No More Groceries...

[pigletto]

I'm in the complete opposite phase.
I just got a new chest freezer and plan to get a few utility shelves for the cold cellar.
I am stock piling when things go on sale. Especially things we use often.
But I am doing it to get to the stage some of you are in now. So if a big purchase or something unexpected comes up we are able to tighten our belt and still eat well.
And honestly alot of it has to do with the fact that I HATE to pay full price for anything.. so if I see a good sale I 'd rather stock up and pay the cheaper price all year.
But I am sure a time will come where we will only need to shop for produce milk and bread for a good long while.

 

[Mouseless2Long]

It's interesting to me that this thread has come up now. I made a conscious decision to not buy groceries this month other than milk, etc. It's been nice not putting that money out every week. It's amazing what you can find to eat if you've made the decision not to buy, but I gotta tell ya--no pasta for me next month! I didn't realize how much I had!

I think I will try this again next month. I'll go at the beginning of the month and when it's gone, well . . . then it's gone until I go again in July.

 

[RichNKatHolly]

Forced into doing this too due to an unexpected move and I HATE moving the kitchen and pantry.

Do you think we can OD on pasta? I'm afraid I'll have a huge belly by the time we are done eating all those carbs!!

 

[C.Ann]

I do that often at the lake for the 7 months or so that I'm here... I'll make a major shopping trip and then buy nothing else for as long as possible (sometimes months) except coffee, sugar, milk, bread, eggs, etc.. Wish I had room for a big freezer up here (for more bread and such), but I don't..

 

[TriMom]

That's so funny - I told DH today that I am not buying groceries until I have emptied our freezer and pantry. If I can hold out about 3 weeks, the farmers market will be up and running, and I can get my produce cheep again. Gotta love the farmers market!

 

[SCQ86]

I can't wait until I get through my pantry

It's been two months and I'm no where near where I should be. My children have been making fun of me for the wonderful odd recipes I've been making...I surprise myself too

 

[Alice28]

I think I am going to try this. I get addicted to grocery shopping, as it's one thing it's 'ok' to spend money on (if that makes sense). I have a TON of food in our freezers right now, canned foods, etc. We leave for Disney in about 16 days. My goal after reading this thread is to only buy milk, fresh produce and a thing of juice pouches.

 

[shortbun]

I do it before every vacation. Saves money pre vacation and saves time endlessly grocery shopping. Seriously, does anyone else feel like the grocery is their second home, lol!?

 

[ibdamamma]

We have tried this a hundred times and we have never stuck to it! I don't cook at all unless its a life or death situation. So we have our freezer jammed with frozen meats that I know I will never use. Every few months I clean it out and then viola I go buy more frozen food. I would love to actually follow through with cabinet eating but I am not sure I have the strength to cook

 

[musclemouse]

Haha food in my cupboard? Where? I haven't seen any lately. My husband thinks I'm the cheapest person he's ever known. I have never bought over what we need in a week. So we barely have any food in the house. I never buy what we don't need, stuff that's on sale JUST because it's on sale, coupon items that I would never have bought in the first place OR "hm this sounds good" items. Like I said, CHEAP!

 

[hsmamato2]

eating from the cabinets is different from emergency planning,IMO- we do this,and rotate what we need to replenish monthly- otherwise food goes bad sitting and not getting eaten....
we still maintain food in case of emergency- but we USED to stockpile and keep it up,not even knowing what we had in the house,thus not really saving any money.....KWIM?
So it works well ,you can buy 100 cans of beans when they go on sale...likewise with the meat,etc....and then wait for a month or two to re-buy!

 

[DisneyMOM09]

No way! Hurricane Season is just around the corner, so I am trying to pick up extra staples! I like to have my freezer stuffed full of food and my pantry overflowing. I think it will be even worse for a few years, because after Katrina it took a while for stores to open up and now I feel like we need even more food and water stocked up. There is nothing worse than standing in line in the heat for hours to get some water and MRE's. well there was one thing that was worse than that, standing in line for hours for 5 gallons of gas to run the generator for a little while longer in hopes that the power would come back on! My dad now owns a big gas tank that he starts filling with gas at the beginning of the seasoon so we never have to do that again. I think it would make me to nervous and anxious to have a bare pantry!

