Mothering › Mothering Discussion Forums › Natural Family Living › The Mindful Home › Frugality & Finances › I think the time is coming for a no-spend/pantry challenge month.
New Posts  All Forums:
 

I think the time is coming for a no-spend/pantry challenge month. - Page 2

post #21 of 113
12/13/06 at 9:35pm
I'm in! For a no spend month (minus fresh produce/dairy) However, my pantry isn't stocked well enough for a pantry challenge.

Actually we are going to try to do a three month no spend challenge, because we are planning to move to a location that is 30 miles from the nearest grocery store soon.

Since we live in an apartment, storage is crucial, but I have to carve it out myself. So I'm planning to buy some cheap bins to put on the balcany, for most of our unperishable food. I should be able to go 1 month with my itty bitty freezer.

You may also like:

Is the Flu Shot Safe for Pregnant Moms?
There Is Not Always a "Fix" For the Difficult Child
10 Things You Don't Need For a New Baby
post #22 of 113
12/14/06 at 1:56am
i'm in! i'm especially excited b/c we're signing up for an orgainc produce delivery service, so hopefully i'll be in the "10 items or less" line all month at the grocery store!!! woo hoo!
post #23 of 113
12/15/06 at 1:57am
I'm in
post #24 of 113
12/15/06 at 1:58am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by pazerific View Post
i'm in! i'm especially excited b/c we're signing up for an orgainc produce delivery service, so hopefully i'll be in the "10 items or less" line all month at the grocery store!!! woo hoo!
I didn't even think of that!
I should make that a rule for me for the month- If I can't check out in that isle I can't check out.
post #25 of 113
12/15/06 at 11:45am
yeah, i wasn't intending to, but i think that very well may become one of our rules too!
post #26 of 113
12/17/06 at 11:52am
Thread Starter 
I thought of another cool "rule"--- shop only the perimeter of the grocery store.
post #27 of 113
12/17/06 at 3:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Synchro246 View Post
I thought of another cool "rule"--- shop only the perimeter of the grocery store.
You know, I always hear this from people (the perimeter thing). But my store's so small that all the baking goods (flour, sugar, etc.) and dry goods (beans, whatever) are in the middle. Same with bread (it's cheaper for us to buy than make). I think they do it on purpose. :
post #28 of 113
12/17/06 at 6:47pm
Woo! This is a wonderful idea! I've been trying to work on reducing the food in my pantry since we've moved into this tiny apartment! (2 months) Barring produce, and tiny perishible things to round out pantry meals, I'm in!

It hasn't even started yet and I'm already cheating. I need my produce though!!
post #29 of 113
12/17/06 at 11:29pm
Thread Starter 
While at the store today I bought some extra shaving cream and deoderant for dh, a big thing of hand soap, plenty of tooth paste, and toilet paper so that I don't end up going to the store for one of those things and getting tempted by impulse purchaces. I know it kind of defeats the purpose, but it's all stuff we use all the time and I think if I have it on hand I can avoid going to the store I will be more successful.


OH YEAH.
I put a link to this thread in my siggy. I want to make this the biggest challenge yet!
post #30 of 113
12/17/06 at 11:31pm
joining.

post #31 of 113
12/17/06 at 11:33pm
OK, I wanna try this! Here's hoping I make it through a week. I live across the street from a grocery store so it will be a real challenge!
post #32 of 113
12/18/06 at 12:19am
I'm definitely in! My pantry is actually quite embarrassing, so I'm excited to do a pantry challenge. (Seen them quite a bit but never done one!)

My rules (because if I write them down, I am more likely to follow them):
Only produce and dairy (I'm going to try buying no meat either)
10 items or less line

Good luck to everyone else!
post #33 of 113
12/18/06 at 1:16am
Okay. I've never done this but I will give it a try. I think I would like to adopt the previous posters rules too.
post #34 of 113
12/18/06 at 7:08am
I'm totally in. We have a lot of food here, but nothing to make a cohesive meal (at least not that I could come up with quickly, I'm not that creative ). We were down to one egg, one slice of bread, no veggies except frozen broccoli, which we're all sick of. We were even out of cheddar cheese and pasta, and those are usually my last resort. But we have lots of flour Anyway, I spent most of the day meal planning, and then we hit the store and spent $200 : But I'm so excited that I have some really awesome stuff planned for the next two weeks, and I need to keep the meal planning going so what happened these last two weeks doesn't happen again. We ate sooooo much fast/takeout food...sigh. At least some of it was provided by my parents, which kept it from killing our budget. I love the holidays, but they are so hard, timewise.

Anyway, I'm so in. We should share recipes that we can use to use up those last dredges of whatever we happen to have!
post #35 of 113
12/18/06 at 11:52am
I'm in! I followed you, Synchro246!! I'm a shop a little bit every day or two kind of person, so I'm sure I end up spending a lot needlessly....

We've been poor the last few months though, so my pantry is BARE. I'll have to dig around in there and see what I NEED to stock up on, what I'm going to make....

Chili
Tuna Pasta- This is great for using up canned tuna, capers and black olives!
Baked macaroni and cheese
(non)chicken noodle soup with turnip
garbanzo bean salad....

my mom bought me a book for hurricane season and it is full of recipes for meals to make from your storm pantry, I'll have to dig it out! =)

Kat
post #36 of 113
12/18/06 at 11:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Synchro246 View Post
I thought of another cool "rule"--- shop only the perimeter of the grocery store.
Good rule, but I have to ask... where do YOU live?? In our grocery stores here that is possible, but every time I visit WA I notice that the food in the perimeter aisles is all JUNK food! chips, pop, frozen dinners, etc. so that rule doesn't apply so well there!

Oh, and I'm in too, I have been trying to have a no-spend 2006 but that isn't going so well. We'll try again for 2007. (I just spent $500 to buy a new tub, tub surround and shower fixture, grrrr (yes, needed, not optional)) And out pantries are WAY too full! I don't even know what's IN some of them.
post #37 of 113
12/18/06 at 12:01pm
Thread Starter 
Huh, that's funny. I'm in Florida. Most of our grocery stores have produce, dairy, meat, the deli, some have bread (or at least bakery bread), and some have wine in the perimeter.
Everything I need (except coffee) . All the tempting naughty stuff is in the isles for us.
post #38 of 113
12/18/06 at 1:40pm
my potatoes... are all baked/cooked/frozen..
we are well stocked for january..

thanks for all who asked..
post #39 of 113
12/18/06 at 3:23pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by rajahkat View Post
I'm in! I followed you, Synchro246!! I'm a shop a little bit every day or two kind of person, so I'm sure I end up spending a lot needlessly....

. . .

my mom bought me a book for hurricane season and it is full of recipes for meals to make from your storm pantry, I'll have to dig it out! =)

Kat

Yay!
and when you dig it out I want to hear alllllll about this book
post #40 of 113
12/18/06 at 4:23pm
Count me in for my first pantry challenge and no-spend month (which sounds incredibly intimidating, but I can't wait to try it!)

We are constantly running to the grocery store for "just one thing" and coming out $30 with impulse stuff. It adds up way too fast and we STILL don't have stuff for meals!

Teach me, oh wise mamas!!!
New Posts  All Forums:
 
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Frugality & Finances

You may also like:

Is the Flu Shot Safe for Pregnant Moms?
There Is Not Always a "Fix" For the Difficult Child
10 Things You Don't Need For a New Baby
Mothering › Mothering Discussion Forums › Natural Family Living › The Mindful Home › Frugality & Finances › I think the time is coming for a no-spend/pantry challenge month.