When I first decided to participate in the Boost Your Budget Pantry Challenge, I did so knowing it would be a real challenge but one that would be worth the effort. What I did not expect was how much fun I would have with it. My husband and I both enjoyed it so much that it will not end in our home until I get through our pantry!
My stated goals included saving time and money by using what we already have and by menu planning. We did save money and time–and, as such, are establishing new patterns for our family meals. However, I found a few other perks along the way.
Creative Cooking
Because I let the pantry determine our meals, I was forced to be more creative with our meals and ended up having a really good time coming up with meals and….consuming them 
Because I was just as interested in saving time, I planned our meals better and cooked larger portions every other day. Then, I added to the leftovers on the next day. Again, this was time saving and fun!
Pantry Clean Up
I said before that sometimes what lives in the pantry dies in the pantry. In this process, I discovered a couple of items that had expired, sadly. However, it has made me more committed to filling our pantry with things we want to eat and don’t want to see “go like that.” 
The better the food, and the quality of the food, the less likely I will be to let it sit there for so long. But, that process will begin once I get through what’s still in there right now.
Thank You
I have to send a great big thanks to Shopper Strategy for putting this together. It has been an honor to be a part of this challenge with such great bloggers. And, it has been so good to get the year started this way. Thank you!
Next week we are going to interview Jenny Stanger who is the author of Fabulous Freezer meals. She is going to pour out all of her best tips to Thrifty Divas readers on making freezer meals. Do you have a question for her? Let us know and we will ask Jenny. Make sure you check out her website too for tons of tips and even some great how-to videos! Next weeks interview is going to be fun so make sure you check it out!
It has been said that”‘you are what you eat.” While there is truth to that, I believe that as couponers and people who seek to save money, our pantries can reveal quite a bit about us.
First Things First. Do you even know what’s in your pantry? It’s easy to use pantries for storage and back up storage and forget what you put in there first. Take stock of what’s in your pantry regularly and…..use it so that it doesn’t turn into a money waster. Don’t let whatever is living in the back or bottom of your pantry die in there. Find out what’s in there and have fun using and eating it!
An Empty Pantry? Does anyone have an empty pantry? But, what is actually in there? Too often our pantries are full of empty calories. Is there anything of any nutritional worth in there? When taking stock of your pantry, I encourage you to check on a few things periodically. Chips, crackers, sugary cereals. Perhaps you could consider whole grain crackers, oats, oatmeal and popcorn kernels. Make your pantry count both financially and nutritionally.
1. Throw out what is too old and no longer edible.
2. Throw out what may have gone bad or stale.
3. Consider throwing out what you and your family don’t need for your health.
Successful Storage. Space tends to be an issue in the pantry. So, consider using stacking shelves or baskets along with plastic bags that seal to keep critters out and keep the food good.
What does your pantry say about you?
In any economy, shoppers are looking for a good deal. However, we find ourselves in a time when more and more of us are looking for and finding ways to save money. But, in the attempt to save money, there are some mistakes that it’s important to avoid.
Rebates. Sometimes what make s a deal a good one is Mail-In Rebate. I recently bought a Brita Filter for $5 and got a $10 rebate from the company. Very good deal. I filled out the rebate form almost immediately because I know that if it sat too long, it could have gotten misplaced or, more likely, forgotten. If you have a Rebate deal, get that form filled out and mailed off within 24 hours of the purchase or set a specific time to get it done. If I’d misplaced the receipt or forgotten to fill out the form, the potentially great deal is no deal at all.
Letting “Rewards” Expire. If you shop at CVS, Walgreens or Rite Aid (to name a few), then you are familiar with the rewards programs at each of those stores. I am a Walgreens shopper. And, I have often taken advantage of deals with Register Rewards. However, when I first started I didn’t realize that the expiration date on the Register Rewards was only two weeks from the date of purchase. So, the “deal” I got was no deal at all because the Register Rewards I received expired before I got to use it.
Buying What You Don’t Use. When I clip coupons and I come across something I would not normally buy, I ask myself, “Would I/we use it if I could get it for free?” That becomes the standard on items that we wouldn’t normally use or eat. I often have to remind myself of that when I find out I could get something like a pack of coffee drinks (which we don’t ever use) for only $1. That’s a $1 I could use on something we do need and use. So, if I do make a purchase like that, it’s not only NOT a deal but it’s money that should be spent on what we need and use that is wasted. Again, if you wouldn’t buy it (or a substitute for it) without a coupon, then you may have just wasted–and not saved–your money.
I wish I could say that I know all these “what not to do’s” simply because I read them in a book. Sadly, I know first hand that these can and do happen. As we attempt to stretch our dollars, let’s be sure that we don’t waste them!
What are other things that should be on this “what NOT to do” list?
Big week! NFL Playoffs, New Hampshire primary AND Week Two of the Boost Your Budget Pantry Challenge! You think I’m kidding, don’t you? The challenge involves using the food that we already have in our freezers and pantries, rather than buying other food or eating out. For my family, eating out is usually something we do for anniversaries and birthdays. So, that’s not a problem. We do work hard at saving money while maintaining the quality of our food (we like to eat as naturally and organically as is financially possible). But, we’ve never done this before. So, a challenge is what it has been. But, it has been great!
I feel better about this week. I did spend more than I did last week. However, it was on fruit, vegetables and bulk items for some of our staple items. Also, more confessions this week: I did stock up on a couple of items we use all the time because the deals were irresistible. No guilt either
So this week, I spent:
Whole Foods: $45
HEB: $65
It’s still far below what I would spend if I weren’t thinking about this pantry challenge. My goals include both saving money and time. So, I’m cooking much larger amounts every other day. (As I mentioned before, my husband and I both love eating leftovers–what a blessing because not everyone can say that!) So, usually on the second day, I just add fresh veggies, salad or rice to the main entree, unless it’s pizza
Here’s what the week’s menu looked like:
Monday: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Roasted Cornish Hens, Spinach and Brown Rice
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Homemade Pizza!
