Comments on: But, What if I Can’t Refill My Pantry? http://lifeasmom.com/2009/12/but-what-if-i-cant-refill-my-pantry.html On the Road to Joyful Motherhood Thu, 24 May 2012 13:49:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Sheri McKinney http://lifeasmom.com/2009/12/but-what-if-i-cant-refill-my-pantry.html#comment-9423 Sheri McKinney Sat, 16 Jan 2010 01:12:36 +0000 http://lifeasmom.net/2009/12/but-what-if-i-cant-refill-my-pantry.html#comment-9423 Christy, Thank you so much for saying "not so carried away with the deal". I fell like that is what I have done. I have enjoyed eating from the pantry this month. I have bought a few good meat deals this week and Quacker deals but have really tried to only get milk and eggs. Thank you to all for your comments and encouragement. I know I am not the only one ya'll help. May God bless. Christy, Thank you so much for saying “not so carried away with the deal”. I fell like that is what I have done. I have enjoyed eating from the pantry this month. I have bought a few good meat deals this week and Quacker deals but have really tried to only get milk and eggs. Thank you to all for your comments and encouragement. I know I am not the only one ya’ll help. May God bless.

]]> By: Christy McCullough http://lifeasmom.com/2009/12/but-what-if-i-cant-refill-my-pantry.html#comment-9415 Christy McCullough Fri, 15 Jan 2010 23:43:32 +0000 http://lifeasmom.net/2009/12/but-what-if-i-cant-refill-my-pantry.html#comment-9415 You guys have really made me look at my pantry and my buying. I am being creative and using it up, but if it's still here come February 1st it's going to the Mission (our local homeless ministry). I'm going to try to watch my purchases better too in the future and not get so carried away by "the deal". You guys have really made me look at my pantry and my buying. I am being creative and using it up, but if it’s still here come February 1st it’s going to the Mission (our local homeless ministry). I’m going to try to watch my purchases better too in the future and not get so carried away by “the deal”.

]]> By: Laura http://lifeasmom.com/2009/12/but-what-if-i-cant-refill-my-pantry.html#comment-9344 Laura Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:00:10 +0000 http://lifeasmom.net/2009/12/but-what-if-i-cant-refill-my-pantry.html#comment-9344 Thank you for this perspective. I like that quote from "Ma Ingalls!" I started the pantry challenge during the post-Christmas "blah" days and haven't noticed a dent in my pantry yet! LOL! It's like eating out at a restaurant and realizing you are almost full, yet your plate does not look very different than when you started. We are eating out of the panty because we really need to. God is always providing in miraculous ways. I am learning to be content with what we have. Thank you for this perspective. I like that quote from “Ma Ingalls!”

I started the pantry challenge during the post-Christmas “blah” days and haven’t noticed a dent in my pantry yet! LOL! It’s like eating out at a restaurant and realizing you are almost full, yet your plate does not look very different than when you started.

We are eating out of the panty because we really need to. God is always providing in miraculous ways. I am learning to be content with what we have.

]]> By: Susan@trailing susie http://lifeasmom.com/2009/12/but-what-if-i-cant-refill-my-pantry.html#comment-9340 Susan@trailing susie Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:10:33 +0000 http://lifeasmom.net/2009/12/but-what-if-i-cant-refill-my-pantry.html#comment-9340 I LOVE this post! I especially love the points you make about creativity and the "enough is as good as a feast"... yes! We are living on a budget for the first time ever and it has been such an adventure! Our eating down the pantry commitment has been fun for all of us, even the kids are getting creative. After three weeks I'm just now getting to an uncomfortable place... I'm fighting the urge to hit the market. I shopped nearly every day (usually without coupons) and stock-piled needlessly, producing way too much waste. I've cut my monthly food budget by 85 percent this month and we are still blessed with bounty. Thanks for your insights! I LOVE this post! I especially love the points you make about creativity and the “enough is as good as a feast”… yes! We are living on a budget for the first time ever and it has been such an adventure! Our eating down the pantry commitment has been fun for all of us, even the kids are getting creative. After three weeks I’m just now getting to an uncomfortable place… I’m fighting the urge to hit the market. I shopped nearly every day (usually without coupons) and stock-piled needlessly, producing way too much waste. I’ve cut my monthly food budget by 85 percent this month and we are still blessed with bounty.
Thanks for your insights!

