I Feed My Family Of Five For $120 A Week — Here's What A Week Of Groceries And Meals Looks Like For Us

I Feed My Family Of Five For $120 A Week — Here's What A Week Of Groceries And Meals Looks Like For Us

Hi! I'm Sydney. I'm a stay-at-home mom of three, and I make homemade meals for my Colorado family every week.

The author and her daughter
Sydney Martin

Although my current phase of life is a stay-at-home mom, I've also been a college student mom and a full-time working mom — and each stage taught me valuable lessons about feeding myself and my family.

The author at her graduation with her son; she's holding up an "I did it!" sign and he's holding an "I helped" sign
Sydney Martin

One of those lessons has been that meal prep and planning are essential for running a smooth household with three kids under the age of 9. Figuring out all the meals ahead of time allows me to save time and stick to a $120 budget each week.

When planning each week, I start by looking at my local grocery store's weekly sales so I know what items will get me the most bang for my buck. This first step has lately become more important than ever to my planning and budgeting.

Weekly sales flyer

I never let the flyer completely dictate what my menu will look like, but I always allow it to provide inspiration. When I look at what different meats, produce, and pantry staples are on sale, I decide which direction I'll take.

Sydney Martin

With meal planning, up-front preparation is key — but it's also the most challenging thing. Here are a few tips and tricks that I use each week:

The author's family in the pool with floaties
Digital sales
The author and her children sitting on a bench
Sydney Martin

Lastly, I'm not a chef. I'm a mom who cooks meals for her family. I learn things as I go and pick recipes that seem manageable for me to keep up with — as I also try to be present with my family.

After I made my plan for this week, my total sat at $126.17. I saved $3 from coupons, but more than $10 from sale items!

The estimated subtotal of $140 along with the coupons and sale items (and no sales tax)
Sydney Martin

Most weeks, I get my groceries delivered to save me time, gas, and impulse buys. (I also opt for delivery because if you've ever taken multiple young kids grocery shopping, you know the struggle!) I've had a few experiences where people have come up to me mid-crisis, telling me I'm doing a great job. Although the intention behind the comments is good, I'm always internally mortified because I'm someone who loves to fly under the radar, and these comments remind me that we are, in fact, on full display. 💀

As you continue to build your pantry, it's easier to spend within your budget because you'll utilize staples you have already acquired. But for the purposes of this post, several pantry staples (like oats, flour, and rice) were included in the $126.17 I spent. The only staples I did not include were oils and spices.

Various recipes online
Tasty

Here's how my week went!

Sunday
BuzzFeed

First, the afternoon grocery haul:

Weekly grocery haul

Once I had everything put away, I thought it would be a good idea to head to the pool to let some afternoon energy out...but I was a bit too late and the energy was already fizzled.

The author's daughter sleeping
Sydney Martin

Still, I had the foresight to take my sourdough starter out of the fridge so that I could feed and bake with it later on.

The author's sourdough starter

I had also already mentally prepared for a simple dinner: honey mustard ham and cheese pretzel sliders.

Ham and cheese pretzel slider ingredients

The ingredients were few and the steps minimal.

Sydney Martin

A quick mix of some Dijon and honey: boom. Honey mustard. I spread the honey mustard on the tops of the buns, and ham with cheese on the bottom buns.

Assembling the ham and cheese sliders

This recipe calls for sliced cheese, but in order to be conscious of my budget, I decided to use the shredded cheese, since I was already using that for a different recipe this week.

Sydney Martin

I covered with foil and baked for 25 minutes.

Sliders ready for the oven
Sydney Martin

I realized I didn't account for anything to go with the sliders, so I put some arugula in a bowl with lemon juice, avocado oil, and sea salt for some dressed greens.

Ham and cheese sliders with dressed greens and honey mustard on a plate

And a smidge of extra honey mustard for dipping!

Sydney Martin

Not much left after this meal!

leftover ham & cheese sliders
Sydney Martin

Before heading to bed, I used the sourdough starter to make some dough for English muffins. I let this sit overnight to proof.

Sourdough English muffin dough in a bowl
Sydney Martin
Monday
BuzzFeed

Breakfast time! The first thing I did when I woke up was cut the English muffins into circles, and then I cooked them in a skillet on the stove for about four minutes per side.

English muffins cut out on a sheet pan

I served the English muffins with some eggs.

English muffins alongside a bowl of scrambled eggs

And butter, of course! Thankfully, egg prices have declined in recent months, because my family eats them often. These days, it has been much easier to fit more into my budget. I was able to buy multiple cartons this week.