Saturday: Leftover Pizza–so good!
Sunday: Turkey Tacos
It has only been two weeks. However, I’m hoping (like Denise from Shopper Strategy) that these become lifestyle changes because they are really working for our family.
If you haven’t joined the challenge, I encourage you to do it. It’s amazing how much easier it is to do than it sounds. When I first decided to participate, I did so tepidly. But, I love it. It’s been much more interesting to find and cook with what’s in my pantry than I thought it would be. I tend to stay on top of what’s in the freezer. But, what lives in the pantry can sometimes die in the pantry. Not anymore!
“If at first you don’t succeed…” Okay, so it wasn’t THAT bad. But, I didn’t hit all my “Boost Your Budget Pantry Challenge” goals for the week! If you recall, Thrifty Divas is participating in a challenge to save money by using what’s already in our pantry. In a nutshell, for me and my family, that means looking in the pantry to make up our menu plan for the week, not buying anything that could/would go into the pantry or what can be substituted by something in the pantry.
Let me begin with where I dropped the ball. I did make a few unnecessary purchases based on my previously stated goals. However, I do have a defense for each purchase…in my feeble attempt to justify the purchases.
I bought:
2 cans Muir Glen tomato sauce $1.32 (price cut). $0.75 Off coupon: $0.57 each (we use a fair amount of tomato sauce)
2 boxes Keebler Townhouse crackers $2.50. Target coupon + Manufacturer coupon: $1.50 each. (My husband eats crackers with most of his meals.)
1 Jar Spaghetti sauce: $1.89 (This purchase was simply because I wanted to make sure we had leftovers for the next day.
I also bought 7lbs of ground bison. However, that is in keeping with my goals. I won’t pass up deeply discounted organic/natural beef, bison, chicken that we get at our local grocery store.
I have to admit that the first two purchases were out of ‘habit.’ They were good deals on items we use all-the-time. The last had to do with my strategy/attempt to cook once every two days (that doesn’t always work).
That being said, I did have some success.
Here’s what our menu looked like for the week:
Monday: Spaghetti, spaghetti sauce with ground bison, salad (made with tomatoes from our garden and onions, spinach and parsley that we already had in the refrigerator.
Tuesday: leftovers (then I froze what remained of the spaghetti sauce)
Wednesday: Black beans, brown rice and salad
Thursday: leftovers (then I froze what remained of the black beans)
Friday: Koshari (middle eastern cuisine)
Saturday: Koshari leftovers
Sunday: I pulled out the spaghetti sauce (which my husband would be happy to eat every day of the week), made a spinach salad and we enjoyed the spaghetti sauce one last time.
This works for us because my husband and I both love leftovers. And, with two very young children, I try to alternate cooking and cleaning days. (As I mentioned before, that doesn’t always work). However, I ended up simply adding a little bit on the second day. For example, on black bean day #2, I sauteed some chopped carrots, celery, onions and cilantro and added it to the remaining soup. It actually made the black beans even better that next day. Meanwhile, it didn’t take much of my time to prepare.
I’m realizing that this process of using what’s in the pantry is saving me both money and time. Precious commodities.
Sometimes being thrifty can be tricky to figure out. There are some deals that are straight forward and fantastic: the freebies! However, not all “sale prices” and “deals” are deals at all.
Price per Unit vs. “low” price. Sometimes what appears to be a low price is actually a higher price per unit. So, a smaller jar of peanut butter actually cost more per ounce than does the larger jar. So, when calculating prices, be sure to break it down per unit. Take note, however, that the larger box or container is not necessarily a better deal. You just have to check. For example, I often see this problem with diaper deals. The best deals I’ve gotten on diapers have been smaller packages that have been deeply discounted or marked for clearance (along with a coupon, of course). I’ve gotten enough of those deals that I intentionally did not use a $10 off two large boxes of diapers because the cost per diaper even with the coupon was still much more expensive than I would buy and have bought. One caveat: sometimes, cash flow is limited. So, you simply have to buy the best deal you are able to buy with the amount of cash you have regardless of price per unit. That’s just keepin’ it real!
Is It Really On Sale? Become familiar enough (or just do the research) with prices of things you purchase regularly that you recognize a true sale price when you see it. Sometimes when one specialty store has one particular organic cereal we used to buy on sale, their “sale” price is still more expensive than the regular price at one of our local grocery stores. However, when that same store has had store coupons for that brand and I have had manufacturer coupons, I have scored some amazing deals. Without that trifecta, if you will, it simply is not any form of sale or price cut for me and my family.
It takes just a little bit of work, but it’s worth it. What else do you do to make sure you are getting the best prices on what you buy?
I almost stopped couponing the first time I went to a website much like Thrifty Divas and saw all those scary acronyms like BOGO and when I saw $1.50/2, I just about threw my coupons away. However I made it through it slowly and now I am a pretty proficient couponer. These are the ones I think everyone should start with and become the most acquainted with.
You have to start somewhere. Here are a few of the most popular acronyms in the coupon world.
SS-Smart Source
RP-Red Plum
P&G-Proctor and Gamble
MFR-Manufacturer coupon
WYB-When you buy
DND-Do not double
Ex or X-Expires on
MM-Money maker
There are also acronyms or what I call pet names for some of the stores with awesome couponing deals.
Walgreens is known as WAGS and they have RR which are register rewards
Rite Aide has ECB-Extra Care Bucks
You can find a full list of acronyms and their meanings here.
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