The Crumbs family is on a challenge to go 30 days without spending money. Today’s post is an update as of day 21 (yesterday). You can read the rules of the challenge, and what inspired us to take such extreme action, here. Get caught up on the first 10 days of the challenge here.
Wow – are we at day 20 already? Not that this challenge has been easy – HAH! – but I’m surprised that we’re two-thirds of the way through and still chugging along. There was a part of me that thought we would have caved by now… although all bets are off when I can no longer make couscous.
I’m saving that very special meal for one of the last few days when Mr. Crumbs can’t possibly stand this for another day, lol.
It’s easy to come up with a grandiose plan of not spending any money when the idea is floating around your own head, but it’s entirely different to carry it out. That’s why I’m letting Mr. Crumbs take over the commentary of today’s update. I’ll go first with the menu, what the pantry is looking like and where there will likely be some hiccups. Then he’ll take over with his thoughts, since I’m sure you wives (and men) are wondering how The Husband is managing with the challenge too.
What We’ve Eaten
Day 11
(B) creamy buckwheat w/frozen blueberries
(L) PB&J tortilla wraps w/pickles
(D) garden salad w/spicy peanut chicken vinaigrette (2-3 Tbsp peanut butter + 1-2 Tbsp liquid aminos + 1 Tbsp olive oil + 1-2 Tbsp rice vinegar + salt/pepper); no-knead artisan bread; pickles
Dessert: 1/2 batch snickerdoodle cookies with shredded coconut and coconut sugar
Day 12
(B) zucchini bread (subbed extra egg for apple); smoothies
(L) PB&J tortilla wraps w/pickles
(D) gnocchi w/homemade simple spaghetti sauce; smoothies; cheese and crackers; pickles
Day 13
(B) zucchini bread; smoothies
(L) leftover gnocchi; baked chicken; rice; green beans
(D) homemade fettuccine w/homemade simple spaghetti sauce
Day 14
(B) zucchini bread; smoothies
(L) real food lunchables: carrots, apple, strawberries & cheese
(D) homemade pizza
Day 15
(B) bacon and biscuits; smoothies
(L) real food lunchables: smoothie, zucchini bread, carrots, celery & peanut butter
(D) grilled BBQ chicken legs, grilled corn on the cob, grilled sweet potatoes, garden salad, potato buttermilk bread
Day 16
(B) creamy buckwheat w/frozen blueberries, banana and honey; smoothies
(L) leftovers
(D) dinner with family
Day 17
(B) toast with butter & honey; smoothies
(L) PB&J sandwiches
(D) pan-fried pork chops, buttered corn, steamed green beans, mashed (leftover) potatoes
Day 18
(B) toast with butter & honey; smoothies
(L) leftover corn & potato chowder; real food lunchables: carrots, apples, cranberries & peanut butter
(D) chicken tacos with butter lettuce cups
Day 20
(B) carrot bread; smoothies
(L) leftover corn & potato chowder
(D) chicken & spinach enchiladas
Day 21
(B) carrot bread; smoothies
(L) caprese salad; tortilla roll-ups; mixed dehydrated fruits
(D) chicken salad; birthday cake & ice cream
Did We Cheat?
We had just 64¢ leftover after the first 10 days. We got a $4.60 refund from Costco (that I mentioned here) and no joke, I found a dollar bill on the ground while walking back from the mailbox this week!
We took this cash ($6.24) and went to Savemart to buy a few essentials. After calculating the math – literally down to the pennies – and walking back and forth between the dairy and produce aisles a few times, we ended up buying a bag of marked down bananas ($1.49), a quart of milk ($1.79) and ice cream ($3). We thought the bananas were a great deal, since our fresh fruit in very limited, and the quart of milk would see us through another week for coffee.
Is the fact that the money spent on one half gallon of ice cream could have bought another TWO bags of bananas lost on me? On Mr. Crumbs? Nope. He knew ice cream would mean a sacrifice elsewhere, and was willing to take any heat that came down the pipes as the result of that. Brave man.
A few days later, Mr. Crumbs sold an old bike rack on Craiglist for $23. Then, we got a rebate check in the mail from Ebates for $50. Finally, we also sold a high-ticket item on Craiglist for $150!
