I have this almost OCD where I have to have full cupboards and a full freezer/fridge. I buy in bulk and when stuff is on sale. I got a vacuum packer for my bridal shower, and I love it. I can buy the value packs of meat and then put them in the deep freezer. I save money or so I think. The problem is I forget that I have it. Example: I buy spaghetti when it goes on sale for 75 cents a box. I put it in my cupboard. We don't use the spaghetti, and I go shopping the next week. Spaghetti is on sale again. I can't remember if I have any, so I buy more. I end up with 5 boxes of spaghetti in my cupboards. 5 boxes! That's 10 meals with that type of pasta! Another example: chicken goes on sale and I buy a value pack. I vacuum pack it into meal portions. I put some in my freezer and some in my deep freezer. I may or may not use some that was stored in my freezer. I go shopping again and this time the bags of chicken are on sale. I buy one, maybe two because 3 pounds of chicken for 2.99 is a good deal! The bags go into my deep freezer. You get the idea.
My current grocery budget is about $75-$100 a week, putting us between $300 and $400 per month. For a family of 3, that includes a toddler. Granted, my husband eats alot. And so does my toddler. And sometimes we are feeding my BIL and various other people, and we take leftovers for lunch so we don't waste a whole lot of food.
Or do we?
Here is my challenge. For the next 3 weeks, I am only alloted a grocery budget of $10 per week. This should buy fresh milk and produce and possibly bread for lunches if needed. For all other food, I have to use up what I have in the house. It's time to deplete the stash.
This should not be too hard, in all honesty. But I am really nervous about it. BECAUSE I AM A PACK RAT! I HAVE A DISEASE, PEOPLE!
This was sparked yesterday evening when I went to the store for crescent rolls and grapes and came out $50 later. Upon putting things away, I realized I already had most of the items I had just purchased or something very similar. The challenge starts today, and I don't get my $10 budget until Monday since I already went shopping. I should need milk by then, so that's my $ date. I have to get through until at least October 8th.
So here we go! On tonight's menu: Oven fried chicken, southwestern hashbrowns and leftover veggies.
6 comments:
I budget $100 per week on groceries too. But, the three of us go through that, with not too terribly much left at the end of the week.
Good luck!
I think it's an awesome challenge! I am in the same boat! I recently started doing the same, but more casually, just going through the cupboards and putting cans/boxes of stuff I want to use soon (withing the next 2 days) out on the counter - like spagetti, beans, etc. So when I think of what to prepare (or when I'm getting ready to go shopping), these things are staring right at me. Deals are a killer, I tell you - they're good, but you so have to have good memory of what you already got. Good luck! Let us know how it goes, I'm totally into doing a challenge like this and cleaning out those cupboards for good! :)
Holy Moly- $10 a week?????? I don't care what kind of stash you have, that seems near impossible!!!! Isn't a gallon of milk like $3ish dollars? We go through a few of those in just a week! Good luck, lady!!!! We are the WORST shoppers/eaters. We can spend over $100 a week on just the two of us- Tommy is a whole other budget.....or for us I guess non-budget! :) We are flushing it down the toilet so I give you credit- you will be able to go VIP to Blogher '11!!!!
I have the same freezer problem! I need to do the same--however $10 I can't do around here. That will literally get me milk and bread and that's about it!
I like this challenge! I'm eager to see how it goes for you. I'm not as bad as you, but there was awhile there that I had SO MUCH chicken in the freezer, it was ridiculous.
I just threw out several hundred dollars of food a few weeks ago when I cleaned out the freezer. I understand exactly where you are coming from!
Good luck!
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