I am looking forward to doing lots of new things this year, but one thing I like to do every year in January is a Pantry Challenge. Basically a Pantry Challenge is a way to start the year off well by purchasing less groceries and eating up some of the excess of the holiday season. My pantry shelves, freezers, and fridges are all burgeoning with food stuffs. It is time to clear them out. The money saved can be used to pay off some debt, put in an emergency fund, saved for a rainy day, or even for planning a birthday gift or anniversary trip.
The Plan for The Man Crew House:
~Spend less than $100 on dairy and produce during January. I won't be purchasing anything besides these items, but make a plan that works for you.
~Commit to cook and eat at home, because we are also doing a No Spend January (More on that later)
~Dig to the back of the freezer, fridge, and pantry shelves to use up what we already have on hand. There is plenty...I promise.
~Do what a blogger friend of mine calls "Gather Your Fragments" which is a simply a way of saying to use up what's already open, already thawed, already in the 'limper drawer' before it gets stale or passes the point of usefulness.
~Make a meal plan: I find that I am much more successful if I take the time to make a meal plan, and possibly even take inventory so I know exactly what to cook each day and I'm not scrambling at 5pm to figure out what's for dinner. I usually spend an hour or so on Sundays looking at what's on hand, making a plan for dinners, and doing a little food prep.
~Breakfasts and lunches are self-serve around here, now that we don't have littles anymore. I usually make one batch of muffins or fruit/nut breads each week and other than that, everyone just makes their own. Lunches are usually leftovers or something really simple like grilled cheese, soup, or PB on a tortilla.
~Commit to cook and eat at home, because we are also doing a No Spend January (More on that later)
~Dig to the back of the freezer, fridge, and pantry shelves to use up what we already have on hand. There is plenty...I promise.
~Do what a blogger friend of mine calls "Gather Your Fragments" which is a simply a way of saying to use up what's already open, already thawed, already in the 'limper drawer' before it gets stale or passes the point of usefulness.
~Make a meal plan: I find that I am much more successful if I take the time to make a meal plan, and possibly even take inventory so I know exactly what to cook each day and I'm not scrambling at 5pm to figure out what's for dinner. I usually spend an hour or so on Sundays looking at what's on hand, making a plan for dinners, and doing a little food prep.
~Breakfasts and lunches are self-serve around here, now that we don't have littles anymore. I usually make one batch of muffins or fruit/nut breads each week and other than that, everyone just makes their own. Lunches are usually leftovers or something really simple like grilled cheese, soup, or PB on a tortilla.
A few items of note:
*This is NOT about going hungry, going a month without eating a fresh veggie, or eating food that has spoiled. The idea is simply to use up what we already have on hand, because in this land of plenty, the average food waste per household in this country is shocking and frankly, shameful.
*It IS about being creative, eating at home, having fun in the kitchen, saving some money, and using what we have before we mindlessly go purchase more.
*It IS about being creative, eating at home, having fun in the kitchen, saving some money, and using what we have before we mindlessly go purchase more.
*This is a NO GUILT challenge. If what works for my house doesn't work for yours, that is OKAY. If you don't have much built up in your pantry, or your lifestyle doesn't allow you time to bake your own bread, or you have serious food allergies that cause you to eat expensive exotic ingredients, that is OKAY. If you want to try the Challenge for a week instead of a month, that is OKAY. Just do what works for you. I know what works for us because I've been doing a Pantry Challenge every year for a decade. But I started small, and learned something new each year along the way. You can, too.
I'll post a follow up each week in January to keep myself accountable. I hope you'll join me in the comments so I can share in your victories and accomplishments.
No comments:
Post a Comment