What is your favorite $5-7 dinner?

[LovesTimone]

I meal plan but never for a year...

I normally go with what's seasonal or what is on rotation in the grocery store AD line-up.. This way I can add in meals, or take out meals if we have something going on, or someone special, or if we need to take a dish or couple of dishes....

I am a true believer that a well stocked pantry is most necessary....If your pantry is stocked and organized you can whip up something from nothing.

I make a lot of freezer meal and items - like meatballs, or soup or red sauce this way I have more options to use. So when I make meatball, I will wait till I have enough hamburger a couple of family packs, then make a couple of 100 but different styles, Basic, Asian, Italian, then freeze then when I want to make soup I can grab a baggie of basic or make chili out of them... The maybe next month pork butts will be on sale and I will make shredded pork, for sandwiches or pork nachos or tacos.

I wait to see what's on sale before I make my meal plans for the month, or really 2 weeks works best for my family.

 

[mom2missmous]

Since it uses a national ad, some of the Aldi prices should be the same everywhere, at least on produce...I'm not surprised there's variation on the other products, since I know one thing my Aldi's doesn't follow are the super-low meat prices (thus, I buy meat elsewhere)...

Our Aldi's prices have gone up a bit recently too, and hmmm it was remodeled as well. Still love it for basics that are not on sale at regular grocery stores, but not the bargain it used to be.