Get Started With Breakfast

I'm going to use the rest of this week to plan, plan, plan. We've already got a kitchen full of food, so the budget tightening will commence next week. Let's get started with breakfast.

Breakfast is definitely the easiest meal to trim down, simply because we are almost always at home first thing in the morning, not tempted by eating on the go. Also, breakfast foods tend to be cheap for some reason. Eggs? Cheap. Oatmeal? Cheap. Pancakes or muffins? Cheap.

I'm going to change the format up a bit to accommodate this challenge. I'll write up a menu, and then a grocery list with the store I expect to find it cheapest. I'm not including basic pantry items, like baking soda or salt, unless I really do run out.

Monday
Breakfast: Oatmeal, chopped apple, chopped walnuts, drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkle of brown sugar.

Tuesday
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Whole Wheat Toast w/butter, Apple slices

Wednesday
Breakfast: Banana Walnut muffins, Breakfast sausage, Grapes

Thursday
Breakfast: Cream of Wheat, Breakfast sausage, Apple slices

Friday
Breakfast: Oatmeal, chopped pear, chopped walnuts, drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkle of brown sugar.

Saturday
Breakfast: Cinnamon Apple muffins, breakfast sausage, Grapes

Sunday
Breakfast: Pancakes, Scrambled eggs, Grapes

Grocery List
Bag of Oats (QFC)
dozen eggs (farmers market)
bunch of bananas (trader joes)
Bag of apples  (trader joes)
1 pear (QFC)
Bunch of grapes (QFC)
Frozen vegetarian breakfast sausage (trader joes)
Bag of walnuts (trader joes)
Bag of coffee (trader joes)
quart of creamer (trader joes)
Butter (QFC)
Loaf of bread (trader joes)

That's a good start. I know it seems like a lot for breakfast. Some will say, "why not buy a few boxes of cereal and be done with it?"
Well, anyone that knows us, knows that breakfast is a big deal in our house. We all sit together as a family. It's important to my husband and me that breakfast be a hot, balanced meal. We notice that our toddler always has a better day after a nice big breakfast. And so do we.

If you have any suggestions please share them in the comments. What's your go-to breakfast? Are you a smoothie person, a breakfast burrito kind of person, or do skip breakfast and simply down a hot cup of coffee as you run out the door? I'll be back tomorrow to brainstorm about lunches and dinners.