In three days we will begin our Pantry Challenge. This doesn’t mean you should run to the grocery store and buy a ton of food to last you through the next two weeks. Our goal is: To use existing foods and resources to feed your family for a set period of time in order to reduce your grocery spending.
Complete the following steps and you’ll be ready to hit the ground running.
Step 1:: Take Stock. Go through your pantry, freezer, and refrigerator. Throw out what’s expired or gone bad and organize what is left. Then, make a simple list of the remaining items. For example, in my freezer I have london broil marinating, banana bread, muffins, veggies, and different types of meat. Just jot them down.
Step 2:: Plan Your Meals. Use the two week Meal Planner and write down meals and snacks based on what you already have. You may need a few ingredients to make a meal or two. If so, use our Grocery List to create a short shopping list.
Step 3:: Get Cash and Shop. The goal is to reduce spending during the Pantry Challenge! Our family food budget is $60 per week. Therefore, I will get $30 per week in cash to use for the challenge. When you shop, stick to your list! You can use the Buy It Now list to calculate what you should be spending on each item. Do this before going to the store. This way you won’t go over budget!
For example, my first week’s shopping list may look like this:
Apples $2.49
Bananas $1.00
String Cheese $2.69
Pears $1.00
Milk $2.80 X 2
Eggs $1.39
Yogurt $4.00
White Whole Wheat Flour $4.00
Honey $4.50
TOTAL: $26.67 (don’t forget you’ll have to pay tax)
If you want to join just leave a comment on the Pantry Challenge post. Don’t forget to join the Facebook “Group” called Pantry Challenge February 1-15, 2011 so we can support each other.
