October is Here: Menu Options and Budget

I'm disappointed to report I did not make it through September with a total household and grocery budget of $400. This was do mostly with DH taken a few off plan grocery store trips. though, I have to hand it to him this month, he did not do too bad and we have a pretty good stock of some basics for October. He wasn't completely sure how much he spent on his last rip-said $20ish, but when I looked at what he bought, it had to be close to double that, which I've used i my tally. Once he put us over, I was OK adding a few additional things myself, plus stocked my desk drawer. I'm putting the tally for September at $447, all food and household for home and brown bag/desk drawer lunches. Dare I try and make that up in October, and strive for a $353 overall budget? I've spent $79.78 so far as I hit a phenomenal cheese and frozen vegetable sale, leaving on average $68.25 per week. I know I could do this without his help, if it was just my shopping. I'll plan that he will go off plan a few times, so will put my weekly goal to $38.25, heavily using the pantry, fridge and freezer, his "finds" and making soups a staple. I am fortunate in that my family are hearty soup fiends, so making a big batch a week for a meal plus leftovers is a thrifty way to keep the happy.

Here's the potential menu options for the week. Many of these make more leftovers than we will use for lunch so I foresee a night of heat and eat, probably Wednesday, with steaming a bag of frozen vegetables to round out the meal. I also anticipate DH picking up ribs or some other meat for Thursday if he has had shopping with drawl by then. Meat is lacking, other than a bounty of chicken, so I'll leave him room in the budget for his preferences.The week is heavy on pasta  and rice with a lot vegetables, but I will need to limit my portion sizes or risk derailing my weight loss efforts.

Crock pot pasta prima vera with zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli
Tuna noodle hotdish with peas-I know this keeps showing up, but I haven't made it in weeks and it is a favorite of DH and DD2
Chicken wild rice soup with extra celery, mushrooms, and carrots, homemade bread
Fried rice with mixed vegetable and eggs
Cheese ravioli and marinara sauce
Chicken quesadilla and Spanish rice
Homemade vegetable pizza
Bean burgers* and sweet potato fries 
Vegetable Curry and rice (of course this is always on my list but not when Sluggy visits and when there are leftovers for DH)

* A purchase of  two pounds of dried navy bean for under $2.00, prompted a search for a navy bean burger recipe. I found a few but I'll adapt to what I have on hand and will post my made up recipe, and review of it,  on the Sam's Kitchen  page. Look for a link once completed.

If you meal plan, have you added any new winners to your rotation? Is anyone else making copious amounts of soup now that cooler weather may be here? Please share your ideas and any recipe links you may think others would welcome.

Reused photo but pantry looks like this right now.