Sydney Martin

Then we put away the leftovers and headed out for some morning exercise.

The author's children and dogs on a walk

As we get into a rhythm for summer, I know that our days turn out best if we start the day outdoors, letting out lots of energy. If I don't focus on making this part of our day a priority, our living room turns into a UFC cage and my mental well-being checks out particularly early.

Sydney Martin

Temps were already heating up on our walk, which meant something refreshing was needed for lunch. While the kids worked on getting some water down, I started a quick summer tuna pasta salad for lunch.

Ingredients for tuna pasta salad on the counter

While the water and noodles boiled, I chopped, diced, and made the dressing.

Tuna salad dressing in the blender
Sydney Martin

The final step was to add in the pasta and serve!

Quick tuna pasta salad in a bowl
Sydney Martin

A few bites in and I knew this would be added to our normal rotation. The flavors were perfect. Even the kids approved!

The author's son eating lunch and giving an A-OK gesture

I did give my 2-year-old minimal arugula just for the sake of a potential choking hazard. The pieces she did have, I made sure to cut so that the pieces weren't so long and were more bite-size.

Sydney Martin

Then it was time to hit the pool!

the author's son swimming in the pool
Sydney Martin

Here in Colorado, some afternoon thunderstorms have started to roll in — so we went back to the house to prep brown butter banana bars as a snack option for the week.

Butter browning in a pot on the stove

Once the butter was browned, I mixed the batter and put it on a sheet pan.

Batter in the pan

Once they were baked, I cut and wrapped these for a grab 'n' go snack option for the week. I've also made these with the brown butter frosting — but this week I kept them plain.

Sydney Martin

After that, I roasted some leftover banana peels, then ground them up to throw into my garden beds as a natural fertilizer.

Roasted banana peels on a sheet pan

One of the best parts of meal planning and prepping is that I don't have a lot of waste at the end of each week. I really hope to start each week with a full fridge but end it with one that's very empty. I love being able to use scraps in different ways.

Sydney Martin

The thunderstorms were in full force, and I received a message saying baseball practice would be canceled for the night. Suddenly knowing we had the night free led me to pull out dinner ingredients for California Caesar chicken pitas.

Dinner ingredients on the counter

(Now, I'm gonna be straight with you: I did NOT include the anchovy filets because I don't like them. Since I'm the one that plans, shops, and cooks...I make the rules.)

Sydney Martin

The first step was to do a quick marinade of the chicken with a blend of the spices and oil.

Chicken marinating in a bowl

I set the chicken aside and started working on the dressing and prepping the toppings for the pitas.

Sydney Martin

The chicken baked in the oven at 375°F for about 15 minutes. My chicken ended up cooking way faster than the recipe called for, so I would advise keeping a close eye! Mine ended up being a little dry.

ingredients for chicken caesar pitas on the counter

I put the ingredients on the counter so that each person could customize their own. The kids and I opted to keep our strawberries on the side.

Sydney Martin

The recipe for the tahini Caesar dressing instructs you to add water to thin the dressing to your desired consistency. I decided against this and kept mine thicker, like a hummus consistency.

Leftover ingredients

I saved the extra dressing in a container to use as a dip for carrots/celery snacks for the rest of the week.

Sydney Martin

As we were eating dinner, I received a message saying that baseball practice was suddenly "a go" because the rain had stopped.

The author's son's baseball practice

And although I had already planned an evening of washing my hair in a nice, relaxing shower, we raced to practice in record time as my hair held on for dear life through sweat and sunscreen for just a while longer.

Sydney Martin
Tuesday
BuzzFeed

Breakfast was a repeat: English muffins and eggs.

Toaster on the counter toasting an English muffin
Sydney Martin

At this point, we've made it through the first few weeks of summer, and my kids spend their morning figuring out how to all be together ~nicely~ all day every day.

The author working on a garden bed

I decided they needed to work that all out among themselves, and I went out to prepare my garden beds for some expected severe storms, which in Colorado typically means hail.

Sydney Martin

There was still a ton of quick tuna pasta salad left for lunch.

Leftover tuna pasta salad in a bowl
Sydney Martin

For dinner, Italian baked chicken meatballs were on the menu tonight. Any type of meatball is a huge hit in my house, so I knew this was sure to please.

Dinner ingredients on the counter
Sydney Martin

I wanted to keep my expenses on pantry items as low as possible to make room for more fresh produce in the week. So instead of buying bread crumbs, I took two of the homemade English muffins and pulsed them in the food processor to make my own.

