Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Eating Out Of Our Pantry

I have a new challenge for our family and I thought it would be interesting to blog about it as well. Actually, I'm hoping that blogging about this will help in keeping me accountable.

We were advised at the last minute that our bank is requiring a larger amount at the house closing than we had originally discussed with them. We're trying to offset this unexpected expense by cutting costs and making do with what we have. One of the best ways for us to cut costs is by reducing the grocery bill. So, I am making a serious effort to only cook with items I already have on hand. I need to keep up this effort until February 15th when our financial life should get back to normal.

I intend to blog about my weekly menu plans and report whatever grocery items I buy during this time period.

Fortunately, I've already been in the habit of buying in bulk, so I do have a freezer full of whole-fryer chickens and beef. I have several buckets of wheat, lots of rice and dried beans, and several flats of canned green beans/corn. So, I've got a pretty good start. I do anticipate having to buy some fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as some canned tomato products.

So, here's our "Eating Out Of Our Pantry" menu for this week:

Breakfasts:
pumpkin muffins
scrambled eggs and cinnamon toast
egg sandwiches
oats
pancakes
leftover pancakes
homemade granola and fruit

Lunches:
leftovers

Suppers:
Big Chicken Salad
Beefy Potato Casserole, boiled carrots, peas
Skillet Pork and Rice, green beans
Beef Fried Rice, pineapple
steak, baked potatoes, corn
Crockpot Roast with potatoes and carrots, homemade bread
supper with family

There are no food purchases to report. My last grocery shopping trip was on December 23rd.

On a more lighthearted side note....This morning Sarah was telling me that she liked our new house on the farm. I asked her what her favorite part was. She replied that her favorite part of living here was doing the dishes. She's a very eager helper with washing dishes by hand. We don't have a dishwasher here, so I've recruited her as free child labor. She's cute and it made me smile, so I thought I'd share.

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for posting! We are doing the same thing at our house as well. It's really an eye opener to see just how far what you have on hand can stretch you just when you think it couldn't..Oh and Sarah is such a sweetie!

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  2. We are in the same boat, although ours might be past February! But I like to think of my self as being resourceful!

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  3. My husband works in Real Estate; a lot of banks (and especially escrow companies)are requiring much larger closing costs than normal right now. I'm glad you were able to get your new house!

    We're doing the challenge from neccessity as well, and we'll be going for at least the next two months, if not longer. There won't be any trips to the store for us.

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  4. You'll probably think this is corny, but I was so excited to see your post. I said, "Shawn, Shawn, come here and look...The Prudent Homemaker commented on my post. She's famous!" Thanks for the excitement and your kind words!

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