42 Comments

  1. Casey Solsberry says:

    Thank you for this meal plan! I am heading back to work next week (teacher!) and I was beginning to feel overwhelmed with the chaos the school year brings with my four kiddos, hubby, dinner, and after school activities. I am so glad I came across this plan. We shopped last weekend, I froze all the extra and stuck the meal plan on my fridge. The weight of change feels so much lighter!

  2. This is so helpful! Thank you for all the work you put into this! What items do you freeze when you get home from shopping?

    1. Mostly meat! But I prep it first, which usually means cooking it up and then putting it in ziploc bags. 🙂

    2. Barb House says:

      good morning I am loving this meal plan for Costco. question do you add any kind of sauce to you pastas> like the butternut one

      thank you

  3. Thank you for this! I have a family of 10 so Ill have to make some adjustments. Question: So Im looking at the grocery list and not everythingI need to make all meals is on the grocery list. For example, I don’t see chicken broth on the grocery list, but needed in the meals. I don’t see chopped green chili peppers which is needed in one of the meals. How do I make sure I get everything? Thank you!

    1. Great question! Pantry staples are not included in the shopping list, so you’ll want to make sure you have all those standard supplies stocked up! I’d simply check the recipes each week to make sure I had the things on hand. I hope you enjoy the recipes!!

  4. This sounds so great! How do you get your kids to eat it? Mine (2&4) are so picky and have been since they were babies! I don’t cater to their whims, but I’m so tired of throwing food out because they take a bite and say yuck! The only veg my 4yo will eat is broccoli, peas and carrots, she only started eating them about 6 months ago and only when she feels she likes them this time. My 2yo hates most fruit and is on a no veg (age appropriate) kick.
    I have tried meal planning before, both monthly and weekly, but it never works. We get busy, I dont feel like cooking that night or miss an ingredient and then end up shuffling meals around and then if just falls by the wayside and we’re back to “what do you want for supper?”.
    I do a lot of shopping at Costco , but I won’t buy meat there because I feel there have been to many recalls in the last few years, otherwise this is a great idea!!

  5. This is great! I have a love/hate relationship with meal planning. I really need to develop a monthly menu of sorts and work from that each month instead of recreating the wheel each time. This is a great springboard for me to do that. Love it! Thanks!

  6. We just got a membership to Costco and LOVE those chicken and apple sausages. Even the kids like them. I think you’re right, the key to saving money anywhere, especially a bulk store, is to go in with a plan.

  7. Do you buy the fresh or frozen hamburger patties?

    1. Frozen! We get the big pack of lean burger patties.

  8. I hope I’m not finding this too late to ask a question! Do you actually portion everything in to a meal (a freezer bag or aluminum casserole pan covered in foil?)? Or are you preparing food on the night it will be served?

    Thanks for your comprehensive list! Either way, I think we may try this meal plan since we just started our Costco membership. My husband is a student (and veteran) so his “income” isn’t quite as much as a job…and b/c of our kids ages and stages childcare isn’t easy to come by. So I work sporadically paired with cleaning houses to supplement when his school schedule and the kids school schedule come together just right.

    1. I do LOVE freezer cooking ahead of time, but I’ve been just preparing the meals the night of! It’s working for this season. 🙂 We store everything in our chest freezer in the garage. 🙂

  9. Annemarie says:

    Did I miss it somewhere? How many people do you feed with this meal plan?

  10. We have some food issues, so not all of your meals work for us, but I can see the main idea would work at our house. Thank you for taking the time to spell it all out. We’ll give it a try! I had to subscribe to find out more! I look forward to exploring your other posts.

  11. Yes! Thank you so much for this! I usually do my meal planning a week at a time, and it seems like we choose from the same 10 meals. This gives me so many more options. Costco here I come!

  12. Wow – way to make the budget stretch. I canceled my Costco membership a while ago because I ended up just throwing most of the food away because there’s just TOO MUCH of it. Maybe when I start a family… 🙂

  13. This is awesome. I wonder if it will translate to Sam’s club because I can’t shop at costco.

  14. You are so organized! I stand in awe! (I love Costco, too, though I menu-plan a whole lot more casually!)

  15. Karen Heumann says:

    Just a hint.. cook chicken thighs at 425 for 30 minutes or chicken breasts at 450 for 25 minutes and they are juicier. (Make sure to let them rest for 5 minutes before cutting.)

    1. Do you cover the baked chicken or cook uncovered?

  16. This is a fabulous post! I have a Costco membership but I always feel overwhelmed when I go (usually because I don’t have a detailed plan). Thank you for writing it all out and for your tips about the bread and ground turkey- I’ll be implementing them soon!

  17. This is amazing. Never thought it would be possible in a store like Costco. Thank You!!!!

  18. KellyinPA says:

    Kayse, I just wanted to take a minute to thank you so much for doing this! It was a real life-saver for me this week. I had to go to the store, didn’t have a clue as to what I wanted to make for dinners, your list to the rescue! I just printed it off and took it with me, so nice! I have to tweak a few of the meals because of gluten and dairy issues but that was not hard to do. The tortillia soup is in my slow-cooker as I type:). If you wanted to make this a regular feature on your blog, I wouldn’t be mad:)

  19. I don’t see the link for the Chicken Tortilla Soup. I just got home from my trip to Costco and bought what I need to make these meals! My son was so excited and I am thankful to have a list of menu choices and know that I have the ingredients on hand! Thanks for the help on the soup recipe!

    1. I’m so sorry! I just updated the tortilla soup link!!

  20. Is there a link to the Tortilla soup? Thanks!

    1. I’m so sorry! I just updated the tortilla soup link!!

  21. When you say “squash” what kind are you referring to? Thanks!

    1. Zucchini or that yellow squash that looks like zucchini! They come in a pack of like 8 in the refrigerated section of Costco, and it’s just marked “Organic Squash”. Hope that helps!

  22. Good Morning, Kayse!

    Over the past few weeks, I’ve been praying about a way that I could encourage other bloggers who have been encouraging me. Through your ministry, posts, words, comments, and faithfulness—your life has been a blessing to mine, and I wanted others to know about you!

    So, I compiled a list of those bloggers who I’ve personally found to be the MOST INSPIRATIONAL on the web.

    You are ONE Of these bloggers – in my estimation!

    You can find the link to the list where you are featured here: http://www.melanieredd.com/the-100-most-inspiring-christian-blogs-on-the-web/

    I’ve also signed up to get your emails, and tried to follow you on your social media outlets!

    I pray that God will encourage you today through these simple acts~
    Melanie

  23. What a great resource! I tend to do my shopping once a week, but now you have me contemplating a once a month run. How often do you go to the store for things like milk, eggs, etc?

  24. This is really helpful! My husband and I have been talking lately that it’s time for us to do our grocery shopping solely at Costco (instead of making small trips to several stores all throughout the month). There are six of us now and it makes more sense money wise and time wise. I have my staples I get from Costco, but I’ve never done “for the month” shopping there. Pinning this and will use for sure. Thank you!

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