I did get a chance to read last week that Money Saving Mom and Life as Mom are hosting an Eat from the Pantry challenge this month. Instead of the usual monthly cooking marathon, they are challenging themselves (and others) to use up all the food they have stockpiled in their pantries and freezers.
At first, I thought that I might not participate in this challenge. I used up a lot of our perishable food before we left on vacation, and I don't have an extra freezer at all. However, I got to thinking about my stack of cereal boxes, the baking supplies I stocked before Christmas, and all the various canned goods in my pantry, and I decided to give it a try.
My plan is to try a modified version of the EFTP Challenge. I will definitely have to buy some meat, produce, and dairy products, but I think I might be able to get by without buying much else. I'm going to take it week by week and see how I do.
As part of the challenge, I plan to bypass most grocery sales and deals for the month; however, I'm allowing myself to go after any really outstanding ones, as I don't want to leave myself with nothing in the pantry after the challenge.
So far I've spent $30 at the grocery store last night to replenish our perishables. I bought milk, yogurt, oranges, lettuce, and a couple of non-food items. I don't think I'll really need anything else for this week. If I spent just $30/week, I would spend just $120 of our $350 budget for the month! I don't think I'll do quite that well, but a lofty goal is always good!
Here are the dinners I came up with for this week. Except for milk and lettuce, these are entirely composed of items from my pantry and freezer:
Monday - Spaghetti and marinara sauce, salad, bread sticks
Tuesday - Turkey Tetrazzini, fruit salad, muffins
Wednesday - Italian Sausage soup, bread
Thursday -Leftover Turkey Tetrazzini, salad, bread sticks
Friday - Black bean tacos, corn
Saturday - Homemade pizza
Sunday - tba
You can see more menus at Menu Planning Monday, and you can see other bloggers' updates on the Pantry Challenge here.
Also, don't forget that my PUR pitcher giveaway ends on Thursday, so enter now!
Hi Liz,
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your Eating From the Pantry challenge participation. I debated on whether to join or not, but decided against it, since I hadn't done the Once A Month Cooking like Crystal and don't have much in the freezer (although I have some stuff in my pantry). My plan is to be more strict with myself and my weekly/monthly grocery allowance. It's neat to see so many frugal bloggers striving to save money in their meal planning, budgeting, and eating from the pantry exercises.
By the way, hopefully you'll get a chance to go to Harris Teeter tomorrow for Super Doubles (rumored to be happening!). I know you mentioned that you will be hitting the grocery store only for really good deals, and it looks like there will be some freebies and cheapies available after coupons!
Laura