Now, to keep true to the challenge, we set aside the $200 from Ebates and the high-ticket item. We didn’t think it would be very fair – to us or you – to essentially quit the challenge simply because we sold a few items. Instead, we took the same $6 to Savemart and bought another half gallon of ice cream ($3) and a half-gallon of milk ($2.79).
Note to wives – be mentally prepared to spend any earned income on treats for the husband!
We now have enough milk to get us through the challenge, but we’re low on fresh fruit again. I really wanted to buy yogurt, either a bigger portion or a small amount plus milk to make more, but there wasn’t enough money to cover it all.
Total left to spend for the challenge: $17.21. This is what is left from our sales on Craiglist. Granted, we don’t intend to use it, but sticking to the rules, it’s there if we decide to “need” it for ice cream, lol.
Problems, In Order of Appearance
1. I Melted the Slow Cooker
Thanks to my super brilliant memory (insert sarcasm here), I mistakenly thought that the last time we baked no-knead artisan bread, it was in the slow cooker. Confidently, I placed the bread, in the slow cooker, with the lid, in the oven. As it turns out, plastic melts in the oven.
Duh.
Please don’t repeat my mistakes. Doing so will cause you no less than two days worth of scrubbing melted plastic off the inside of the oven and a pizza stone, plus enduring a “what’s that awful smell… it smells like melting plastic” scent in your nose for at least three days.
Fun times, let me tell you. Thank you Day 11.
Fortunately, the no-knead artisan bread was not harmed in this incident.
2. Failed Gnocchi.
I have no idea what went wrong here, but this dinner was a complete and utter failure. These were more like dumplings than gnocchi and not a single person in the family liked them. On top of a failed dinner, it happened on a Wednesday – our busiest night of the week.
By the time everyone’s taste buds said no, there was only enough time to whip up a smoothie. In my panicked frenzie of oh-my-gosh-dinner-is-awful-and-we-have-to-leave-in-five-minutes-what-am-I-going-to-do-to-feed-the-three-of-you, I packed the blender with too many pieces of frozen fruit that were too big and not nearly enough liquid, therefore lodging the huge frozen chunks against the container and causing only the bottom half of the mixture to blend.
After which, there was just two minutes left to make and eat dinner and get our shoes on and pack up the car and leave.
Care to guess what waited until after we got home?
Nearly three hours later, the frozen fruit had thawed enough to blend. We saved that for the next day and Mr. Crumbs made a plate of cheese & crackers for dinner instead, finishing off what was left from our picnics. I ate pickles for dinner. There will not be a retry of dinner on Day 12. Ever.
3. We’re running out of produce, and fast.
When the challenge started, we had remnants of produce from my dad and shopping trips. Now, our only produce is from the weekly CSA box and the single bag of marked down bananas referenced above. We go through the box of produce faster and faster with each passing week. Last week’s box was gone Tuesday night, leaving a full 1 1/2 days with little fresh produce to eat. We’ve officially brought down the dehydrated bananas, blueberries and grapes from the cabinet. The dried strawberries are long gone, and the frozen fruit is slowly being consumed in smoothies. There’s plenty of tomatoes, and we’d eat more of them, if there wasn’t so much work involved turning them into a meal. Which brings me to my next point.
4. Mis-matched pantry items.
- We’ve got tomato sauce galore… and no pasta.
- We have plenty of meat… but little produce.
- Lots of grains… but no red wheat. (Fellow bread bakers can sympathize.)
- Lots of toppings for oatmeal… but no oats.
If we want to eat anything, it has to be made completely and utterly from scratch. Which is totally cool when you’ve planned those types of meals on days when you have extra time. Not so cool when every meal requires hours of prep, and your homeschool days are short enough as it is.
I don’t want to sound like a whiner, because I’m thankful we still have food to eat, but it’s certainly a realization as to what types of food are handy to have in times like this… and which ones aren’t.
Gas
Our SUV is down to just 2 ticks of gas. We’re reserving it for trip back and forth to my parents house on Sunday only, since they’re just 1 mile away and there are three gas stations in between here and there. There is 3/4 of a tank left in the sedan, with roughly 120 committed miles to drive before the challenge is over. This should get us through the end, so long as there aren’t any unexpected trips that are too far out of the way.
New Recipes & Foodie Inspirations
- Homemade Simple Spaghetti Sauce: fresh tomatoes cooked down until they become a thick sauce; blend with an immersion blender; season with dried herbs, salt and pepper
- Carrot Bread: sub shredded carrots for all of the zucchini, double spices, keep the shredded apple (or sub applesauce)
- Green carrot tops blend in smoothies without anyone noticing.
