January Eat From the Pantry Challenge!

I must admit that my cupboards are bulging. I generally spend around $200-250 a month on groceries for my family of five and three pets. This was a drop in the bucket a few years ago, but now, with strategic shopping, it easily provides an abundance and even allows me to donate.

So I was very happy to join Money Saving Mom and Life as Mom for a month long challenge of eating from my pantry. I did this last May and it was a great success. I have quite a bit of supplies in my stockpile that are near expiration, and I am looking forward to using them so they will not be wasted. My Menu Plan Mondays in January are going to reflect this challenge as I will be using mostly ingredients I already have on hand!

The best part of this challenge is that you can set your own rules and limits. The goal is to cut back on spending and use up what you already have in you pantry, fridge, and freezer. I think it will be fun as it will force me to be creative! Maybe with fewer shopping trips I might be able to hit the gym more often...

Goals for January:

1. Weed out all expired food and move near expirations to front for immediate use.

2. Clean out my freezer.

3. Buy only freebies and fresh foods (milk, bread, produce) from the store.

4. Pet food does not count.

5. Spend $20 or less per week during the month.

6. Apply what I would have spent on groceries to debt.

Want to join me in this challenge? Link up at Money Saving Mom. You can also join the Eat from the Pantry Challenge on Facebook and if you Twitter, be sure to follow the hashtag #pantry.