July 2014

Periodically, because it's good household management but usually because we're in a budget crunch, I go on a campaign to eat the food that we have. Those items that have gotten pushed to the back of the pantry or freezer. Anyone else have this issue? I consider it the fat corn years intended to supply the lean corn ears (see Genesis, the story of Joseph and Pharaoh), but just like the biblical story, it takes some creative management.

I'm going to keep a journal, hopefully during the entire month of July, of my own efforts to economize as I clean and organize my food. My journey is happening in 2014, a time when Americans waste about 25% of what we buy (see newsstory here). That's appalling, but it easy to do. When my culture fails this way, it pains me. When I am too lazy to eat the rest of the spaghetti sauce in my fridge, hey, what do you know about my life? Stay off my back.

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Bonus: word from a friend

This nugget is provided by my friend, Vicki Hookham. I am always impressed with how she manages her crew!

We are nearly done with our "eat what we have" campaign--admittedly, I started it late May when a very tight budget meant $125/month for groceries for a family of seven for a couple months. Because I am a couponer and have created a good stockpile over time, we were able to eat a variety for 3 of those weeks without having to buy anything at all. Then after I used up all my pantry and creativity could take us no farther, I needed to use the grocery money for ingredients again. It was nice to empty the freezer and pantry, but no one who blogs about these campaigns mentions the end result: a high price tag on restocking your own shelves. You have to buy things you haven't had to buy for months. But it's a nice opportunity to rethink meals, efficiency and eating habits nonethless--a great chance to "start over" and make better choices and habits.
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