An Experiment in Frugality - Pantry Raid

Welcome to Broke! Where uncertainty and stress wait impatiently to greet you each morning and anxiety tucks you in each night. You'll hear unwelcoming phrases like "No we can't afford it" and "it's just not in the budget". Your children will have their little hearts crushed each time you drive by a McDonald's or stroll past a toy aisle. You'll find your shelves and cupboards bare but your mailbox full as new bills appear everyday and paychecks do not. Broke, the place you never look for but always end up.

We inadvertently took a wrong turn somewhere at the crossroads of Budget and Savings and ended up at Broke. And in an effort to re-route and get back on track (and in preparation for the school year and fall schedules/cooking) I've decided to do a little experiment in frugality.

Purpose Statement
We will be eating out of the pantry and freezer for the next 4 weeks/28 days for all dinner, with minimal groceries purchased. An idea loosely based a recurring "Grocery Challenge" I've participated in on Dave Ramsey's MyTotalMoneyMakeover.com forums in the past. Goals of the experiment are

        1. clean out pantry and freezer
        2. Stop us from eating out so much
        3. keep the grocery bill at a minimum.

Materials List

Recipe Box

Pinterest Recipe Boards

Pantry Inventory

Freezer Inventory

Meal Plan

$25 Dollar Average Weekly Grocery Budget - for produce and additional needed ingredients

Procedure and Method

1. Take Pantry and Freezer Inventory
2. Search family favs from Recipe Box and Pinterest Recipes that utilize Pantry and Freezer inventory
3. Create Meal plan for next 4 weeks/28 days
4. Create Grocery List for each week based on Meal Plan and stay within $25 average weekly
5. Follow Meal Plan for each day, prepping the next days meal ahead of time and grocery shopping on the weekend.
6. After 4 weeks/28 days analyze results to determine if experiment was successful.

Experiment Log

Weekly meal plan, grocery list, recipes and grocery bill tally will be posted.

Notes

* Posted grocery list and $25 budget include only items needed for dinners. Regular grocery items such as breakfasts, lunches, snacks, etc are not included in the experiment.

* Groceries will be bought at best local price at the time of purchase and coupon use is encouraged.

* Recipes and quantities are tailored to a family of 4.

* Attempt to insure each meal includes a protein, starch and vegetable or fruit.

* Experiment is not suggested for specialty diets (low fat, organic, vegetarian/vegan, gluten-free, high fiber, etc) AND NO I do not want your opinions or complaints about the menu, it's nutritional value or lack thereof.

Are ya'll ready......yeah me neither, but here we go anyway!