Your pantry, fridge, and freezer are a gold mine! Most of us have things that we buy and don’t use for one reason or another. Those items get pushed to the back and forgotten about. As time goes on they go bad and have to be thrown out. Groceries is one of the largest expenses in most households. Let’s save some money by eating what we already have this month! Added bonus most of you will have leftover grocery budget money to add into your Disney funds or whatever you are saving for funds. In the past when I have done a pantry clean out, I have been able to add at least $100.00 to my fund. Usually its much more.
Here’s how its going to work.
Go thru your pantry, fridge, and freezer take inventory of what you have. Make a meal plan using what you already have. You will have to go shopping to fill in things you are missing. You really want to just supplement with things from the store. The main goal is to eat what you have on hand. Get creative and find new ways to use up the things you own. Pinterest will be your B.F.F. for this challenge. You can type in whatever ingredient you need to use up and recipe. Then scroll until you find something that looks good. Example frozen pea recipe.
We are going to do this challenge for the next 2 weeks. I will post everyday telling you how I am doing. On that post in the SavEars you will check in for the day. This way we can keep each other accountable. Plus we can share tips and tricks that are working for us. If you don’t have enough things to get you thru 2 weeks. Just do it for how ever long you can. On the flip side, if after 2 weeks you notice you still have lots of things left. Do it for as long as it takes. This isn’t a competition. There is not right way or wrong way to do this challenge.Guidelines
Replenish staples as soon as they run out. If not next month your grocery bill will be high. Staples are things you buy week after week or month after month. Things that get used frequently in your home.
Try and mix it up. If not you are setting yourself up for failure. Even if you have 3 lbs of beans. Don’t cook them for a week straight. You will get tired of eating it and likely give-up on the challenge. Instead do a few nights of beans weekly until they are gone.
You still need to eat a healthy balanced diet. That means fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein.