The Aldi 25 Experiment - Halfway Point Recap

We just had meal #13 tonight which marks the halfway point of my Aldi 25 Experiment.  I'd like to do a quick recap to get an idea of what our total is so far and what we're averaging per meal.



Here are the meals we've had so far:

#1 Roasted Chicken - $9.44 ($1.57/serving)

#2 Spaghetti and Meatballs - $4.31 ($0.86/serving)

#3 Taco Pasta - $7.46 ($1.24/serving)

#4 Skillet Cassoulet - $6.88 ($1.15/serving)

#5 BBQ Chicken Sammies - $5.39 ($0.90/serving)

#6 Chicken Noodle Soup - $4.59 ($0.57/serving)

#7 Chicken and Biscuits - $6.11 ($0.76/serving)

#8 Salmon Patties - $0

#9 Souvlaki (Greek Chicken Tacos) - $7.48 ($1.87/serving)

#10 Tuna Casserole - $3.19 ($0.53/serving)

#11 Chili - $5.49 ($0.68/serving)

#12 Spaghetti and Meatballs - $4.31 ($0.86/serving)

#13 Grilled Chicken Sammies - $8.51 ($1.06/serving)

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Total so far = $73.16

Average cost per meal = $5.63

Average cost per serving = $0.93

Judging by those numbers I'm on the right track to hit my $150 goal.  I've gone back over my receipt several times and realized that I over-bought by a little.  When I add it up without the extra items I'm actually below the $150 mark but I'll hold off on revealing the final total until the end of the experiment.

We've definitely noticed a change in our week to week spending, a change for the good.  Having money left over at the end of the week is great.  Planning 25 meals ahead may seem like a daunting task, and it's not easy, but the money we're saving makes it well worth the effort.  We're easily saving $20-30 per week.  That adds up.  Especially at this time of the year.  Christmas is just around the corner but this year we're not feeling the same financial strain that we were struggling with last year at this time.

I will definitely be doing this again.  I can say with certainty, even though we're only halfway through it, that this experiment was a success.

Thank you to Lauren over at iamthatlady.com for the guidance and inspiration to take on this task.  Her original "25 Meals for under $150" was a life-saver.

Stay tuned for more savings :)