February Eat from the Pantry Challenge

Maybe I'm crazy; maybe I just can't turn down a challenge. When my friend Gabrielle from Couponing in Critical Times set a challenge that she was going to "eat from the pantry/freezer/fridge"--aka, her stockpile--for the entire month of February, I decided to join her. I believe there are at least five of us actively trying to do this for two main reasons: save money and reduce waste. This is the ultimate in green living.

So often we buy things because they're a good deal and then they get shoved out of sight and we forget about them. Throwing away spoiled or expired food is just like throwing money in the trash; I can't stand it. So this weekend I took an inventory of everything in my stockpile to see where I could get creative with what I already have on hand. I have way too many cans of frosting, enough cereal for months, more beef than I know what to do with, and several goods nearing or just past their expiration dates. It's a good time for this challenge.

Each of us have set our own exceptions that work for our families. Personally, I'm allowing myself to buy fresh milk, bread, eggs, fruit, and a few veggies. I can't stand the idea of eating just canned or frozen veggies for a month, and I will not deny my family bananas and milk. I usually spend $500 on food every month. For February, I've set my limit to $200 for groceries and pharmacy deals. Also, if it's truly a freebie, I can get it. I think I'll come way under, but I'd rather give myself some buffer. We'll probably spend $36 on milk alone.

It's Day 4 of the challenge and so far, so good. I went to Kroger Jan. 27 and did my Walgreen's and CVS runs Jan. 31. Since then, I bought some bananas for $1.13 and had to stop in to Walgreen's for some decongestant and breathe right strips for Bobby. Thanks to register rewards and coupons, I saved $20.28 and only spent $2.26.

We've eaten lasagna and frozen peas, duck gumbo with shrimp and salad, stir-fry with pork loin and rice left-overs, and tacos. We'll probably have steak, potatoes, and broccoli tomorrow night. I'm not feeling deprived yet. We'll see how it goes. I think the hardest part will be telling my kids they can't eat something because we're out of it. However, I'll have what they need for healthy meals--just not some of the extra treats. They'll get over it.

Would you consider doing a challenge like this?

Shopping in my Garage

Now that it's Saturday, I can proudly declare that I have succeeded in NOT going to Kroger this week. I know what you're thinking: so what?! But to this deal-addicted maven, it's been a struggle to stay away. A few times I almost talked myself into going by trying to focus on what I could get for free or with the $6.50 in catalina coupons that expire next week. I've been kicking myself for not picking up more Barilla mini pastas when they were 10 for $10. Will the stockpile I have last until the next sale?

I know it sounds crazy, but this is what happens when you start paying attention to prices and a budget. You agonize over the deals you're missing and the coupons that will expire while you stayed away. So why put myself through the torture?

A. I'm committed to staying within a monthly budget. Last week, I went over by $85 and the only way to get back on track is to cut somewhere. With all the consignment sales going on now, it wasn't going to be there.

B. Kroger continued the same sale this week as last, meaning there were no extra deals to entice me. But if you're reading this 3/13, you can still pick up nearly free granola bars today.

C. It was time to examine and deplete some of my stockpile in my garage--from both the chest freezer and pantry rack.

Before I began this experiment, I sketched out a weekly menu to make sure we had enough food. Running out for a fast food dinner was not an option. It became a game of "What can I finish and clear out?" No food source was safe from my rampage: the remaining 3 tablespoons of hummus spread, the last sliver of organic cheddar cheese, the final swig of half n half for my coffee. My goal was to have a mostly empty fridge so that I could clean it thoroughly on Sunday.

Then it was time to take stock of my pantry and reorganize shelves. Bob had commented a few times that we had chips on the verge of expiring and did we really need all this cereal? I checked all the expiration dates, and the closest was May. A few pretzels were slightly past date; so into the lunch boxes they went. I have a lot of cream of mushroom soup, canned beans, and fried onions; looks likes it's time for green bean casserole. Who says you have to wait for Thanksgiving?

