Since I read about it after I had done a moderate Aldi's run August 31 I am starting today.(Technically I will be observing Shelftember correctly, but we all know I was buying things for September the last day of August.) My goal for the month is to buy minimal groceries (fresh produce, milk, bread and coffee) and use things I have socked away. I hope to spend about 30 bucks a week (or less) and hope to make a substantial dent in my frozen foods and pantry. There are 2 exceptions to this challenge though. If there is a tremendous sale on meats or poultry I might do a stock up buy, but it will be put in a different part of the freezer and remain unused throughout the month. Also September is my birthday month and I am not sure if we will go out of cook something delicious out. Either way I am planning on paying no attention to Shelftember on that day. Sue me!
I thought I would record our dinners only since breakfasts are bleak if not non-existant around here. TheHub eats lunch out every day (working lunches with meetings attached to food most days) and I eat bits and bobs of whatever is left over from meals during the week. Somedays I think it would be nice to have whatever suited my fancy for lunch, but that just doesn't happen except for the occasional lunch out with friends.
I am starting this challenge with 2 dozen eggs, 3/4 gallon milk, 1 cauliflower, 1/2 head cabbage, 6 tomatoes (huge tomatoes) 4 onions, a dozen or so small potatoes, 2 cukes, 1 bell pepper, 1 head of lettuce, 1 lb. of carrots, 1/2 lb okra, some grapes, 2 cartons of mushrooms, a couple of limes and a couple of lemons and every condiment known to man in the fridge. Everything else is unknown and either frozen or in the pantry. Should be fun (or irritating because it requires planning and I hate cooking pre-planned menus. First. World. Problem. eh?)
So now I am off to the races with a quick freezer inventory to see what I have to work with. I might be cooking something interesting and tasty or it might be craptastic, but either way it will make a huge dent in my food
Shelftember! That's awesome! I guess I was already doing that sort of this month as well so now I'm going to get completely on board too! We all can do this! =)
ReplyDeleteI only wish I had been clever enough to come up with the name! I need to clear out some food so this is as good of a time as any to use it. I know I can do it, but will I? It might be too easy to succumb to temptation of sheer laziness and not plan far enough in advance. I guess time will tell.
DeleteI've never heard of Shelftember. We have to stock up on some things because Hurricane Irma is supposed to be headed our way. I already bought the most important item: dog food.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I would have to add coffee to that list too!
DeleteI would love to.
ReplyDeleteI am going to try it and see how far I can stretch what we have without buying much of anything. I would love to be able to spend 15 dollars a week.
DeleteGood luck.
ReplyDeleteI would sooooo like to join you, but he who cannot be named would simply shop independently. As he often does.
Keeping TheHub reined in is going to be the hardest.
DeleteI've been trying to be frugal this past month too and limited my Aldi trips to $40, doing pretty well actually! But then I splurged on Sunday and got $60... But it's a new month!
ReplyDeleteI spent 62 and change at Aldi, but forgot I bought 2 baskets for 5 bucks each to use as the base of a couple of christmas presents. In real money including taxes I only spent 51 and change.
DeleteThis Sept 11 is the last day for price-matching, so I will be getting all I can afford to buy. But, I have no inclination to buy anything to eat right now. My costs may be more this month, but I won't be eating all of it. I have a refrigerator full of grape tomatoes and celery to put in the dehydrator. So, as far as eating goes, I can play. it is hard to play without the rules. I guess I am in.
ReplyDeleteI don't know that there were any hard and fast rules, just use what you have and buy little else.
DeleteFunds are tight right now so I am on an enforced Shelftember. I agree, coffee is non-negotiable
ReplyDeleteCoffee is never negotiable, in fact I even keep decaf so I can drink coffee late at night.
DeleteCoffee companies would go out of business if they relied on me, a non-coffee drinker. However, I do buy coffee so exbf can have cheap coffee at his house. He never drinks coffee at my house.
DeleteI, too, haven't heard of Shelftember, before, although I've heard of Stoptober, which seems to be a similar concept. But, since I blew the August grocery budget completely out of the water, I'll be happy to join in a Shelftember. Sounds like fun!
ReplyDeleteI might have deep enough freezer reserves that I could do at least half of Stoptober too!
DeleteAs I remember, you have a pretty well stocked freezer, so this should be fun. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteIt used to be terrifically stocked, now it has a lot of odds and ends, but maybe I can make it work.
DeleteI don't like preplanned menus either, only plan about a day in advance but I work from the pantry principle (so always have at least 1 of my basics on hand at any given time) so generally can make anything I want unless it involves weird ingredients. Good like, I will follow along. I just hope to be a bit under my budget this month to help catch up on some previous months overages.
ReplyDeleteLast month we had so many house guests at various times and I was hemorrhaging money especially on groceries. I need some relief!
DeleteI knew nothing about Shelftember, but YEAH! I'm in! (Tomorrow morning okay, because I only have 2 eggs and there's a sale on them here and no humane person would expect me to go through a whole month with 2 eggs, right?)
ReplyDeleteI think (at least my interpretation of it ) that you buy only what you truly need, instead of being like I was today and craving chocolate and only stopping from going to the store because of the challenge!
DeleteI'm late to your party. Shelftember might be bleak as I dug deep in August. I'll be curious to read your combiations, particulallry as the month moves forward.
ReplyDeleteSo far I am not killing it! This week has been filled with time drainers and I have not been getting home until 7ish at night, with no plan for meals. Gotta get focused!
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