English muffins in the food processor
Sydney Martin

Everything baked on a sheet pan, which was bonus points for this recipe!

Tomatoes on a sheet pan

Everything roasted in the oven for 35 minutes, so while that was in the oven, I boiled some spaghetti noodles.

Sydney Martin

This recipe can also be used as a "make-ahead" or "freezer meal" option, as it gives directions on how to prepare the meatballs in advance!

Chicken meatballs and spaghetti in a bowl

Following dinner, we had a little birthday ~paw-ty~ for one of our dogs!

The author's dog with a birthday hat

The absolute thrill was palpable.

Sydney Martin
wednesday
BuzzFeed

Today we had plans for a playdate, so I made oatmeal for breakfast, which is a family favorite.

Dry oats in a pot on the stove
Sydney Martin

While the oatmeal cooked, I also threw together a dough for sourdough crackers.

Ingredients for sourdough crackers in a bowl

I spread the dough out on a sheet pan and put it in the oven while we got dressed and ready for our day.

Sydney Martin

After the crackers were done baking, I pulled them out of the oven to cool while we were gone. It wasn't until then that I realized I never took the melted butter out of the microwave...meaning I also didn't add it to the cracker dough...

A bowl of forgotten butter

I just crossed my fingers that the crackers wouldn't be a total bust without the butter, and we were on our way!

Sydney Martin

We spent the morning at the Museum of Discovery, where we learned about sound waves, hurricane winds, and how you can use pulley systems to lift heavy things, like pianos!

Entry sign for the Museum of Discovery
Sydney Martin

We got home a little later than our normal lunchtime, but we were equipped with good leftovers.

Leftovers in containers

The kids ate the spaghetti and meatballs, and I finished off the tuna pasta salad, which was still excellent days later!

Sydney Martin

In the afternoon, we kept things close to home and played ice cream shop, in true summer fashion.

The author's daughter playing with pretend ice cream
Sydney Martin

After a while, I knew we needed to get a start on 40-minute hamburger buns.

Hamburger bun dough on a sheet pan

Ever since I discovered this recipe, I haven't bought a single hamburger bun. These come together so fast that it's worth the few extra minutes to make homemade buns and save on our budget! My daughter also loves helping with these, so it's a good opportunity to teach her a fun skill.

Sydney Martin

After baking for only 8–10 minutes, I pulled the buns out of the oven and set them to cool for later.

Hamburger buns on a sheet pan
Sydney Martin

To go with the buns, I made crispy dill chicken sandwiches.

Dinner ingredients on the counter

I think if my kids ate only pickles for the rest of their days, they would live a happy life. I think it tops the charts as one of their all-time favorite foods.

Sydney Martin

I cut the chicken into thinner sandwich pieces and coated them in bread crumbs.

Breaded chicken on a sheet pan and baking rack

You can fry the chicken on the stove, but I chose the baked option instead, just because that's my personal preference!

Sydney Martin

While the chicken was in the oven, I made the dill pickle ranch sauce.

Dill pickle ranch sauce in a bowl

I like to buy the restaurant or fast food–style pickles for when I make chicken sandwiches!

Sydney Martin

I served the sandwiches with the sourdough crackers, which ended up okay despite the butter mishap!

Chicken sandwiches with crackers on a plate

My husband finished with work late, so I quickly packed his sandwich to go, as we were headed off to a neighborhood summer kickoff event!

Sydney Martin

The kids told me that they were *not hungry*, and they fueled themselves for the evening with excitement, stubbornness, and a dreamsicle.

The author's daughter
Thursday
BuzzFeed

Breakfast was everything bagels with some scrambled eggs.

Bagels on a cooling rack
Sydney Martin

After breakfast, we headed out to the movie theater as a family because my husband had a rare morning off. I hadn't been to the movies in years! It was so fun to be back, and it was the perfect activity for the day, since it was very rainy out.

The author and her son at the movie theater

My son had been counting down the seconds to see the new Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse movie, which was A+++, and my girls got to have their very first movie theater experience ever with their dad and the Little Mermaid.

Sydney Martin

When we got home, I warmed the leftover buns and we had chicken sandwiches for lunch.

A chicken sandwich on a paper plate
Sydney Martin

Corn pasta salad with bacon and creamy pesto dressing was for dinner.

Dinner ingredients on the counter

It was about this time that I realized how many pasta dishes I picked out this week, but I wasn't mad about it — and I knew we weren't even done yet.

Sydney Martin

My little helper was back in action, helping me dice and prep all the vegetables.

The author's daughter cutting a bell pepper
Sydney Martin

While my daughter performed her sous-chef duties, I made the creamy pesto dressing and cooked the bacon.

