in the video. I save so much time, energy and less cold feets 🥶☺️ thanks from italy!
Love your idea! So smart!
That is such a great idea! Thanks for sharing!!
🤣🤣 "I'm still processing" 🤣🤣
I would be too! #supermom
Twins - yay!! 🤗
I'm about to give birth to only my second and I'm still processing 😂😂😂😂😂
Lol It takes a while to process that news for sure..
If my fridge or freezer looks like that there is no need for me to go to the supermarket 😂 💞
Hubby and I both cook for a living (he is actually a kitchen manager) and we plan plan plan all the time...ya know what we suck at back at home....plan plan plan. I think it is that we spend so much energy doing that when we are working that we don't want to when we are home. I am taking the bull by the horns during this covid crazy where Colorado is just starting to open back up (I am not working at the moment, I chase a 1 year old all day.) And trying to cut household costs where I can
When you have $1,000 worth of food on hand, it isn't really much of a challenge now, is it?
that's what happens when you are a natural planner with a good amount of foresight, and you don't have to wait for a pandemic before you look for videos on planting your own veggie garden, preserving food, budgeting, or meal planning like this one.
Yas! A video like this was much needed! I’m a foster mom and it’s such a struggle feeding a big family!
Bless you ❤️
Thank you for all you do!
I feel it’s easier to meal plan for a large family than a single person me like those “stables” will last you a month. See my confusion
Christina B. It is easier but it can get difficult when your kids are picky! I usually have my kids write down what they would like to have for dinner and each kid gets to pick our meal once a week. For the most part they pick cheap meals like quesadillas, sandwiches, etc. Having them pick a meal once a week just makes things easier for me lol
Thank you for what you do ♡
Thank you Jordan! Meal planning has changed us in soooo many wonderful ways. We are eating better, we are feeling better, our budget is looking better! During this quartine time I have been doing the shelf challenge consistently. It's amazing how much food we really have. I pretend I'm on a cooking game show, where you have to make what's given in a box or something 🤣🤣🤣 weird I know, quartine life! 🤪🤪 also.. doing inventory consistently has changed everything. Saving so much and have found things I forgot or didn't know I had! 🙈🙈🙈 thank you so much!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰
I challenge you to do this in a more realistic, modern middle-class American home.. you have tons of food already on hand,, average paycheck to paycheck Americans do not have the luxuries you have. Some of us don't have multiple freezers and a huge pantry already full of food,, I would love to see you guide us on how to do this without most of the stuff already bought. Some people start to earn so much money that they lose touch with what the true middle and lower class feels and looks like.. I am not mocking you for having money, we all wish we did, but the reality is you live better than a lot of average people watching you. I would love to see you do a video as if you don't have tons of food on hand.
You should watch her older videos! She started out very small and as her methods got big then she was able to find a better home with more storage.
Did you not listen to anything she said? Use what you got and only buy what you absolutely need. The most minimum you can. Lower and middle class people should be great at doing that and willing. You spend less money that way. Don't look at what she has in her stuff, listen to her words.
@@ashledashnaw2575 hey are you replying to me or the person above I replied to?
@@marynbooks0622 the one above
Jordan, you are such an inspiring mother, wife, and you run an amazing home! You're Superwoman. Thank you so much for your videos!
Aww you are way too kind!
I spend $70-$80 a week on groceries for 4-6 people. It just depends on whos here, but it's been working out. Just haven't been able to get too many snacks
Side note for people who don't have a lot of freezer space: Get the FLIPP app and look at what's on sale for meat, then lookup recipes with those types of meat, also using what you have on hand. I have one of the tiny fridge freezer combos that you find in an apartment, where the top freezer is a bit bigger than a microwave lol.
I watched this with my 5yr old boy and he laughed at all your funny little comments. Love your videos!
As a father of soon to be 8 myself... holy cow, WHERE ARE YOUR CHILDREN??? LOL!!
