Freezer/Pantry Challenge Update #1

This week started out with finishing up the leftovers from the holidays, and the month of December.  We splurged a little on New Year's Eve and had some steamed shrimp, and potato skins for dinner, followed by taking inventory of the freezers and pantry cupboards (do we live on the wild side or what?).  Now that I know what I have to work with, meal planning is a lot easier.  I'll probably still have to pick up things like diary and produce, but I do have a LOT to work with already.  Here's how we started January and the challenge out...

Weds. Jan. 1st:

Breakfast: Pop-Tarts (I'm trying to finish out the last box of these before moving on)

Lunch: I ate leftover Creamed Chipped Beef Gravy over Eggos, and Joe had 3 pieces of leftover pizza from dinner the other night.

Dinner: Homemade Potato Soup with Homemade French Bread

Snacks: String Cheese Sticks, Leftover Christmas Cookies, Pudding Cups, and/or Leftover Cheesecake

Thurs. Jan. 2nd:

Breakfast: Pop-Tarts (I'm trying to finish out the last box of these before moving on)

Lunch: Luncheon with the rest of the Museum staff (we had turkey club sandwiches, and they were delicious!)

Dinner: Leftover Potato Soup and Bread - yum-o!
Snacks: String Cheese Sticks, Leftover Christmas Cookies, Pudding Cups, White Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Fri. Jan. 3rd:
Breakfast: Pop-Tarts (I'm trying to finish out the last box of these before moving on)
Lunch: Pregnancy Splurge of McDonald's - So Yummy!!
Dinner: Joe had to run to his grandfather's house for a cell phone 'emergency,' so Pap treated us to pizza!  Yeah for free take-out!
Snacks: String Cheese Sticks, White Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, Pudding Cups

Sat. Jan. 4th:
Breakfast: Bagel for Me, Pop-Tarts for Joe
Lunch: Leftovers - got the fridge cleaned out!
Dinner: Cheesy Baked Pork Chops with Jasmine Rice and Steamed Broccoli
Snacks: String Cheese Sticks, Tortilla Chips and Salsa, Pudding Cups

Linked to Good Cheap Eats

 How is everyone else doing on the challenge?
 

Weekly Spending Report: 12/29/13-01/04/2014

The beginning of the week was a little spend happy.  I did this to restock on a few things before the Freezer/Pantry Challenge which started January 1st.  Some would call that cheating, but these were things that I had been planning on buying anyway, things that I always have in the house, so I call it fair.  Here's how the spending went down this week...

• Tuesday's Walgreen's Trip (no picture, 2 bags Organic Pasta, 1 Christmas present, 1 pkg small Bows, 2 rolls Yarn Ribbon, 3 Bubble Mailers, and 1 Electric Cord - everything was on sale/clearance, or I had an in-ad coupon): $26.51 - $14.57 Savings/Coupon = $11.94 oop
• Tuesday's Dollar Tree Trip (used 2 - $1/2 MC on the pepperoni): $15 oop

• Tuesday's Rite-Aid Trip (no post, 1 Christmas present and 1 pkg Revlon Nail Files which I used a Rite-Aid Coupon on): $9.11 - $5.28 Savings/Coupon = $3.83 oop
• Tuesday's CVS Trip (no picture, 4 pkgs Diapers, 3-24 pk H2O, and 1-12 pk Coke, used various coupons, including a free item coupon for the soda, a $5 off $30 Baby CVS Coupon, and ECB's): $69.26 - $44.69 Savings/Coupons = $24.57 oop, Earned $10 ECB's
• Tuesday's Giant Trip: $28.42 oop

 End of December Total OOP: $83.76 - $10 Earned Rewards = Net OOP: $73.76!

Then the Freezer/Pantry Challenge began on Wednesday, and the spending pretty much ceased to exist.  Which is how I like it.  I did pick up a couple things...

• Thursday's Big Lots Trip: $6.67 oop

• Thursday's Shopper's Trip: $5.88 oop

• Saturday's Shopper's Trip (no picture, just 2 newspapers): $5.30 oop

January Total so Far: $17.85, Remaining Total for January: $142.15