It’s hard to believe that we are on week 3 of eating down the pantry and still eating well.
No cravings, no burning desire to make anything that I don’t have the ingredients for, but most of all, here we are a little over one and a half months into 2026 and so far we’ve spent less than $200 on groceries.
That’s pretty cool if you ask me.
This past week I concentrated on whittling down the continents of our freezer.
I tossed a gallon and a half of summer ripened tomatoes into a CrockPot and made a batch of sauce. The sauce was fantastic!
I was also able to use the half a bag of noodles that had been sitting in the pantry since last fall.
I also used the ripe bananas that I tossed in the freezer a while ago too. I made a batch of banana pecan muffins with those.
We love muffins! I should make them more often.
The HH made the last of the Trader Joe’s freezer meals {Kung Pao Chicken}. Now we have none. 🙁
There’s a bag of Trader Joe’s Risotto still left but I’m not sure what I’d serve it alongside since the pickins are getting kind of slim.
Maybe I’ll wait to use it next month with a rotisserie chicken.
Or hey I know, I bet I could add it to a carton of Trader Joe’s roasted red pepper and tomato soup. That might be good. Hmm. We’ll see.
The HH fired up the BBQ for the last two strips of frozen beef. He served it with some broccoli he bought last month.
Who knew broccoli could last so long in the fridge? It was definitely three weeks old. Probably longer. But hey, we ate it. 🙂
I have no idea if there were even any nutrients left.
Last November or December I bought some smoked salmon at Trader Joe’s and last week I finally got around to doing something with it.
I don’t know why but smoked salmon spread always tastes like such a treat.
I made a batch of chocolate chip cookie and chewy oatmeal cookie dough for the freezer.
And a loaf of no knead Dutch oven crusty bread for toast.
And grilled cheese sandwiches.
And there was also a pot of Saturday night beans. Dang those are good!
And last but not least, yesterday we met up with The Kiln Guy and The Chef for lunch at a local diner. They split a Greek salad and Ruben and The HH and I shared a chicken club sandwich.
Do you do that when you go out? Split an order or just ask for an extra plate?
Restaurant portions are so big most of the time.
You really have to be super hungry or go home with leftovers if you are ordering your own meal at most places it seems.
I was fine with three bites of potato salad, a pickle and one of those chicken blt sandwiches. I mean really, a girl has to have room for her afternoon cookie!!
Market Basket $19.46
The HH popped by Market Basket for a few rations. Avocados were still on sale $0.99 each} and so far they’ve all been good ones this year.
So far this month we’ve spent $99.44 on groceries. That means we have $0.56 left in the grocery budget if we are going to stay on track for the month.
With just another week to go, I don’t think we’ll need to make another trip to the store. We’ve got milk, bread, eggs, produce and still a decent amount of staples in the cupboards.
It was a good week! Lot’s of variety.
Are you trying to eat down your pantry this month too? How’s it going?
Have a great weekend everyone,
~Mavis
Susan Rose says
You can freeze fresh tomatoes whole?? Do you wash them before you freeze them? Do you just pop them in soups, stews, or the crockpot when you want to use them?
I feel like I have missed a major “hack” in frugality and preserving fresh veggies!!
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes, yes, and yes! 🙂 It’s really that easy. The texture changes significantly {you won’t be able to slice them}, but they are great for soups and sauces. Here is my basic sauce recipe: https://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/basil-and-garlic-tomato-sauce-recipe-for-canning/
Jody says
I agree about the avocados being good. No matter where I have bought them, (Walmart, Aldis, Market Basket) they have been really good this year, Same with blueberries. I usually never buy berries off season (use frozen) but they have been really good too.
Another great pantry week for you. Well done!
Mrs. C. says
Operation pantry purge is proceeding well. I budgeted $100 for fruit, fresh veggies, etc., but everything else is out of the pantry. My one exception was screaming deals. At the moment, I am making a bunch of bone broth!
Rosemary says
When hubby and I go out to eat, we do not get a meal to share. Why? Because he will finish all of his meal and then finish what I don’t eat of my meal. LOL
Ashely B says
I have spent about $100 so far this month, I imagine I’ll spend about the same for the later part of the month. I include pet supplies in my grocery budget.
I did indulge in Valentine’s clearance at Target this week. I will never pass up a 50 cent cake mix!!!
Lori K says
I had to giggle at splitting a meal. My husband eats his meal plus half of mine. So I get a half a meal out of it and he gets a meal and a half. And no, he’s not overweight. He’s very fit!
Beth W. says
I really enjoy reading about your challenge, I am working on whittling down my freezer and pantry, trying to limit purchases to fresh fruits and veggies, but sometimes fail if there is a really good sale on protein or dairy… I am inspired by everyone’s stories! Making progress, though slow when only two people eating in our household :0)
Linda Sand says
At Cracker Barrel I ask for my go box right away then pack up half my meal before I start eating. No guessing as to how much I ate before packing. My Dave eats all of his but doesn’t want any more since he is stuffed when he finishes his.
tc says
My HH and I usually don’t split a meal because he tends to be more picky and set in his ways but we always bring home leftovers and I eat them for breakfast or lunch or we give to our pet cockatoo or chickens. Nothing goes to waste in our house. I figure if we have paid for it we get to use it all up.
Nadia says
I am having some serious Deja vu! I feel like this was posted days ago. Am I going crazy? This is possible, but I know I cannot read the future. Please tell me this was just a glitch and if I sign in again, all will be right with the universe again.