- So do yellow beets.
- And beet greens.
- We have a new found love for enchiladas, so expect a recipe for that coming this fall.
- The dehydrated blackberries taste burned, but the kids love them. Win.
5 Things I’ve Missed During This Challenge (from Mr. Crumbs)
Coffee
Hot coffee, after a bike commute in the morning, is the best – especially when it rains. Not just that, but when we run out shopping on a Saturday morning, grabbing a cup to go is one of our favorite things to do. We don’t even splurge on huge latte’s or mochacchino’s. It’s usually two small plain coffees or we might even split one. Still, it’s a small luxury we definitely miss.
Gas
We ended up missing a birthday party for one of our good friends because if we had gone, we wouldn’t have had enough gas to make it through the end of the month. Our choice became either driving 20 miles to pick up the CSA box, or drive 20 miles for a party. The few odds and ends we’ve sold on Craigslist was fine to cover milk and bananas, but filling up the gas tank was not possible.
Cycling
I usually buy cycling-related products for myself every 3-4 months. I’m a big bike nut, ride for fun and as my primary mode of transportation. I watch the sales and be sure to take advantage when wear and tear items like tires and chains are on sale… plus the occasional fun t-shirt. But with no spending allowed, it’s a bit difficult to watch the sales comes and go and not be able to do anything about it.
Food
Being the dad, I like sweets. Not being able to run to the store for the occasional container of ice cream or crunchy snack like pretzels is downright difficult. Mostly though, it’s not because I can’t go. It’s because everything at home must be made entirely from scratch. Eating certain meals are now conditional on the following:
- We may or may not have the ingredients on hand.
- Mrs. Crumbs needs several hours, or more than a day, to prepare certain foods.
It’s even more so challenging for Mrs. Crumbs though. We want bread, tortillas, pretzels or pasta? Grind the flour, make the dough, roll it out, let it rise. Maybe do something else with another rise too. Everything takes her twice as long in the kitchen.
Books
Every 2-3 months, I try to pick up some good reading material. It’s always nice (and comforting) to have solid Biblical material to use and glean from so that you can share with others. In a few weeks, I’m teaching at our evening service at church. Not being able purchase books has forced me to be creative, and use other free, online, reputable sources for the lesson instead.
4 Things I love About This Challenge (from Mr. Crumbs)
Family Time
We now have to be more creative with family time. No longer can we hop in the vehicle without thinking about the gas needle and aimlessly wandering to the mall, down the coast, or to a summer concert.
Our first Friday night, we spent 2-3 hours in the backyard having a picnic. Mind you, it was overcast, cool and slightly windy! So, we bundled up and set up shop below the fence line and made the most of our afternoon. The children loved it, and it helped us parents unwind from the week.
That Saturday morning we went for an 8 mile walk while the kids rode bikes. Normally we’d have driven, but the kids LOVED being on the bike path for such a long period of time. We suffered a few meltdowns and a scuffed knee, but it was time well spent.
Being Intentional
Living without money has forced us to be more intentional with our time and our resources. Every trip in the car IS intentional, and every meal is too.
Additionally, taking all of those onesie/twosie trips out of your day helps clean up your schedule. You are forced to make due with what you have, and are stuck with the decisions that you’ve made in the past. This has made us more intentional with our future time as well, forcing us to plan better instead of waiting to react.
Less Clutter
Since one of the challenge rules was that we could not spend anything unless we brought in income outside of the normal salary, we’ve posted a few odds and ends on Craigslist.
We now have one less bike rack, less scrap-booking supplies and even one less coffee grinder. And $178 in our pocket (minus the $12 we’ve spent).
Communication
Mrs. Crumbs and I have been blessed with good communication in our marriage, and this has stretched us even further. Communicating meal preferences days in advance is not something I’m entirely used to, since the store is right around the corner.
We’ve also been challenged in agreeing on how we spend our time. Without the unlimited freedom of being able to hop in the car and take a day trip, agreeing on how we are going to spend our time very locally has stretched our marriage and forced us to plan in advance.