]]> By: Nancy http://lifeasmom.com/2009/12/but-what-if-i-cant-refill-my-pantry.html#comment-9339 Nancy Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:55:36 +0000 http://lifeasmom.net/2009/12/but-what-if-i-cant-refill-my-pantry.html#comment-9339 <a href="#comment-9326" rel="nofollow">@The Prudent Homemaker</a>, It was such a blessing to read this! Thank you so much for sharing how God has provided for you and your family! He is always faithful to care for us; included in that provision is the encouragement we get from our brothers and sisters in Christ. @The Prudent Homemaker,
It was such a blessing to read this! Thank you so much for sharing how God has provided for you and your family! He is always faithful to care for us; included in that provision is the encouragement we get from our brothers and sisters in Christ.

]]> By: Allison http://lifeasmom.com/2009/12/but-what-if-i-cant-refill-my-pantry.html#comment-9334 Allison Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:30:44 +0000 http://lifeasmom.net/2009/12/but-what-if-i-cant-refill-my-pantry.html#comment-9334 I'm not so much worried about using everything up and not being able to afford filling it up again. I just like knowing I can do easy grocery shopping by only getting the deals and not worrying about forgetting some major ingredient. If I use everything up, I gotta drag all my kids out and by enough stuff again, and that's a pain! I've finally figured out my bargain shopping, and it works well for me. Plus, if we eat from the pantry, we'll have to eat boxed mashed potatoes for the entire month! : ) I’m not so much worried about using everything up and not being able to afford filling it up again. I just like knowing I can do easy grocery shopping by only getting the deals and not worrying about forgetting some major ingredient. If I use everything up, I gotta drag all my kids out and by enough stuff again, and that’s a pain! I’ve finally figured out my bargain shopping, and it works well for me. Plus, if we eat from the pantry, we’ll have to eat boxed mashed potatoes for the entire month! : )

]]> By: Jessica @ Life as I See It http://lifeasmom.com/2009/12/but-what-if-i-cant-refill-my-pantry.html#comment-9331 Jessica @ Life as I See It Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:46:33 +0000 http://lifeasmom.net/2009/12/but-what-if-i-cant-refill-my-pantry.html#comment-9331 Well said!! I ended up stopping the drugstore deals cold turkey 18 months ago - after 6 months of pursuing it passionately and getting tons of good stuff (which we gave away ALOT of!) I decided to stop and use up what I had gotten instead of collecting more. Other than a couple diaper deals I have not been back to CVS or Walgreens in 18 months and we have *just* run out of toothpaste and brushes (on our last of each right now - but a dental appointment in a week will fix that!) and still have razors, deodorant and body wash. I am amazed at how much we STILL have, especially considering the boxes of products I gave away! But spending the past 18 months NOT doing deals has been wonderful. At first I still stalked the ads, checking out what I was missing out on. But now it doesn't even matter. I may start again in the next 6 months, but I may not ever go back to the drugstore deals either. It had an unhealthy hold on my life and God has broken me free of that. Well said!!
I ended up stopping the drugstore deals cold turkey 18 months ago – after 6 months of pursuing it passionately and getting tons of good stuff (which we gave away ALOT of!) I decided to stop and use up what I had gotten instead of collecting more.
Other than a couple diaper deals I have not been back to CVS or Walgreens in 18 months and we have *just* run out of toothpaste and brushes (on our last of each right now – but a dental appointment in a week will fix that!) and still have razors, deodorant and body wash. I am amazed at how much we STILL have, especially considering the boxes of products I gave away!
But spending the past 18 months NOT doing deals has been wonderful. At first I still stalked the ads, checking out what I was missing out on. But now it doesn’t even matter.
I may start again in the next 6 months, but I may not ever go back to the drugstore deals either. It had an unhealthy hold on my life and God has broken me free of that.

]]> By: Jenny @ ThriftyJenny.com http://lifeasmom.com/2009/12/but-what-if-i-cant-refill-my-pantry.html#comment-9330 Jenny @ ThriftyJenny.com Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:23:50 +0000 http://lifeasmom.net/2009/12/but-what-if-i-cant-refill-my-pantry.html#comment-9330 I think this is a great post. It really can be a challenge to remember that deals come around often so we don't need to hoard them! Plus I have found my own personal goal in this challenge. Once my pantry is "cleaned out" I am going to try to raise the bar when it comes to nutrition for stocking up next time around! I think this is a great post. It really can be a challenge to remember that deals come around often so we don’t need to hoard them! Plus I have found my own personal goal in this challenge. Once my pantry is “cleaned out” I am going to try to raise the bar when it comes to nutrition for stocking up next time around!

