Day 1
Nothing too remarkable, we ate what we had and didn't make any purchases.
Day 2
I cooked a 20lb. turkey. This is one of those kitchen tasks I really do not enjoy, but yields protein for lots of meals and broth for several soups. It makes a big mess of the kitchen and really takes all day. So I'm glad that is behind me, and that I don't have any more turkeys in the freezer to handle. :)
Costco - $109.29
2 boxes of diapers (348 diapers), 1 box of wipes (1120 ct.), #10 can tomato sauce, 3 lbs. bananas, 104ct. dishwasher tabs
(Everything non-edible was in their coupon book, saving $19.50 off normal Costco prices. We were down to the last diaper. I knew this would be a pressing need before this pantry challenge began and it will make the rest of the challenge more difficult, but such is life.)
Albertsons - $12.50
30 lbs. potatoes, 2 lbs. carrots, 1 bunch celery, 3 lbs. onions, 2 gallons milk
Day 3-5
We ate mostly according to the menu plan and did not make any purchases. I was glad I had planned turkey noodle soup with the homemade broth and noodles I made as the weather has been super cold and a few of us are battling colds. It was good to stay in and begin on a bunch of simple master bathroom improvements. I'm taking a slow and steady approach this time.
Day 6
Chick-Fil-A - $3.50 - Four of us had a lunch date and used up a gift card we had received.
Bountiful Baskets - $68.00, to be picked up on Saturday
2 conventional baskets, 38 lb. box Minneola tangelos, assorted tortilla pack (2 dozen small flour, 1 dozen large flour, 2 dozen small corn, 1 dozen medium whole wheat, 1 dozen medium flour)
Day 7
No purchases, though I did go out alone for dinner with my allowance after fixing dinner for the rest of the family. My kind husband knows I need time away sometimes.
Day 8
No purchases. We are now getting low on milk, cheese and butter. And we haven't had yogurt or rice since the challenge began. The little bits of snack foods we had are gone, too. Starting to feel the effects of this challenge. I was working too late into the evening on our bathroom improvements. Hooray! Painting is done. Flooring is now started.
Day 9
We are now deviating more from the menu plan, just to use leftovers up and not let them go to waste. I also haven't made bread as much as I had planned, so meals involving bread have been switched to something else. I gave each of the kids a haircut. I'm thankful we have not ever taken our kids for a haircut by a professional so the expectation has not been set. The little ones really are not cooperative, but I doubt they'd do much better if I was spending $10-15/kid.
To use up the ends of some condiment bottles I made barbecue sauce. We love the recipe here.
Day 10
I ordered some fun Curious George items from Zulily* for our little boy's birthday next month using a credit I had. I think he is going to love the stuff and for just a few dollars out of pocket, that'll make us both happy. I also went through Ebates* so I may get some change back. I use Ebates all the time when I'm shopping online for cash back. (*referral links)
Costco - $35.45
4 lbs. butter, 2 gallons milk, 3 dozen extra large eggs, 40 oz. bag organic tortilla chips, 2.5 lbs. Tillamook cheddar, 2 lbs. mozzarella
King Soopers - $13.23
3 gallons milk (1 organic), 32 oz. strawberry yogurt (a treat for the kids), 32 oz. yogurt (I needed a starter so I could make homemade again), loaf of sourdough bread, individual cup of yogurt (free)
Starbucks - used a coupon and gift card
Day 11
No purchases were made, but we picked up our Bountiful Baskets order. This week's conventional basket included yellow squash, broccoli, grape tomatoes, red pepper, onions, romaine, sweet potatoes, apples, grapes, pears, bananas, and mangoes. And now our fridge is very, very full.
Total spent for Days 1-11: $241.97
Ugh, that was what I had planned on spending for the whole month. We'll just have to see how long our current provisions hold out. I'm glad to have a packed fridge with loads of produce.
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