Going Forward
Coming up is the last stretch of this challenge and I think we’re all looking forward to it being over. I find myself mentally making a grocery list already, wishing I had more cinnamon, oats and pasta. However, I want to make sure that even when the challenge IS over, that we’re still intentional with our spending, time and other resources.
I’ve got a few tricks hidden up my sleeve that I might pull out this last week. There’s enough ingredients to make couscous, and that right there could feed Mr. Crumbs for the whole week. The garden is bursting with red tomatoes and I’m looking forward to pizza night with garden sauce. There’s still a whole chicken in the freezer, some potatoes and onions in the garage and a fresh CSA box sitting on the counter. I’ve got lentils in the pantry and enough butter to cover a batch or two of biscuits. A package of frozen spinach is calling my name for a stab at homemade spinach-flavored pasta too, which would be delicious with all those tomatoes.
Yes, this challenge has been hard, but it’s all in the mindset. By concentrating on what we have, it drowns out what we don’t. Which was the whole point of this crazy experiment anyway, right? 🙂
I’ve been putting frozen beet tops in my smoothies for a couple weeks now. I actually love the taste!
Really? Thanks for the tip Amanda!
We (my husband and I) are following this challenge, we have not started it because we were not set up to start when I found your post, But you have us thinking and are try to set ourselves our family of 6 on an intentional path! Thank you for sharing !
That’s all it takes Janelle! If our challenge was merely a seed that got the wheels turning, I consider it a success. 🙂 Let us know if you commit to a challenge, and keep us updated on how it goes! I’d love to hear!
I want to talk to my husband and 5 children about this… Our Electric bill is awful right now. (310.00!) We did have 2-3 extra kids at our house for 1 month during the summer. I do have a whole pantry full of food, but not enough meat at all to go through a month without spending… If I do one month of planning the food budget and only buying what we need. I KNOW I would not spend it all and have enough food to get us through the following 30 days.
I haven’t been doing this as long as you, I started a week ago. Like you, I’ve realized what foods are convenient to have around the house. I miss pasta. I absolutely don’t have the will power to make them myself. I have a lot of spaghetti sauce that will get us through – I’ve put it on yellow squash and zucchini from my parent’s garden, made a chicken parmesan sandwich (shredded bits of chicken tossed with plenty of sauce with a slice of mozzarella), and put it on rice. I randomly made an Asian inspired sauce for steamed veggies that was a mix of three recipes and then some random stuff from my pantry (hoisin sauce, soy sauce, peanut butter, coconut milk, sriracha, brown sugar, minced garlic and ginger, etc) that was actually pretty darn tasty. I miss ice cream, we finished off the oats for this morning’s breakfast, and we’re almost out of cheese. Luckily my husband was asked to help his dad with some manual labor and was given $40 for a Saturday of yardwork at the church and heavy lifting, so we’re getting oats, noodles, milk, eggs, and a small block of cheese this weekend. I’ve got enough meatballs to do homemade hot pockets (I am forever grateful for your recipe) that hubby can have for lunch next week. I have half of a whole chicken left and we’re down to only frozen veggies. We’re calling it quits in one more week, but this has forced me to be creative. I made pita bread and hummus for dinner last night and scrambled egg sandwiches with the end of the spinach the night before. Your tortilla recipe with peanut butter also helped keep us on track by providing an easy, hearty snack that’s full of protein. I love that you’re doing this. You have no idea how much your blog has helped me over the last year or so get our budget and grocery choices under control.
Tomato sauce on squash sounds yummy – we just got some squash from the CSA that would do the trick. If I can hide the parmesan, we might be able to pull that one off! Your random Asian sauce sounds like mine too, lol, and it does sound tasty! To think that before this challenge I thought $40 wouldn’t go very far, but when you’re faced in challenges where there is no other money, that can really get put to good use! Meatball hot pockets sound YUMMO (you’re welcome 😉 ). I’m so proud of you guys for joining in the challenge Audrey, and I am beyond blessed that you have found help here. Sending big hugs to you!!
I did the exact same thing with my crockpot! I was so excited about my bread that I never stopped to think about the plastic handle! Mine didn’t melt all over the oven but I now need to use pot holders to shove the lid off the crockpot because there is nothing left to grab on to! And now tin foil is employed in the making of bread 🙂
I feel so much better Justine that I’m not the only one who has bouts of forgetfulness, lol! I’m happy you’re able to use yours still. Brilliant move on the tin foil too! 😉
I thought my crockpot was oven safe and found out that it was, but that tiny little handle on the top of the lid isn’t. We found a replacement knob at the hardware store, but it gets H-O-T. It still makes me laugh, though.
