Quinn’s super frugal experiment. Are you up for a challenge?

Five years ago I wrote a HD article titled Food for Thought. It was about all the food we waste and, of course the money as a result.

Yesterday I mentioned to Connie that we have things in our pantry and fridge we don’t even know we have. She was sure that was not the case. Today I pulled out a bag of candy and other goodies we had forgotten from Christmas. I’m assuming it’s from last Christmas but that is not a certainty. 

I went shopping this afternoon and picked up a few mini bagels. I usually freeze the ones we won’t eat in a day or two. Guess what, there were six already in the freezer. To make matters worse I discovered a container of cream cheese in the back of the fridge. It would go great with the bagels except it was a bluish green in color. 

With all this food in the pantry, the fridge and the freezer. I threw out a challenge. I bet we could live for a month on just what we have in the house. Think of what we would save on groceries and gasoline. There is even the possibility of losing some weight. 

Connie is not enthusiastic about the idea. But I have a plan. 

First we cut down to two meals a day supplemented by snacks from the good supply of popcorn and pretzels we have on hand.

We use everything in the refrigerator first, then the freezer and finally the pantry where an assortment of canned goods are stored with perhaps a little mixing of all three. 

We have boxes of pasta, ten cans of tuna (it was on sale) and an array of soups on hand. I could get creative with a few meals. Nothing wrong with an omelet for dinner either. We could bake bread or biscuits. I’ll make a turkey pot pie. Somewhere in the depths of the freezer there is turkey pieces lurking. I know there are bangers and white pudding I bought from England. I could use my new rice maker as there is a bag of rice in the freezer we bought in Charleston last year - along with grits. 

There is a virtual treasure trove of possible culinary delights about the house. 

I may not follow a budget, but I keep track of “best by” and expiration dates, so I will use everything in the most efficient order. Of course, there is the chance we forgot to add a date to something in the freezer or to label what it is, so surprises are possible. 

Sounds like a plan to me. Are you up for a challenge? No cheating, you can’t stock up in advance. 

This may be beyond just a challenge though, based on what’s happened to our investments in the last week, it could be a necessity. 🤑

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