Up for a challenge?

Last week, I went to the grocery store and spent almost $200.

I wanted to pass out. I felt sick to my stomach. So much money sucked out of our bank account. Even with my menus carefully planned out, list in-hand, I still spent way more than I anticipated. And it's like that almost every week.

I know groceries are a necessity. It's not like I'm getting my hair highlighted and my nails done. We must have groceries. But still. It is so much money. And despite some great tips, I'm still spending too much.

Driving home from an errand today, I began to think how nice it would be if I could just take one week off from grocery shopping. Right now, I plan my menus on Monday morning and the girls and I head to the groceryafter breakfast and shop for the week. I get just what I need for the week, save for a few staples or pantry re-stocking, and the occasional impulse buy.

But back to my idea about taking a week off....

You know it's not like my cupboards are bare except for the things I'm putting in each week. They are still stocked with rice and beans and cans of soup and pastas and..... There are the odd cuts of meat and frozen breads in my freezer. I have flour. And sugar. And yeast. And butter.

It's just that I often ignore those things in my pantry for what I feel like making that week.

I'm not using what I have.

So here's my challenge for this week. My own mini no-spend challenge. I'm not going to the grocery store next week. (And I'm not going to stock up this weekend either--no cheating.) I'm going to make do with what I have in my cupboards and freezer. I'm going to get creative. I'm going to do my best to put together some meals with what I have on hand. I'm going to save a little money this week.

Sometimes my best meals are the ones created when I think "I have nothing to make for dinner".

So as I head in to next week, here are a few things I'm allowing:

1. I'm allowing myself to buy milk for the week (a necessity for my children), a bag of coffee beans (c'mon, I'm not crazy), and I'm going to refill the propane tank on my grill.
2. If someone invites me to dinner. I'm going to say yes. :)
3. I'm going to buy two quarts of strawberries at the farmers' market tomorrow.

Here's what I'm slightly concerned about:

1. I have no fresh greens in my fridge. But I do have frozen varieties.
2. I still think I'd rather go with a meal of rice and beans than break into the deer sausage my grandmother kept passing on to us. Which has been sitting in my freezer since, well....deer season. Yuck.
3. I hope I can make enough to eat for meals, plus leftovers for Dan's lunches.

All next week, I'll let you know what I make each night for dinner. In the midst of my normal posts, I'll keep you updated on how it's going and whether or not I'm making it. Ugh. I'm nervous. But I know it will be fine. I like a little mini-challenge.

Anyone brave enough to join me? And by the way. We have lots of granola.

Comments

[renee @ FIMBY]

I see you've got something like 100 comments here but I have a recipe you might like for this challenge, empty fridge pasta.

http://fimby.tougas.net/easy-vegan-pasta-recipe

[scissor variations]

I tried to do $25.00 a week to use up what we had in our cupboards and we found it hard (+ there are only 2 of us). The budget was to mainly allow for fresh fruit + veggies and milk. We do not eat a lot of meat, but do like to have lots of varieties of cheese on hand. We have managed the $25.00 some weeks, but then decided $50.00 was more realistic.

Also some of that budget goes to lots of cook-ahead + freeze soups, muffins, scones, etc. I do like baking homemade bread, but I do let my bread machine take over some weeks to get some stocked up and into the freezer.

I do find we tend to stock up on pasta, different rices and grains....now to start cooking through the stocked up items. I need to make way in the freezer for the fresh fruits and veggies of the summer.

It's always interesting to hear what others are doing.

[kerri]

So glad I found this. I have been doing this for a few weeks, mostly because other "surprises" and tuition took away our grocery funds. We used to budget $100 - $150 a week on groceries, we have been down to $40 - 60 a week now.

I have only been buying soymilk, milk, fresh fruit, veggies and eggs.

With mostly pantry stuff I've made:

** lentil/mushroom burgers with defrosted buns from the freezer

** brocoli soup (broccoli was fresh)

** bannock. (delicious and we always have tons of flour/baking powder about).

**rice salad - good for lunches all week

** vegetarian chili - lots of time to soak up the beans, use of canned tomatoes and the lb of texturized veggie protein hanging out in the pantry

** honeybee snacks (from vegan lunchbox)

[Ellen]

I'm sorry I missed this challenge. I've been so absent from my blog and visiting others' blogs because I've been in the throws of couponing...stockpiling (a bit) to actually spend less in the long run.

[emily]

I love this idea! I think of it often, too use up old items that we ignore for the faster, ready-to-eat items. Best of luck to you. I look forward to your creations!

[Regin]

Just an FYI -- it's *Venison*, not *deer* sausage. Unless you are planning on putting cow patties in your hamburger buns, too.

[mommycoddle]

haha! I'll have to remember that joke--though most people eat steers, not cows. A cow is a heifer after she's given birth to her first calf. my grandfather is a 3rd generation farmer who raises beef, and he always gets upset when people call it hamburger--it's not ham. it's beef. beef burgers. For the record the white paper wrapped around my sausage says "deer sausage". But yes, it is venison, as well. :)

[val]

after Hurricane Gustav last year, I thanked God that we had the outside freezer packed with 200 pounds of ice. Then I refused to buy ANY meats until after I used up everything in it. I had to get VERY creative...but I am so glad I did it. It taught me to buy differently and I save money along the way. (I also don't stock up the outside freezer during hurricane season!)

[Deanna]

I have found allrecipes.com to be a LIFESAVER in such circumstances. Perhaps you know this already...you can search using the ingredients you have and/or want to use and voila! recipes that take the guesswork out of it. There are even 29 recipes that use ground venison. :0) Good luck!

[Deanna]

Oh darn - I'm way late! Ah well, at least I can go read how it worked out for you!

[Health Insurance]

It also happened to me and to cut my expenses I try to plant some vegetables in or backyard.