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!

Update Day 28: Sunday 7.17.11

Well people its over. We did it. Pants Vs. Pie has ended. No more yoga at midnight just so I wont lose the challenge. And one way or another I'm gonna get some PIE. 

Its been a long month, 28 days, 28 healthy choice, 28 opportunities to be a better me. So what have I learned? I've learned that I can do what I want to do, what I set my mind to do, for better or worse. I've learned that I like yoga. I've learned that a lot of the foods I thought were healthy, are liars. I learned I CAN live with out Diet Coke (but don't tell anyone that one). I learned I like blogging.

I also learned that there are alot of areas of my life where I need to do better. Kind of a depressing realization, especially for someone who thinks they really do know it all. It's difficult to admit that you don't actually have it all together, that despite what you try to make people think, you are really barely keeping all the flaming batons in the air --- even if you do make it look good ; )

But on the other hand.... there's hope. The realization that this isn't the best its gonna get. I can be better. I can be more, do more, love more. Looking forward to whatever is next for me and, of course to PIE!

Oh and for the record....I won the challenge. Which is good, since I've grown attached to my treadmill. 28 days of exercise and the measurements can speak for the rest.

Final Stats, Day 28

Exercise: Stayed up till 3:00am working on a bedding set for a local client
Healthy Choice: No Snacks
Weight Change: -4 (not a big change, but a change and that was the point)
Measurement Change:

• Waist = - 2 in 
• Hip = -2 in
• Thigh = - 1 in

Update Day 27: Saturday 7.16.11

Spent the last few days self medicating with fried food and cheesecake. Probably not the wisest plan of action for someone whose one day away from the end of a public weight loss challenge. Oh well, sue me. I'm depressed, it won't bother me anyway.

Exercise: 10 minutes yoga. Hey at least I did something. What did you do today huh?!?!?
Healthy Choice: Steered clear of the candy and only had 1 cupcake at the birthday party I attended today
Weight Change: -4
Measurement Change:

• Waist = - 1 in 
• Hip = -1 in
• Thigh = - 1/2 in

Update Day 26: Friday 7.15.11

"Due to the changing economy, and in an effort for the Bank to respond to market demands and stay competitive in the industry........" and that's when it all goes fuzzy, I zoned out, my brain seized up, I knew what was coming. She could have saved herself the long winded corporate excuse she read as if it were a telemarketing script, recited only to serve as litigation armour. None of it mattered, none of it, up until "your position is being eliminated". Then it went fuzzy again.

My position wasn't eliminated. A position was eliminated. It didnt' have to be mine.

This was the 8:30am meeting that kick started my day in the a$$ yesterday. So I spent today licking my wounds.

Day 26 Stats

Exercise: abs, very short, very unenthusiastic abs
Healthy Choice: Smoothie for breakfast, no snacks.
Weight Change: -4
Measurement Change:

• Waist = - 1 in 
• Hip = -1 in
• Thigh = - 1/2 in

Update Day 25: Thursday 7.14.11

Bad day. Not much more I can say.

Exercise: Abs
Healthy Choice: I only had 1 piece of cheese cake and I actually did still do some exercise
Weight Change: -4
Measurement Change:

• Waist = - 1 in 
• Hip = -1 in
• Thigh = - 1/2 in

Update Day 24: Wednesday 7.13.11

This theme of reasons vs. excuses, self motivation and prioritizing seems to keep popping up. This challenge started just for me to make a point to myself. Either I was just making excuses for not being a better me, or there some justifiable medical reason I wasn't loosing weight. But, while I wasn't looking, it has become something much farther reaching. By examining myself on this level I have also begun to think about other areas of my life. My home, my family, my work, my children. What excuses do I make in these other areas that are holding me back from being the most committed, the most efficient, the most involved I can be. I started this blog with a post about "Life as I know it" and all the different hats I wear on a day to day basis. But I've started questioning, am I actually wearing these hats as function, or just for fashion? Am I doing my best at every job?

Day 24 Stats.

Exercise: 20 minutes Pilates
Healthy Choice: Drank tons of water, 9 glasses
Weight Change: -4
Measurement Change:

• Waist = - 1 in 
• Hip = -1 in
• Thigh = - 1/2 in

Update Day 23: Tuesday 7.12.11

So I did 30 minutes of Yoga last night plus an additional 10 minutes of stretching and I think I'm taller today. Thanks AlleyCat for being my inspiration to try Yoga.

I'm really loving this yoga/cardio mix I've been doing this week. It makes me feel like I'm getting a really good work out while doing the cardio, then I get to take a day just to stretch and tone.

Stats Day 23

Exercise: 30 minutes treadmill
Healthy Choice: Keeping to my fruit and yogurt breakfast and bringing my lunch
Weight Change: -4
Measurement Change:

• Waist = - 1 in 
• Hip = -1 in
• Thigh = - 1/2 in