The Whiteboard Menu and Multi-Store Plan This Portland Family Uses to Stay on Budget

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Today, we hear from Judith from Hayhurst. Judith shares how she shops, saves, and meal plans for her family of four — including two rapidly growing kids! She walks us through her weekly game plan for keeping two rapidly growing kids fed, a strategy that relies on a public menu, smart shopping, and some serious snack planning.

Who are you? I’m Judith, and I’ve been a proud Portland resident for about 11 years. I’m a food writer, communications professional, and an avid home cook and baker.
Where do you live? I live in Southwest in the quaint Hayhurst neighborhood. I’ve lived here since 2021 and absolutely love it!
What’s your weekly grocery budget (roughly)?: $350 - $375
How many people are you shopping for?: 4
What are your favorite stores?: Albertsons, Safeway, New Seasons, Trader Joe’s, Fred Meyer, Basics Market, Barbur World Foods, Uwajimaya, Friendly Food
What’s your top priority when it comes to grocery shopping?: To buy nutritious food, fresh, and protein heavy foods that will satiate my family. My two young kids eat very frequently so I feel I have to really shop smart and strategically for my groceries to last throughout the week, which can be challenging.

Every Sunday, I plan out our family’s meals for the week and create a menu that I post on a dry-erase board in the kitchen. This helps everyone know what to expect each day and keeps us on track. From there, I put together a detailed shopping list that includes all the ingredients we’ll need — not just for dinners, but also for lunches and the many snacks my kids go through (which we try to buy in bulk when possible). We also note any days we plan to eat out so we can budget and plan accordingly. 

Our typical routine is to eat at home most nights, with maybe one or two meals out for social events or special occasions. Fast food is a rare treat for us, but we do love Shake Shack or Don Pedro #7.

One of the biggest challenges I face with two growing kids is making sure we have enough protein-rich, healthy foods to keep up with their appetites all week long. There’s nothing worse than realizing the fridge is already running low by midweek!

Weekly total: $350 - $375
Eating out total: $160
Groceries total: $215
Most-expensive line item: Charmin toilet paper $12.99 (with digital coupon)
Least-expensive line item: Sweet frozen corn (12 oz) $1.25
Number of grocery trips: 2
Number of meals out: 1
Stores visited: 2

After dropping the kids off at camp, I swung by Fred Meyer around 10 a.m. to pick up my groceries at the Grab-and-Go. Once home, I unloaded everything — including a fresh batch of snacks for the kids. There’s something about coming home to a fully stocked pantry on a Monday that makes everyone happy.

Later that afternoon, I made a trip to Uwajimaya to pick up some of our favorite specialty foods. I grabbed pork and chicken gyoza, red bean paste bao buns, udon noodles, dried fruit, and some delicious pre-made veggie salad rolls made by Bui Natural Tofu.

Monday total: $205

We cooked and prepared all our food at home. I went for a hike and had the previous night’s leftovers for lunch which was a Slovak dish called Ryzovy Nakyp, an apple/rice dish, which is sweet and delicious. 

For dinner, the kids had some BBQ leftovers, udon noodles from Uwajimaya with fresh fruits and vegetables while my husband and I had broccoli and carrot fritters and some udon, as well.

Tuesday total: $0

My husband cooked up chicken cutlets and some simple pasta for the kids. The cutlets are made with crushed corn flakes, which makes the exterior crunchy and delicious. I went out to dinner with a friend for sushi.

Wednesday total: $60

We cooked at home and I made a slow cooker French onion soup, which came out delicious but it took a long time (about 9 hours). I bought fresh biscuits to put on top of the soup at our local bakery in Hillsdale called Baker & Spice. This bakery is a local favorite and their breads and pastries are absolutely divine!

Thursday total: $9

The kids ate at camp and we made a simple kale, apple, and cheddar salad. It was a perfect way to end the week while still nourishing ourselves with healthy food. Plus, kale is so tasty right now!

Friday total: $0

We ate some great leftovers this weekend but also went out with friends after the Pride festival, which set us back around $100 for a family of four. See why we only eat out once a week?! It’s expensive!

Weekend total: $100

Plan your grocery list and menu at least a week in advance, especially if you have a family to feed. Make lists, either old-fashioned paper lists or digital lists. I clip coupons on my Fred Meyer app, and also keep an eye out for New Seasons coupons which feature some awesome loss-leaders. 

While cashing in on the loss-leaders, keep your eye on the prize and don’t fill your shopping cart with random stuff you don’t need. This will help you stick to your budget, plus it’s a good exercise in self-control. 

My favorite recipe is Brazilian cheesy bread that I often make at home. It’s quick, easy, gluten-free and doesn’t require many ingredients. I published the recipe years ago on PDX Parent and still refer back to it all the time. 

Fun pro-tip: you can use full sized muffin tins to make the bread bigger, or even experiment with fun shapes such as character tins. We have a Star Wars tin, and it makes for some fun looking cheesy bread.

I first got a sense of Judith's food smarts during our Portland Salad Week collaboration, but seeing her full weekly strategy is a masterclass in practical family meal planning. The public-facing whiteboard menu is such a simple, brilliant solution that proves you don't need an app to keep everyone on the same page.

What really inspires me, though, is how she solves the "protein problem" without always relying on meat — something I personally struggle with. Seeing delicious, filling meals built around broccoli and carrot fritters or hearty udon noodles is a fantastic reminder of how to feed a family well. It’s strategies like these that I find so valuable to learn from all of you.

Want to be featured in Rose City Receipts? Email [email protected] and share your grocery shopping approach!

Happy saving!

Bryan M. Vance,
Founder/Publisher,
Stumptown Savings