Whole Foods Market Meal Plan Challenge :: Getting Organized

Last week I told you about the foodie adventure that I am on with Whole Foods Market.  I have been challenged to feed my family three meals a day for seven days using $200 worth of groceries at Whole Foods Market in Cincinnati.  I was a bit nervous beginning this journey for several reasons:
1.  I'm bad with numbers
2.  I'm bad with budgets
3.  I'm bad with numbers...really bad. 
I see the Whole Foods Market Meal Plan Challenge as a way to practice being a better shopper.  Hopefully after this challenge I will continue to practice good budgeting habits at the grocery store.  I mean, I use coupons now, and try to shop sales, but I'm also one to put whatever looks good into my cart without considering cost.  That's what gets me at the register!  So in order to be successful in my shopping trip this weekend for my challenge, I did a few things to prepare myself.  I went to Whole Foods to look at the prices, pick up my Whole Deal (for coupons!), and I wrote my menu plan.  This was all after I took a Budget Tour of Whole Foods.

Here are the tools I started with, the Whole Deal (coupons, recipes and more from Whole Foods), recipe plans and recipe cards from Whole Foods and Edible Magazine.  I also ordered some very helpful printable menu plans from Neskita on Etsy for $3.20.  I love them!  I can write out what we are having for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day!  Please take a few minutes to check out Neskita's shop on Etsy, she has some adorable printables and clipart.  AND, as an added bonus, she is offering my readers a 20% discount on any one item in shop from now until the end of November!  Just use this code when you check out: CARDSBYKATIE.  It's a great chance to pick up your own menu plans, or to pick up a holiday gift for someone.  I love her printable paper dolls & recipe cards.  I see some gift buying in my future! 

So there's my update.  The menu plan is nearly finished & the grocery list is being made (using my favorite & most useful app "Shopper").  This weekend I will head to Whole Foods and load my cart with wonderful foods to feed my family!  I will report back in to you all next week with details about my shopping trip, my menu plan, and of course I'll tell you how much money I spent and how much food I got!

More details about my foodie adventure:

Whole Foods Market Meal Plan Challenge :: The Tour

Disclosure: Whole Foods Market in Cincinnati provided me with $200 to spend on groceries for my Whole Foods Market Meal Plan Challenge. They also gave me $100 to spend on whatever I would like at the store after the Challenge is over and $100 to give away to one random reader (more details to come). I’ll be sharing my culinary adventures here on the blog.