Monday, March 4, 2013

1 Week Challenge- Eat what you've got!

I did one of these from one of my favorite sites, where we were instructed to try to live off what we already had in our fridge, freezer, and pantry.  We were not 'allowed' to use the grocery store except for milk, bread, eggs, and butter... and those were only in an emergency.  Like a 'cannot-use-anything-else-instead' kind of situation. 

In most households, there is a surprising amount of food that is not used to feed us, it is used only as a marker of when items are getting low.  For example:  I could have 4 cans of green beans on my shelf, but when I get down to 2 (not zero), I get more.  Why do we do that?  Are we undergoing a famine?  Are we preparing for the next y2k? Will we poof into an alternate universe if we finally use that last can of green beans? It is absurd when you think about it.  I hear it all the time in the grocery stores as I scan; I am like an invisible stalker, listening to your conversations as you shop.  "We only have 12 cans of gravy left, and it's on sale, so grab 6 more, will you honey?" "Yes, Ralph, I know we have enough soup, but it's buy one get 2 free... it would be a waste of money NOT to buy them now." And so on it goes to one extent or another for most of us who find ourselves in the grocery store one or more times per week; not those who purposely plan for months, and yes, sometimes years ahead.

When I took on this challenge, I found that I had to use my noodle about 5% more to figure out what could go with what, but I was rewarded to find I had enough food to last at least 2 weeks, not one.  I found buried treasure at the back of my cabinets, I was given a unique opportunity to clean the bottoms of the shelves, got out of the rut of the same old dinner menu, and I learned a thing or two about my shopping habits. It was actually fun!

My challenge to you is to not just read this post, but to vow to act on it starting whenever you read this.  Pick out what you will make for dinner and post it here, nothing elaborate, just a basic list of items.  Then come back tomorrow and do it again.  See how long you can make it last.  You just might save up enough money to go out to eat at a special restaurant when it's through, or finally trade all those ancient spices for new ones, or buy a label maker for your newly organized shelves.  Make it fun!

11 comments:

  1. I'll go first... meatloaf, carrots, bread and butter, salad.

    Your turn ;)

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  2. For today, we'll have open faced turkey sandwiches, minestrone soup, and fruit cocktail.

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  4. Day 4 revised- Oops! Forgot we have a basketball banquet tonight- pizza and salad. Otherwise, it would have been leftovers ;)

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  5. Day 5 bbq chicken sandwiches, pickles, yogurt -did too much work reorganizing son's room (7 hrs) come up with anything else today.

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  6. Day 6 Saucy chicken and biscuits, veggie sticks

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  8. Day 7 whole wheat macaroni with tomato sauce and venison sausage

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  9. I actually keep a one year supply of everything that I use, which requires planning and rotating of goods. I do this because I want to make sure that in a pinch or disaster, I have food to eat. I'm not a doomsday nut, but I have been grateful for this hoarding on more than one occasion. Once when my hubby was layed off work, and once when we had a tornado and were without power for about two weeks. We have a generator and a gas stove. The furnace can be hooked up to it as can the refrigerator and freezer. We use kerosene lamps for light. That is why I replace and keep on hand stores of food.

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  10. Good reason! I wish I was as good a planner as you for just that reason! Those of us who rely on the store much too much, could learn a lesson from planning, and using, what we gather better :)

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