I always wonder myself too! I only have 2 and they aren’t that quiet!!
They're with the nanny and the rest of her staff. C'mon get with it! Mom is a SMI!
How to spend 25$ to buy complimentary ingredients for all the things I already have in pantry and freezer.
Well I have to say that it is completely different when you have a refrigerator that is stuffed full the way yours is.......... if I had that much food in my fridge I wouldn't even need to meal plan or go shopping.... but great video
She has a big family, tf you expect? 🤷
Using a sharpie to mark in large numbers the expiration date on cans, boxes, packages can help to see what needs to be used before it expires because it all expires. I just did a pantry purge and was shocked what had expired because it seemed like I had bought them not that long ago. I also do that when I open a salsa, condiment or something like that because they can go bad open in the refrigerator. I got deathly ill off of old apple butter.
I love these videos but the title of this video is kind of misleading. I am just imagining someone in dire straights, hopeful they can make $25 work for their family for a week, and then they see you open your completely full fridge... -_-
With that list, I bet you could go the rest of the year on a $25.00 a week budget. Unload some more of your stock pile. I had 5 children that are now grown. We did this all the time. I know my stock piles are too big( children left but I still cook big- hard habit to change) I am going to take the challenge and see if I can get to the end of the year with $25.00 a week. Of course it is just me and my husband and grandkids on the weekend. So I do have it easier☺
Bro my family could live on the food in that house for like 3 months
I just want to say this video is extremely useful and motivating. Even though it’s just me and my boyfriend having a starting pace on how to utilize ingredients in my fridge and buying a minimal amount of items every week is extremely resourceful. Thank you for posting up!
Jordan reminds me so much of my mom. She always had a stock pile at all times and a giant recipe book.
Title is pretty click baity, but the method is fantastic. I've done this mentally in a way for years, but will start writing it down this week to help. The 25 dollar challenge is doable but a good budgeting goal too!
Wow I literally didn’t know what to make for dinner tonight since I’m low on cash right now but you literally gave me an idea about using what I have on hand so I’m literally going to make fully loaded nachos with ground beef and taco seasoning with pico and 🥑 and sour cream on top!! Thank you for this extremely helpful video I will be using these steps from now one everytime I go to the store for groceries
Love this. I usually shop the shelves in my house and build around that. Sunday’s are meal prep days; saves money on my groceries and decreased our food waste. Yay!
That's great if your fridge and freezer and pantry are already stuffed with food.... what if you actually need to buy everything from scratch?
It would cost a hell of a lot more than $25 a week. What's the cost of everything that was already stocked? There is no way that it would fit into that budget.
@@nicolemarree4157 But a LOT more expensive
@@stephaniemcclure2410 Exactly!
shimizimer well she did say “$25 a week on FRESH groceries” 😌
@@courtney5731 Should be in the video title...
“Go make some cereal and get off my back” almost woke my son up laughing
This is how I’ve always done meal planning. It’s the BEST!!
This is my first week taking inventory and then meal planning with what I have in the fridge, freezer and pantry, and I'm so excited to get lots of things used up!! Thanks for the tips!!
I've taken my weekly grocery list needs to this next level of doing inventory and meal planning before shopping, and it's just one part of how I save money , the other being only buying the sales to stock my kitchen and planning meals around that, too. Stocking my kitchen was actually the first part of my plan, because as many negatively mentioned below, this second part works best based with a stocked kitchen. Point being... you can get to this second part. I went from being jobless and having no food, to slowly re-stocking my kitchen again, to reducing my grocery spending by 1/3 once my kitchen was stocked, many weeks spending only $25 or so to re-stock what got used during the week. The point of this video is definitely valid. I'd like to add one of the ways I have made the "taking inventory" portion of my grocery budgeting system easier, is by doing my inventory on an Excel sheet, so I don't have to keep doing my inventory from ground zero each time I shop.
Thank you so much for adding this to the discussion! You are very correct! Your story is amazing! How awesome that you were able to come so far from having no food!
I felt like one of your kids when you said "do you want to see it? I KNOW you do because you've been asking me for five months!" 😂😂😂😂😂 I love it
PLEASE DO A BLOG POST OR JUST A REALLY LONG VIDEO ON ALL OF THE RECIPES IN YOUR BINDER!!!!!!! WE WILL WATCH ALL 5 HOURS OF IT, I PROMISE! 😂😍🤤🤤🤤🤤
Having a grocery store in your home? That helps!
lollll "nothing, make yourself some cereal and get off my back" hahahahahaha
I think some people got so caught up on how much food she already has that they missed the point. We all have different food inventory and family sizes. Use what you have already and go from there. Find deals, coupons, sales, etc that can stretch your budget. Sometimes you may even want to have meatless meals which will really save money.
I think the info she gave was great and it will definitely help me with my future meal planning.
Thank you for this! ❤️
Well said!
I really work for family but doesn’t work that well for single people because for exemple I don’t stock- when the fridge is done I have nothing in it. If I go for a stock grocery, i can not spend for twenty. I think that you need doing this in two part : 25 dollars for fresh food to a total of 100 dollars a month and a second part sustainable products like flour sugar oil salt laundry self care… when you buy one or two of them during a week you cannot top 25. A bottle of oil is 10 boxes.
👏👏👏
If my family lived there, we’d eat good for a year without having to leave the home. 😂
“You will forget” if you neglect to label - you are SO right, lol!!
Great video! I've been spending $200+/WK for years. I started doing this, too and it's crazy how much I save, how much doesn't get thrown away now! I just gave my sister three big bags of groceries from my pantry. Same scenario, I have three fridges and a deep freezer. Venison coming in for winter will cut the bill in half! Organic, grass fed. Awesome!
Agreed. I give food away too. Shopping Aldis and the Amish store for deals . Stock up is key
Last I checked a week had 7 days and most people ate 3 meals a day. What happened to the 7 breakfasts and lunches, and dinner on 2 nights? Even if you are just doing cereal and sandwiches for those it would have been nice to see what was included since this was titled as a weekly meal plan for $25, not $25 for 4 meals.
Maybe you should watch her other meal planning videos to see why she does this?
As she stated many, many times, this is not an average meal planning video!
It's more of a STEP #2...if you will... consciencely rotating and using up odds and ends from your fridge, freezer, & pantry.
Ever been given a random gift basket with things you don't normally buy. Or maybe you wanted to try something new and then didn't use it all up. Heck if the stuggle is Really Real you've been the recipient of donated food that doesn't necessarily go together. Whatever the situation, if you want to save $ & not be wasteful, USE IT UP.
Honestly, back in the day, our grannies who canned and put up their own foods practiced this exact thing because they didn't have the convenience of running down to the grocery for this or that. Whatever they had was what they had...period.
I feel that Jordan is challenging us to go back to these practices & is presenting it in a fun and easy way.
We tend to complain now vs see a lesson for what it is.
Would it have been easier if she filmed in a less fancy kitchen? If she didn't have 6 kids? What is the real issue here?
Rachael Pohlman Maybe you should re-read my comment. I did not criticize her method of choosing items that are leftover to form meals and then supplementing those with things from the store. I do the same myself to prevent food waste. I never said anything about a fancy kitchen or the number of children she has either. The issue is this video is titled as a WEEKLY meal plan for $25, yet she only shows 5 meals for the entire week. As I stated above even if they were eating cereal and sandwiches for breakfast and lunch it would have been helpful just to state that. It would have been more accurate to title this video as $25 to feed a family of 8 for 5 dinners, as that’s literally the only thing she showed for a weekly meal plan 🤦🏻♀️
@@nevajohns9929 she literally states multiple times her family has freezer meals for breakfast and lunch. Stop nitpicking.