June: Meal Plan on a Budget
According to Canada’s Food Price Report for 2026, a family of 4 will spend $17,571.79 on groceries this year — that’s up $994.63 from 2025!
That’s $1464.32 a month.
That’s roughly $366 a week.
NEW CHALLENGE!!!
Let’s feed me, my husband, our 17 year old and our 13 year old for about HALF that and make a week long menu plan for under $183!
Ninja and I keep a running tab of all our grocery expenditures. This is our spending for May! We spent $971.06 and used $130 in points, leaving our monthly spending at $841.06, going quite a bit OVER our budget and actually came in $109.06 over for the month, but we are still under budget by $71.04 for the year!
Here is a June weekly meal plan staying close to my budget of $183! I want you to have all the tools to be able to feed your family 7 healthy(ish) meals, while not putting yourself into the poorhouse! I hope you enjoy and please let me know if you follow this weekly plan and if you were able to stick to the budget! Click on the recipe listed in the MENU below and it will take you directly to the recipe!!
MENU
Sunday: Garlic Potatoes with Asparagus Foil Packet & BBQ Pork Chops
Monday: Loaded Scrambled Eggs
Tuesday: Dumpling Salad
Wednesday: Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese Hot Dog
Thursday: Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Pineapple Foil Packets & Rice
Friday: Scooby Doo Sandwich
Saturday: Cilantro Lime Steak Bowls
Staple Items
These items are ALWAYS in my pantry or fridge. This tip bares repeating… As soon as I see an item running out it goes on the my shopping list. If they come up on my PC Points list or go on sale, I buy them. We have a second fridge in the garage, so I always have eggs, mayo, soy sauce, etc. on hand. It may take you a while and some money to get this system going but once you do… your wallet will thank you. Things I need for this week’s menu that I already have in my kitchen (my staple items) are listed below on the left. The items that I need to buy are listed on the right.
SHOPPING LIST:
STAPLE ITEMS:
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 cup edamame
1/2 shallot
1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons almonds, chopped
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
6 eggs
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon hot sauce
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
12 pieces bacon
1 cup BBQ sauce
1 can pineapple chunks
3-4 chicken breasts
⅓ cup + 4 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cups Jasmine rice, cooked
2 cups Basmati rice, cooked
1 can black beans
1 can corn
½ cup sour cream
7 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons mayo
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
¼ cup pickles
2 slices cheddar cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
NEED TO BUY ITEMS:
1/2 bag frozen Potstickers
1/2 bag broccoli slaw
3 cups lettuce
2 green onion
1 cup + 2 tablespoons cilantro
1/4 cup wonton strips
1/4 cup milk
3 bell peppers
2 red onions
1 1/2 cup grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons parsley
10-12 garlic cloves
4 hot dog buns
4 hot dogs
1.5 lbs flank steak or skirt steak
1.5 pounds baby potatoes
1 bunch asparagus
1 loaf French bread
1-2 tomatoes, sliced
150g turkey slices
150g ham slices
150g roast slices
2 slices Swiss cheese
1/4 cucumber
Garnish: red onion, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 cup cheese, ½ cup pico de gallo or salsa, and cilantro
SUNDAY: Garlic Potatoes with Asparagus Foil Packet & BBQ Pork Chops
When meat is on sale, we buy it. Pork was on sale a little while ago and we separated it and froze it because as HBear calls it, “hunk o’ meat“ is the easiest dinner on a weekday. Ninja loves barbecued pork chops and this Garlic Potatoes with Asparagus Foil Packet was also super easy to toss on the barbeque for a delicious, easy and healthy dinner.
Garlic Potatoes with Asparagus Foil Packet
4
servings10
minutes40
minutesIngredients
1.5 pounds baby potatoes, halved
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed & cut into 2-inch pieces
4–5 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, plus extra for seasoning
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, grated
Directions
Preheat the BBQ to 425°F.
In a large mixing bowl, toss the with 2 tablespoons olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and half of the rosemary. Coat evenly.
Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a large rectangle skeet of foil. Wrap up. Roast on BBQ for 20 minutes.
Toss asparagus in the same bowl with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, pepper, and the rest of the herbs.
After 20 minutes, remove the packet from the bbq and add the asparagus pieces, mixing gently. Return to the bbq and roast for another 15-20 minutes until potatoes are golden and asparagus is tender but still bright green.
Five minutes before done, open packet and sprinkle grated Parmesan over the top and close up to melt.