Pesto dressing in the blender

You are meant to drizzle the pesto dressing over the top, but I decided to mix it into the entire dish. Don't do this. Stick with the drizzle.

Sydney Martin

In terms of assembling, all that was required was to throw everything together in a bowl and dinner was served!

Bacon and corn pasta salad in a bowl

This ended up being my least favorite recipe of the week — probably because I didn't follow the directions.

Sydney Martin

We had lots of leftovers...

Leftover pesto pasta in a container
Sydney Martin
Friday
BuzzFeed

Breakfast was leftover bagels, and lunch was, begrudgingly, also leftovers.

For my birthday this year, my mother bought me supplies to make my own pasta. Now, my birthday was back in March, and I still had yet to give it a try. My husband and I like to cook fun things together on the weekends, and after I got a new pasta cookbook, we knew it was time to give it a try.

Picture of a cookbook cover

I also didn't have any specialty flours, but the book says it's okay if you need to use all-purpose flour, which is exactly what I did.

Flour and eggs on the counter

And surprisingly, flour and eggs are all you need to make pasta!

Sydney Martin

In terms of making the dough, it really was very simple. Obviously not as convenient as boxed noodles, but the process was fun, and the texture so much heartier.

Homemade noodles hanging on a rack

I could use some practice with cutting the noodles, as I was reminded that I'm unable to make a straight line even if my life depended on it.

Sydney Martin

Dinner was served — and my kids loved these! I couldn't keep up with their requests for more, and eventually we just ran out completely.

Pasta and tomatoes in a bowl
Sydney Martin
Saturday
BuzzFeed

When I woke up the next day, I made soft and fluffy white bread. It baked while I made oatmeal on the stove for breakfast.

Ingredients for bread in a mixing bowl
Sydney Martin

Then we headed out for our morning exercise.

The author's daughter standing next to bikes

And because it's a true story of parenthood, we ended up having to walk one bike back due to a chain malfunction. Nothing really ever ends up going as smoothly as it should!

Sydney Martin

When we got home, I used the leftover pieces of bacon from when I made the corn pesto pasta salad, lettuce, and some of the sandwich bread to make BLTs. We actually had no T, but we made it work.

Carrots cut up on a plate

I also cut up some carrots with the leftover tahini dip.

Sydney Martin

When dinner came around, I pulled out all the ingredients to make chicken taco poblano rice bowls.

Dinner ingredients on the counter
Sydney Martin

The first step was to prep the vegetables and prepare the spice blend for the chicken.

Vegetables prepped and a spice blend in a bowl on the counter

My chicken was also still a little frozen from when I split the large container of chicken breasts into separate portions earlier in the week. This was fine, though, because it actually makes the chicken easier to cut!

Sydney Martin

I realized that I accidentally used all my tomatoes — so I was unable to make the pico that goes along with this recipe. Luckily, I had also bought salsa, so it wasn't a total goof.

Chicken taco rice bowls
Sydney Martin
Sunday
BuzzFeed

Breakfast was — you guessed it — eggs and toast.

Scrambled eggs and toast on a plate
Sydney Martin

After breakfast, I took my daughter to a dance camp that was put on by the high school team. Lots of excitement and adoration came from my daughter and focused on the dancers, and she spent the morning in absolute bliss.

The author's daughter at dance camp
Sydney Martin

I packed ham sandwiches for lunch, and we went and ate them at the park afterward!

Bread sliced on a cutting board

I also brought a few organic ice pops, even though these weren't on my grocery list for the week. I had these in my freezer from when my kids did an ice cream stand for the last day of school. The entire lunch pack freezes like an ice pack, making it much easier to pack freezer items on the go!

Sydney Martin

And that was my week! I hope this was helpful. Again, I don't share these plans assuming that people will replicate them exactly. Every household is SO different — from palate preferences to cost of living to the amount of time available to cook. Still, I hope this provides some inspiration for new recipes, new planning ideas, or how to work with whatever your budget may be. You can find more of my articles, with weeks' worth of plans, here!

For more, follow me on Instagram at @sydneyinsuburbia. That's where I give step-by-step breakdowns about how I plan my weeks, shop, and cook — hopefully helping you to do it too!

The author and her family at the beach
flytographer

And one last takeaway: Never let anyone make you feel bad for making a budget. People create budgets for all different reasons — necessity, savings, student loans, retirement, investments — and it's something you can feel proud of. You got this!

Tell me what you're making for your family this week in the comments below, or DM me on Instagram!