Friday, September 17, 2010

The Challenge Has Been Accepted

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:

Stacie said...

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!

Open Roads Mama said...

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! :)

The Grady Chronicles said...

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!!!!

Aimee said...

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!

Andrea said...

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.

Avasmommy said...

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!