Remove from bbq and let rest for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning with extra salt or pepper if needed.
MONDAY: Loaded Scrambled Eggs
We eat breakfast for dinner quite often and sometimes we like to keep it simple. These Loaded Scrambled Eggs are perfect to use up whatever veggies you have in the fridge. Just like all recipes, make them suit your family, and this one is super adaptable. Good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a late night snack lol these fluffy scrambled eggs are delicious!
Loaded Scrambled Eggs
4
servings10
minutes10
minutesIngredients
10 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon hot sauce, to taste
1 cup cheese, shredded
6 pieces bacon, cooked and chopped
1 bell pepper, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Directions
Whisk eggs together with milk, hot sauce, salt, and pepper until smooth.
Melt butter over medium heat in a medium skillet.
Add bell peppers and red onions to the skillet. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, spreading it evenly.
Let the eggs sit undisturbed for 1 minute.
Gently stir the eggs, folding the cooked edges into the centre every 20-30 seconds.
Sprinkle in cheddar cheese, bacon bits, tomatoes, and half the parsley. Stir gently until the cheese melts.
Remove the skillet from heat just before the eggs are fully set.
Transfer the loaded scrambled eggs onto plates and garnish with the remaining parsley.
TUESDAY: Dumpling Salad
HBear loves all types of food, but Asian food is her absolute favourite. Specifically spring rolls and potstickers lol. This Dumpling Salad was so darn good, there were no leftovers! In fact, HBear made it for herself again the next day. This dressing is so so good and this easy dinner left us feeling full, but not heavy, the perfect dinner as it gets hotter out there.
Dumpling Salad
4
servings5
minutes10
minutesIngredients
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2-1 bag frozen potstickers (4-5 per person)
1 cup edamame
1/2 bag broccoli slaw
2 cups lettuce, shredded
1/2 shallot, sliced
2 green onion, finely diced
- Dressing
1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ tablespoon sesame oil
Garnish: 1/4 cup wonton strips, 2 tablespoons almonds, chopped, & 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Directions
Prep the frozen potstickers according to bag instructions. You can pan-fry for 2-3 minutes per side or air-fry them so they get crispy.
Cook the edamame in a covered dish with 2 tablespoons of water, in the microwave for about 3 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the slaw, lettuce, edamame, green onions, shallot and cilantro. Toss together.
In a glass measuring cup, whisk together dressing ingredients.
Pour the dressing on the salad and mix together.
Top with the cooked dumplings. Garnish with wonton strips, sesame seeds, almonds & a squeeze of lime juice.
WEDNESDAY: Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese Hot Dog
Mixing some of our favourite dinners together, grilled cheeses, garlic toast and hotdogs, left us with this Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese Hot Dog that was a super delicious twist on 3 of our favourites. You can’t really take good pictures of hot dogs that have buns that are pressed flat lol but don’t look at the pictures, trust me when I say, you want a hotdog mixed with grilled cheese mixed with garlic toast! I promise. We served these hotdogs with the rest of the coleslaw from the Dumpling Salad.
Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese Hot Dog
4
servings5
minutes20
minutesIngredients
1/4 cup butter
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon salt
4 hot dog buns
4 hot dogs
1 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (about ¼ cup per bun)
Directions
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter.
Stir in the minced garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook 1–2 minutes, just until fragrant.
Remove from heat and stir in parsley.
Lightly score each hot dog with shallow diagonal slashes both ways, about ½ inch apart.
Grill the hot dogs over medium heat until heated through and slightly blistered, about 5–6 minutes total. Keep warm.
Split the hot dog buns open but keep the hinge intact. Brush the outside of each bun generously with the garlic butter. Sprinkle about ¼ cup shredded cheddar on the inside of each bun and close gently.
Place buns on a large skillet over medium heat. Press lightly and grill until the outsides are golden and crispy and the cheese inside is fully melted—about 2–3 minutes per side.
Carefully reopen each grilled cheese bun. Nestle a scored hot dog inside. Drizzle with any remaining garlic butter if desired.
THURSDAY: Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Pineapple Foil Packets with Jasmine Rice
This was a really easy dinner. As Ninja has taken over the majority of the cooking, I try to keep it as simple as possible on weekdays when he comes home hot and exhausted from work. These Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Pineapple Foil Packets were crazy easy, and they tasted like it. Perhaps we are just spoiled, but we all kind of went, “meh“. Granted, we all ate every bit of it lol but if you like these flavours, you will like this easy weeknight boil packet dinner.
Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Pineapple Foil Packets
4
servings10
minutes20
minutesIngredients
1 cup BBQ sauce
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
3-4 chicken breasts
Salt & pepper, to taste
Garnish: cilantro, chopped
Directions
Cut 3-4 large pieces of foil and layer chicken, pineapple, bell peppers, and onions equally on each foil piece. Fold each foil rectangle up into tight packets.
Cook the packets on a grill until the chicken is fully cooked. Garnish with cilantro and serve over cooked Jasmine rice.
FRIDAY: Scooby Doo Sandwich
This Scooby Doo Sandwich was EVERYTHING. I am a big Mr. Sub fan lol most people will not understand that because it was a local Winnipeg sub shop that was SO good! They loaded a fresh sub bun full of veggies and meat and sauce oozed out the sides. So good! This sandwich… Like that! Yum Yum Yum Yum! We just made one loaf and cut it into quarters and nobody talked, everybody just ate lol Yum!
Scooby Doo Sandwich
4
servings15
minutesIngredients
1 loaf French bread
2 tablespoons mayo
1 tablespoon mustard
1 cup lettuce, shredded
1-2 tomatoes, sliced
4 slices turkey slices
4 slices ham slices
4 slices roast slices
6 slices bacon, cooked
2 slices cheddar cheese
2 slices Swiss cheese
¼ cup pickles, sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cucumber, sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Mix mayonnaise and mustard together and set aside.
Slice your bread lengthwise and gently hollow out some of the centre to make room for fillings.
Spread the mayo-mustard mixture on both sides of the bread. Start layering: lettuce, tomatoes, meats, cheeses, onions, pickles, and cucumbers.
Wrap the sandwich tightly in foil or plastic wrap and press it under a cutting board with weight for 15 minutes.
Unwrap and slice diagonally. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
SATURDAY: Cilantro Lime Steak Bowls
These Cilantro Lime Steak Bowls satisfied everybody’s cravings. HBear loves her dinner in a bowl, Ninja and SBean like anything with steak in it, and I loved the lime Crema that brought this whole dish together. Also, I love flat iron steaks! I know people think they are lesser cut, but it’s a cheaper steak to get and marinated and cut against the grain… This steak is full of flavour that just screams summer and sunshine!
Cilantro Lime Steak Bowls
4
servings15
minutes15
minutesIngredients
1.5 lbs flank steak or skirt steak
⅓ cup + 4 tablespoons lime juice, divided
¼ cup olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced and divided
3/4 cup cilantro + 2 tablespoons, chopped and divided
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt & pepper, divided
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cups basmati rice, cooked
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn
½ cup sour cream
Garnish: ½ red onion, thinly sliced, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved, 1 cup cheese, shredded, ½ cup pico de gallo or salsa
Directions
Whisk together 1/3 cup lime juice, olive oil, 1/2 cup cilantro, 4 cloves garlic, cumin, chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and paprika. Pour over steak in a zip-top bag. Marinate 2 to 24 hours.
Cook rice and stir in 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1/4 cilantro, and 1/2 teaspoon salt while hot.
Sauté black beans in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Add corn cook for 2 minutes more. Set aside.
Mix sour cream, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons cilantro, 1 clove garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt for dressing.
Remove steak from marinade and let sit 10 minutes at room temperature. Pat completely dry. Heat grill over high heat and sear steak 3-4 minutes per side until 130-135°F. Rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Slice steak against the grain at a diagonal into thin strips. Build bowls with rice base, then add black beans/corn, steak, onion, tomatoes, and cheese. Top with pico/salsa, dressing, and cilantro.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #456 Infused. This week, we return after some time away from recording after my latest infusion.
Thank you to A Pinch of Joy and Esme Salon for featuring my MS Awareness & Spring Baking post at their Busy Monday 724 Link Party and Senior Salon Pit Stop last week.
May flew by! This week, the Kids are counting down the days until graduation and summer vacation! I went for coffee at the Sunflower Cafe downtown and the pastries are amazeballs! This week there was a big fire in town, SBean went to the eye doctor and got a prescription for glasses, Grandma and Grandpa’s pool is open and my family walked in the MS Walk 🧡. On Sunday, HBear performed at the Penticton Robotics fundraiser with her boyfriend and a few friends. It was a great week!
