Challenging Myself

Last year at this time, I was challenged by a lot of other blogging friends to do a Pantry Challenge for the month of January. 

The challenge was for us to eat from our pantry and only buy necessities for the entire month.  We would be eating from our stockpile.

I took the challenge!

I set a limit last year to only spend $75 for the whole month at the grocery store.  This included milk, juice, fresh fruits and veggies, bread, and any other must haves.

I did very well, but decided if I did it again, I would give myself a budget of $100 for the month so I would have a little breathing room.

I will tell you that I have stocked my pantry, shelves and such for the past several months.  I canned a lot from our garden and put up lots of fruit in the freezer.  We also have half a beef in the freezer and have been blessed with two deer that friends have killed.

I am a coupon shopper and have been able to stock up on lots of food at good prices.  My shelves are full.

I will make one more run to the store to purchase a few more staples before the challenge begins.  I am also going to give my kids a small amount of money to stock up on certain things that they want to make sure they have for the month.

Then, on January 3, our challenge begins.

My husband loves this idea because of the money it saves.  I love it because I love the challenge of it and that I have to be creative in my meal planning and cooking.  I like thinking about things.   Does that make sense? 

I actually did this for about six weeks last year because I was having such a good time doing it and loved staying away from the grocery store.

My kids were going a little crazy by the end because there were certain foods they were missing having.  Don’t feel sorry for them though,  they ate great the whole month. 

So, that is my challenge and I can’t wait to begin.

What about you? 

Is this something you have ever done?

Would you consider taking this challenge yourself?

Let me know your thoughts or if you think you might want to do it with me.  We can hold each other accountable and help each other be creative with what food we have left on our shelves.  Maybe I could share some spaghetti noodles with you if you run out.

Happy almost New Year…