We do have enough granola bars to take us through September (when most expire). I also learned that I have way more soup than I'd expected. I had been storing them in two places and then found some extra I'd bought at Sams last fall. I hate to admit we have 23 cans of soup, but they're all good til the fall of 2010. I won't stress about them yet but will not buy any more. I've also vowed not to buy more storage bags until we deplete some of the stock. I have multiple boxes of every size from snack to freezer gallon.

My next focus was on the freezer. I did the same clearing out odds and ends (the last butternut squash soup, three frozen hotdogs, etc.) I also finished off my last freezer meals to make room for the next round. Then I decided it was time to make some duck gumbo, given the stash of duck breasts. My father and brother are hunters and graciously give them to me if I carry on the family recipe for duck gumbo. It's a lot of work (takes two days), but it is so delicious. I made enough for one meal now and 13 servings to freeze. I can't disclose the recipe because it's a family secret, but seriously, who reading this other than my mother has wild ducks to cook?!

So with some fresh veggies and fruit from last week, a few leftover meals, and odds and ends pulled from the pantry or freezer, we were just fine. I'm happy to report I only spent $104.21 this week. Most went for three consignment sales, but I have all the clothes the kids will need for the year. I spent about $15 for food at Earthfare and Weigels. Hey, we needed milk and I couldn't pass up the free organic potatoes good through 3/16; plus, I saved nearly 50% at Earthfare this week! Check here for match-ups good through the end of March. And of course a bit extra for my stickers to stuff Easter eggs. That puts me $10.79 in the black for March so far. Mission accomplished.

Spending $0 at the Grocery Store

Last week I spent $0 at the grocery store. That's right--nada, zip, the big fat goose egg! How did I do it? Easy--I didn't go. I'll admit I did visit Target to stock up on cereal (as noted in my previous post) and I stopped by Weigels for 2 gallons of milk, but I didn't do any regular food shopping for 13 days. Why would I do such a thing? The main reason was to force me to deplete some of my freezer stash to make room for--are you ready for this--a cow!

If you're thinking, "Who is this crazy woman?!" hang with me 'til I explain. We're actually buying half a cow and splitting that with a neighbor. Each family will get about 150 pounds of meat, which will probably take up a third of our chest freezer. I'll write more about the cow in a later post, but the point is--I need freezer real estate.

So 2 weeks ago, I looked at our inventory and planned meals that would not require an extra trip to the store. We had some fresh vegetables and fruit from the previous week; that with some frozen peas and corn gave us enough veggies. I had plenty of pasta, rice, and potatoes in the pantry. But our "main food" came from the freezer.

If you recall that $700 trip to Sam's Club, I froze a variety of chicken, beef, pork, and fish. Looking at what meats we had, I found freezer meals that would use those ingredients. What are freezer meals or "once a month cooking"? It's a method that should save you time, effort, and money.

There are a slew of websites and books to guide you, but the basic idea is that you spend several hours one day prepping and bagging recipes. Throughout the month, you defrost and prepare these meals with minimal work (put it in a crockpot, throw on the grill, bake for 30 minutes, etc.).

I was skeptical at first because I value fresh vegetables. I didn't want to eat casseroles every night. But most of these recipes are not casseroles. They are usually an entree that you pair with freshly cooked pasta or steamed veggies. That way, you don't feel like you're eating from a freezer.

Personally, I like the recipes that don't require I defrost the meat until you're ready to eat it. I worked from this cookbook. Some that I tried were beef stew, Indonesian pork, pork roast with apples and mushrooms, pot roast, sweet mustard salmon, cranberries & porkchops, tilapia & tomatoes, peppered flank steak, and barbque chicken thighs. There are lots of recipes with cubed chicken breasts and browned ground beef, but they take more time initially.

What I like best is that it takes the guess work out of: "What's for dinner?" With three kids to chase and working part-time, I needed a short-cut. And I have a big enough variety that we're not always eating chicken. I'm happy to say that I have made some room but will probably have more meals that could take me into December.

But perhaps the most fun for me last week was knowing I saved about $150 by not going shopping. I can't do that every week, but it sure feels good on the pocket book every once in awhile.