This month I learned that cantaloupe rind makes an excellent cold Asian inspired salad. And cantalope seeds are great in homemade granola.
I have spent around $180 this month on groceries. That is just produce, milk, and beer, which my husband prefers over ice cream. Yikes! And coconut oil, BC I ran completely out of fats and didn’t have time to make schmaltz before dinner.
Wow – the rind itself? You can eat that? I never would have thought of that… or putting the seeds in granola, lol. Where were you when our CSA box gave us a cantaloupe a few weeks back?! 😉
Beer over ice cream cracks me up! The value of our CSA box plus milk & eggs & ice cream isn’t too far from your tally either. Amazing how quickly expenses add up! Keep up the good work Tarynkay! Just a few more days left until the month is over!
Yes, the rind itself, the white or green part- NOT the peel. You can also eat watermelon rind, which tastes somewhat like cucumbers and is good in salads or slaws. People also make pickles and jams out of it, but I prefer it fresh. Watermelon seeds are also quite good for you, full of protein. They are roasted and eaten in China. I think all melon rinds and seeds can be eaten, all squash seeds as well.
Since you have a high powered blender, you can just put the melon seeds and the weird webbing stuff around them right into your smoothies for extra protein.
I had no clue! Thanks so much for the AMAZING tip! To think of all the times I’ve thrown those things away… 🙁 Oh well, I know now! 🙂
Watermelon rind was traditionally pickled. It’s pretty good.
My husband would pick beer over ice-cream too for his treat while watching sports
I love these updates on your challenge! In my opinion, you guys are rocking it! My husband would use the extra money to splurge on ice cream too, by the way.
I commented last update that we were inspired to really commit to a gas budget, and I’m still on my first tank for the month! Almost out, but still there, and my husband hasn’t filled his yet this month (he only uses his car for work a few times a week, but still).
We also started Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover, so pretty much all of our extra funds are going toward that. Did you guys do Dave Ramsey when you were working on debt? I want to say I remember that from previous posts but I don’t know if that’s right. Anyways, reading posts like this about using what you have and not spending money are such helpful inspiration right now. Keep them coming!
Oh goodness, hearing that about your husband is music to my ears! There could have been grounds for divorce right there in that freezer section if this was our first year of marriage, but after 8, I know him all too well to expect anything different!
I did see your comment last week – did I reply? I hope so. I think I got kinda behind for a day or two – my apologies!! Congrats on your gas consumption! Do you think you’ll make it to the end of the month? Or do you guys have a rule in place for a fill-up?
We didn’t do Dave Ramsey when we climbed out of debt, but our method isn’t too far different from his. We actually hadn’t heard of him until after we were debt free! You bet I’ll keep these posts coming – thank you for your encouragement Katherine! Keep up the amazing work on your own challenge!
Yes, you replied last week. I figured I’d mention it for the sake of putting one comment with another. I think we’ll probably end up filling up my vehicle just because we have some church functions to go to next week, but we already have our gas money pulled out in cash for that, and if we only fill up one car, we’ll still have some money left at the end of the month, which is huge progress for us.
We’ve not joined the whole challenge . . . that would take some mental prep for everyone ahead of time . . . but we find ourselves with a week to go before we pick up our next batch of local beef and chicken. My husband okayed not purchasing meat in the interim, so don’t tell anyone what various animal parts are left in the bottom of my freezer!
LOL – your secret is safe with me Abi! Going a full week without replenishing stock is big – congrats on the mini-challenge! Now I’m wondering what kind of delicious meals you’re going to make where the family can’t taste your secret. 😉
I was surprised to see your comment about wheat – I would never choose to bake with red wheat! My personal favorite is hard white wheat, and I buy it for everything to keep things simple, although soft white what would be nice for biscuits and desserts and such. As far as I knew, hard wheat is better for yeasted breads and soft wheat makes pastry flour. Has your experience with white wheat always been bad? Was it maybe soft white wheat? Just curious! I’m not making bread right now because we’re trying to figure some things out health wise, but I usually try to 🙂
It’s been great to get these updates. But for you it’s been every day life and cooking, and a real challenge! Thank you for sharing and for the inspiration.