 

[Debbie6221]

No way! Hurricane Season is just around the corner, so I am trying to pick up extra staples! I like to have my freezer stuffed full of food and my pantry overflowing. I think it will be even worse for a few years, because after Katrina it took a while for stores to open up and now I feel like we need even more food and water stocked up. There is nothing worse than standing in line in the heat for hours to get some water and MRE's. well there was one thing that was worse than that, standing in line for hours for 5 gallons of gas to run the generator for a little while longer in hopes that the power would come back on! My dad now owns a big gas tank that he starts filling with gas at the beginning of the season so we never have to do that again. I think it would make me to nervous and anxious to have a bare pantry!

I bet!!! It's all relative I suppose. I don't blame you one bit! I would do the same. We live in Chicago so I probably worry more about getting snowed in, in the winter!

 

[Chicago526]

I buy loads of stuff on sale, then use it until it goes on sale again. For example, I loaded up on condensed Cambell soups for cooking last August and I"m still using those cans! So I cook out of our pantry/freezer but at the same time I'm refilling it with other items as they go on sale. Lately the sales haven't been as good. I've also swiched to organic for many things and those don't go on sale nearly as much, and Trader Joe's doesn't have sales at all. But with TJ's, they are often out of items so I'll still stock up when they have something in stock that I use all the time, like organic beef and organic frozen veggies.

 

[sandisuze]

I agree with DisneyMOM09 and Mrs.Reese- Hurricane season is only a few days away and even tho we normally don't see storms in June or July- you have to be prepared.
I will keep my pantry stocked and keep my emergency box at the ready - my freezer gets no more than 1 -maybe 2 weeks of food.
we had a chest freezer during the last 3 that went thru Florida. We were without power for 20 days the first time and 12-14 days the other times & ice didn't save things. we tried to eat and cook the stuff but A LOT went to waste.
The stores get so crazed when there is a warning- I'd rather not have empty shelves in my pantry. I am the crazy lady who checks expiration dates to make sure they will last a month or two after hurricane season.

But I have done this a few times in Jan. - recovering from Christmas
and it's a good way to clean out.

 

[extremesoccermom]

I was actually thinking about this earlier today.
One of the grocery stores by me has a good sale on Texas Toast (our favorite) and I would like to buy one for every coupon I have since it will only be 1.20 a box but I realized that I have one chest freezer, an over the fridge freezer and the side by side freezer that are completely full and there is no way I could possible fit one box into any of them.
I also have 3 storage shelves in our basement and last weekend I ran out of room on them and had to come up with some creative storage areas. So I am going to try to get through June and probably will be able to get well into July without a grocery run.
I will obviously need milk and eggs at some point but even those are pretty well stocked. Our garden should bring us plenty of fresh veggies by the end of June also.

 

[Sgt.Tibbs]

I just did this about a month ago where I didn't go grocery shopping except for milk, bread, eggs, and fresh produce for about 3 weeks. We ate out of the pantry and freezers and cleaned out all the food that was in there. I did this for a few reasons...1. money was a bit tight at that time and 2. a lot of the frozen stuff had been in there close to 6 months so really needed to get eaten before it went bad. So after we had cleaned up I did a major shopping trip and we are back to full again, which is good...just in time for me to do my clinical externship for school (4 wks unpaid and hopefully I will have a job by the end of the 4 wks.)

 

[SCQ86]

I had to just reply again....

One of the reason I don't buy so often....and I have to thank for is the famous Foodsaver.....LOVE IT.

I buy bulk meat on sale and split it in smaller portions and I can go months without buying meat. I actually just finished my budget the last few months and I have only spent $250 dollars on food the last 4 months.... For a family of four....that is not bad at all.

 

[nunzia]

I had to just reply again....

One of the reason I don't buy so often....and I have to thank for is the famous Foodsaver.....LOVE IT.

I buy bulk meat on sale and split it in smaller portions and I can go months without buying meat. I actually just finished my budget the last few months and I have only spent $250 dollars on food the last 4 months.... For a family of four....that is not bad at all.

I got a free foodsaver thing when I bought a new freezer two years ago and still haven't gotten it out! I think I'm afraid of how much the replacement plastic stuff will cost and where to get it...
Also..with milk as it is, we buy several gallons when it goes on sale and freeze. Have done this ever since the kids were little and it works great. Just bought 4 gallons today at 2.50 each
It's the liitle things that make you feel triumphant!

 

[Debbie6221]

Sorry but I don't know what the foodsaver is you guys are talking about