Until the cupboards are bare...

A few months ago there was an article in our local newspaper about how one of their staff members was going to cut back on her food shopping costs by eating everything she had in the pantry, fridge and freezer -- the point of this "experiment" was to cut back on food costs and actually use up the many items she already had. Like most of us out there, she, too, was going to the grocery store on a weekly basis and buying things that she either already had or just didn't need. The only trips to the grocery store during the "experiment" were to buy things like milk, eggs, bread, etc.

After spending $183 yesterday at Harris Teeter, I've decided that I think my family can also benefit from a similar "experiment." I told my husband last night that we could probably get by with a lot of what we had rather than spending so much every month on food.

Our biggest challenge is eating out during lunch, but we're trying to nip that in the bud by either eating frozen meals (which I had to buy during yesterday's trip the grocery store) or by taking leftovers.

As for dinners and other meals, we are fortunate that we have a thriving garden to rely upon for fresh veggies although I'm sure zucchini and yellow squash will start to get a bit boring (thank goodness for www.allrecipes.com!). We also have a freezer in our laundry room that is stocked with chicken, beef and pork.

The bottom line is, I'm trying to cut back on some very unnecessary costs...we DO spend too much on groceries every month. I hope we can stick with this plan. I would much rather spend $10 a week on milk, bread and eggs rather than spending $100-$150 or more every week to two weeks.