LOL, I usually bake with whatever wheat I have on hand! I have hard white wheat right now, and it’s not doing so well in bread. Great in quick breads and biscuits, like you mentioned, but a batch of rosemary olive oil bread totally flopped. You’re right about the which type is best. 🙂 I’m not good enough to know the difference of the wheat at mere sight, so I’m not sure I’m going to be of much help to you Cait! I’m so sorry! Thank you for your encouragement on our challenge though. I’m off to make some pizza dough… with spelt, kamut and white wheat, lol!
Thank you for sharing! Your journey has inspired me to do a slightly modified 7 day challenge for our household. If, for no other purpose, to slow down and think instead of rushing through the day/week. I’m looking forward to it and will share my results with you!
You’re most welcome Valerie! I think you’ll learn a lot in your 7 days – I know we have. I wish you the best of luck, and look forward to hearing how it all pans out!
We made it 5 days. On the 6th day several aggregating things happened. My husband insisted on going out. I picked right back up and on day 7, there was no spending.
The challange did get us talking about money and planning our schedules together. We realized that our 10 year old daughter thinks money, food and other resources are never-ending. (This has to change.) I’ve realized that planning ahead helps so much. We spent more time at home as well, leaving us a bit more relaxed.
Even though we faltered, it still feels like a win! I took some of the time at home to de-clutter the house and found a lot of things we purchased but never used. We’re extending our challenge. We will only spend what we bring in from returning never used items and items we sell. Our daughter needs a little more learning time as well!
I haven’t been on the challenge as long as you, but we are doing well. The kids (15 and 5) are having a harder time than I am. I find the creativity in the kitchen great, but the time it takes to cook everything is hard. We have been using up a lot of things that have just been sitting in the pantry that no one felt like eating. I also realized how wasteful we have been. Instead of throwing away the bananas that had started turning brown and no one would eat, I made banana bread. Thank you for the inspiration to do this. It’s saving me money and helping me become more aware of what’s in my kitchen.
You’re most welcome Andrea! You’re right – the time it takes is SO hard. I’m finding myself more and more thankful as the days go on, that despite not wanting to cook or eat what we have, we still have lots of good food to eat. I’ve realized our wastefulness too, but I think we both should consider these lessons a blessing. 🙂
I haven’t seen if someone has already commented about this but I make all of our bread, tortillas (YOUR recipe!), pizza, etc. but what I do is mill a whole bunch of flour at once, stick it in gallon freezer bags, & stick it in the freezer. That way, I only have to haul out the mill once a month or so & I still have fresh flour 🙂 Double bonus: I use coconut oil instead of butter/crisco to make pie crusts, etc. & in the summer, it is pretty liquidy. Because the flour is super cold, it counteracts the liquid coconut oil so I am still able to make the flour ‘crumbly’, as it should be when making tortillas, pie crusts, etc.
Also, duct tape takes care of those squash bugs & covering your broccoli plants is the only thing that will keep them cabbage worm-free. Take it from me 😛 I HATE those things!!!
Would you believe it Katy that this concept – bulk grinding – FINALLY hit me this week, lol. Why it didn’t occur to me sooner, I have no idea! I filled an entire tin of white whole wheat, ground oat grouts and then a combo of kamut and spelt. It was the perfect amount to get us through the week (so far) and SO much easier to have it all ready to go. Is that the name of the bug in my broccoli? Cabbage worms?
‘Tis, indeed. Nasty little buggers. If you’ve ever seen little white/yellow moths flying around, that’s what they are — they lay eggs on broccoli, cabbage, kale, etc. I’ve never been good about keeping them covered but seeing how we love all three of those foods, I am going to TRY to this fall & beyond. Love your blog! Recommend it to friends 🙂
Thanks Katy!!
The white moths lay their eggs on cabbage family plants. If you purchase Bacillus thuringiensis (BT is how its referred to at garden centers). Its a natural liquid that can be mixed 1 Tbs to gallon of water. Totally effective. I still soak my produce in salt water just in case one worm makes it through. 🙂
I think you and your family are doing awesome! I notice that when we are watching our pennies and trying to be extra diligent in our food waste, etc., my awesome 6 children decide that they are worried they are going to go hungry and always want to eat. They seem to be even more wasteful than normal and it stresses me out. I think it is all in the mind set. We always think we would be able to do it when things get tough, but you never know until there is a zombie apocalypse what you will do in those situations. Just kidding (it is often a topic of conversation around our home what we would do to survive one, LOL).
