Eat From Your Pantry November

Due to some unexpected expenses in October, I decided November was good for another "eat-from-your-pantry" challenge. I had great hopes of blogging every week with my purchases and meal plans...but it's November. And I'm an English teacher.

So...that didn't quite happen.

I will say this:

So far, I've spent about $50 total on groceries and toiletries for the entire month. And, yes, that includes diapers. Thankfully, we have had some help in that department. But still. It's been quite the challenge. We had a really stocked pantry and freezer, but we're getting really challenged now regarding quick convenience foods and things like butter and sugar. My purchases so far this month have been dog food, toilet paper, milk, cheese, eggs, and a couple of misc things on sale. We still have a lot of stuff in the freezer and pantry, but I'm definitely ready to go grocery shopping again.

It's NOT a good deal...

...if you don't need it.

Lately, as I've worked back into couponing, I've started following several sites on Instagram and Facebook for quick deals. They are really useful, but I have found that I don't fit in well with a majority of the followers. And I see a bit of a pitfall in using these sites. See...it's all about spend, spend, spend.

And, really. If you're being truly frugal...it's not about spend, spend, spend. It's save, save, save.

Now, I concur with the thought that you sometimes have to spend some to save some. I've been enacting that in our shopping and seeing the benefits. Just a couple weeks ago, I saw some major savings on diapers and bought enough to last several weeks. I spent more on diapers at once than I usually do; however, in the long run, it saved me.

But I use diapers. So, it made sense.

As I've followed the sites, I've found myself going, "OH...I should get that! Oh, I need that! Oh, what a good deal!" And they are. But I don't need them. And if I spend money on those, I'm taking away from other needs. And that...good deal or not...is not frugal. So what if shampoo is on sale for $1.50? If I a)have plenty of shampoo b)don't use that brand and c)really need groceries that week...spending that money on shampoo is NOT a good deal. Now, if it is something I use and need...and I can wiggle our budget...sure. Otherwise...no.

This is also why I have curtailed my shopping. I don't just go window-shop at stores. I rarely browse store websites. I miss a LOT of good clothing deals...but we don't have a big clothing budget. I find that all that browsing does is stir up nasty Mr. Envy and tempt me to spend money on things we don't need.

It's also why I don't spend a million dollars on coupon inserts. I might buy ONE paper. (Usually, I just use my grandmother's inserts). Sure, I might not have a massive stockpile like some couponers, but the fact is, I don't have the time or energy to do what they do. I also don't have the space. Buying 20 bottles of shampoo is really impractical for me (though, I did, admittedly, buy 20 boxes of cereal once, when they were .50/each. But it's food. And, yeah. I won't have to buy cereal until next fall.) And, the math person in me has calculated that, if I spend x amount on inserts, I better save at LEAST that much that week to cut even. And it never works out. It just doesn't fit for me. However, cutting my free inserts from my grandmother and comparing them with a few lists online and matching them with deals does save me a nice little chunk at the store. That's my goal, and I'm happy with it. :)

What's in YOUR freezer?

I have found my freezer to be one of my most valuable tools in leading a frugal lifestyle. For awhile, we actually had a stand alone freezer, which I loved, but our current living arrangements don't allow for it. So, we traded it out for a vehicle to help us MOVE to our current quarters (which saved us a mint in the long run, even without the freezer).

 That said, my small freezer is still a huge asset. This past week, my freezer played a big role in my goals for the week. I pulled out the ham that had been hogging most of my space. I picked it up around Easter when they were on sale and popped it in there, thinking it would be nice later on down the road. I try not to leave things in there past six months, so it was TIME to cook it. I cooked it for dinner, and then I chopped up the leftovers and put them in ziploc bags in 2 c. increments for future recipes. I love this because I can just grab a bag and put it in soup, etc at the last minute. It also helps stretch our meat budget. Removing the ham freed up a lot of space, and I've been refilling it pretty quickly.

On Saturday, I shredded a block of cheese I picked up on clearance (Monterey Jack) and froze the baggies (another time saving trick). It's nice to do that with cheese that I know I won't be able to use quickly enough. I also made a big batch of baby food, freezing it in a mixture of baby food container, breast milk storage container, and ice cube trays. Once the food is hardened into cubes, I always pop them out and put them in ziploc containers. Finally, I tossed in some bananas that were too ripe. I intended to make banana bread, but I didn't have time. So, I just put them in the freezer. When I'm ready to make banana bread, I'll thaw them out. They're kind of goopy, but they make yummy banana bread!

All in all, I think it was a good week's work. I'm trying to remember to freeze our leftovers in a constructive, creative way to cut down on food waste and make food prep easier down the line. Both are a plus!

*cough, cough*

It's time to dust this blog off. :)

I must say that, despite lack of blogging, we have probably lived more frugally than ever before during this past year; however, there is a certain point when living frugally isn't very fun and not real bloggable...plus, I've been a little busy having a baby and adjusting to all that jazz.

We've had an interesting year with job shifts and a new little package, but things are settling down, and, come this fall, I'll be a "real" English professor, and we'll be working on tackling debt while living purposefully, healthily, and frugally...and having some fun in the process.

So, this summer, while I'm teaching a lighter load, it's time to get organized and focused. I'm a big believer in planning ahead, and there are certain things I want to tackle before fall semester starts.

My goals:

**Start working on a bigger stockpile (maybe utilize a corner of the spare room?)
**Resume meal plans (figure out a good system for fall when I work later hours)
**More careful grocery shopping
**Resume Sunday newspaper subscription (coupons!)
**Pick up a new printer and ink (more coupons!)
**Try making homemade yogurt (for the baby; I'm restricting dairy)
**Figure out our fall budget (in process)
**Try my hand at canning!
**Focus on eliminating food waste

Here's to the journey! :)