Thank you Anita! Are we long-distant friends? The zombie apocalypse is a frequent topic in our house too, to which the kids will THEN realize the true meaning of no snacking, lol. 😉
While we aren’t doing the challenge right now, you have inspired us to start talking about doing one soon. Thanks so much!
You’re welcome! I’m happy to have sparked the conversation – let us know if you commit, and keep us updated with your progress!
I just wanted to say that I’ve never melted my slow cooker, but I’ve put 3-4 plastic cutting boards on the stove while it was still hot. Also, I bought a set of metal measuring cups after two handles were left too close to the flame. Clutz might be my secret middle name, lol. <3
Ooh, I think I might be a distant relative! The handles on my measuring cups look similar, except that I blame the dishwasher. 😉
I melted the ends of my scarf on the oven door one time bending down to see if something was done… never worn scarves that way before, VERY careful now!!
LOL – I could see myself doing that too!
I stumbled across your website last week and decided to start on a 30-day no spending challenge. I am limiting it to groceries. I am finding very quickly that all I think about is food!!! I had wanted to make a mock apple cobbler with zucchini until I found out I needed 1-1/2 POUNDS of butter. No wonder the cobbler sounded so yummy. My garden is our mainstay throughout the summer so we’re not hurting for veggies. So far, dairy is the most difficult to work through. I like the book “Making the Best of Basics”. It gives many recipes for using powdered milk, like yogurt, cheese, etc. What a great challenge. Thanks! If it only makes me slow down and THINK through our meals, it will be worth it. Also, sticking to a menu plan has never been my strong point. 🙂
Jean! That is one of the EXACT reasons we started this challenge in the first place! No matter how much we already had, or even if we had JUST gone shopping, I still thought about food. Of course, being a food blogger doesn’t help, but still!
This challenge will definitely make you think about your meals beforehand, especially knowing you can’t replace something if you use it all. One thing that helped us was to make half batches of some things, like cookies. It made enough for a night or two to satisfy the craving, but we didn’t use a ton of any single ingredient. Keep us updated, and best of luck!!
Hi there,
I wasn’t following along with this challenge right now, but boy was I on a similar path–without much choice–last winter! I’m always weighing the cost of gas before I make trips. Its pretty crazy how some poeple are just willing to drive 50+ miles for fun events…I’ve been trying to stick to a $500/ month grocery budget. Living in the DC area and opting for lots of organics (eggs, dairy, and the dirty dozen) plus good quality grains (sprouted breads, mixed grain pasta) and specialty meats (zabiha halal meat that is treated humanly and/ or doesn’t contain added hormones or antibiotics) means HIGH PRICES!!!
I also do a lot of thrift store browsing, but even there I have to strive to be intentional and not fall for the trap of a sale or low price.
I am so grateful for other people showing their journeys and clever plans and patience. 🙂 Its so nice to hear about small sacrifices you make in your daily life to go through with this challenge. Many people don’t do this for fun–its between life and debt!!! So thanks, this was a great read. 🙂
I’m reading this challenge long after you have completed, but find it intetesting. We always try to keep surplus of staples, summer garden, fruit trees, fresh eggs from our chickens, and fresh goat milk periodically, for milk, cheese or soap. If we did this challenge, I would feel like we were cheating, in those areas. But, it costs to feed 10 chickens, 7 goats, 2 dogs and a cat. Gas would get us, as well. Its about 25 miles, each way, to my husband’s office. Reading this story after challenge, I have to wonder how it went with restocking pantry.
I’m on day 14, but it’s so easy for me to cheat! I’ve mentioned to my boyfriend and friends “will you bring over some ___?” and they do, so I’ve had it much easier. I need to go until August 5th to get my stupid credit card paid off. I’m on a roll, I think I can do it! I’ve been cooking dinner at home every night and taking a sandwhich to work for lunch. It also helps that we had a hog processed a few months ago and still have dozens of pounds of pork in the freezer.
One thing I love reading about is seeing that a lot of people are holding enough food for 2+ weeks in their pantry without even realizing it.
Thanks for sharing! One of the better blogs on the topic 🙂
Thanks for the compliment Shelsea – you can do this!