]]> By: Pam http://lifeasmom.com/2009/12/but-what-if-i-cant-refill-my-pantry.html#comment-9329 Pam Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:22:41 +0000 http://lifeasmom.net/2009/12/but-what-if-i-cant-refill-my-pantry.html#comment-9329 Thanks, I needed to read this. I'm fairly new at couponing ( few months) and I feel like I've become a hoarder already. So I need to take a few breaths and believe that the sales will happen again in a couple of months. Thanks, I needed to read this. I’m fairly new at couponing ( few months) and I feel like I’ve become a hoarder already. So I need to take a few breaths and believe that the sales will happen again in a couple of months.

]]> By: The Prudent Homemaker http://lifeasmom.com/2009/12/but-what-if-i-cant-refill-my-pantry.html#comment-9326 The Prudent Homemaker Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:14:43 +0000 http://lifeasmom.net/2009/12/but-what-if-i-cant-refill-my-pantry.html#comment-9326 We lived from our pantry and garden for 27 months. It didn't matter if there was a great sale; we couldn't afford it. Yes, we ate down quite a bit from our pantry (but not all of it). I stopped looking at the ads because I wasn't going to be able to go to the store. Our income stopped for 8 months and then, when we had an income again, it was 40% less than it had been, so we still had to eat from our pantry. Starting at the end of February 2009, I began to go shopping again. I couldn't get much each time. In February, I bought 75 pounds of oats ($22.50) and 25 pounds of black beans ($17.50)--and that was it. It was hard for me to come up with that money. I was able to buy a few things each month; in April I bought vitamins, medicine, and tolietries, along with some food. I had a LOT less to spend than I had 2 years before that. By focusing on less expensive foods, and carefully watching sales (and using some internet coupons), and even by finding some less expensive sources, I restocked most of the things in my pantry (but not all). I restocked for less than I had spent before. I was able to get a used freeezer for $150, and I was able to fill it with amazing sales on meat (including 9 turkeys). Because of the nature of my husband's income, I knew that we could end up living from our pantry again at any time. God blessed us to be able to shop for 10 months. In mid-December of 2009, I stopped shopping again and we started living from our pantry again. I don't know how long it will continue, but I can see that it's going to be a while. For many things, we have more than we did, starting out in January of 2007 (when we started living from our pantry before). I have more home canned fruit. I have more sugar. Some things I have less of: tomato sauce, diapers (I had diapers and wipes for 3 children for 8 months before), barley (I'm out), dried celery, and powdered milk, for example. I know that God can provide. I only have diapers for the rest of the month for one of my children right now. Earlier this week, I got a call back on a diaper study. They are going to give me 3 weeks of diapers and $10 for completing the study. The timing could not have been better. I am being diligent in planting my garden. We had some warm weather here. I planted some more turnips, and they came up. In a couple of months, we'll have more food from our garden, which helps a great deal. I try to always have something producing (right now we have parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, green onions and swiss chard). We're also eating pomegranates, lemons, and tangerines from Novemeber and December's garden harvest. To those who are worried--don't be. God knows your needs and He will help you. The food is there in case you need it. If you're needing it now because you can't afford to buy food, you're using it for the purpose for which you bought it. And the chance to refill will come. We lived from our pantry and garden for 27 months. It didn’t matter if there was a great sale; we couldn’t afford it. Yes, we ate down quite a bit from our pantry (but not all of it). I stopped looking at the ads because I wasn’t going to be able to go to the store. Our income stopped for 8 months and then, when we had an income again, it was 40% less than it had been, so we still had to eat from our pantry.

Starting at the end of February 2009, I began to go shopping again. I couldn’t get much each time. In February, I bought 75 pounds of oats ($22.50) and 25 pounds of black beans ($17.50)–and that was it. It was hard for me to come up with that money.

I was able to buy a few things each month; in April I bought vitamins, medicine, and tolietries, along with some food.

I had a LOT less to spend than I had 2 years before that. By focusing on less expensive foods, and carefully watching sales (and using some internet coupons), and even by finding some less expensive sources, I restocked most of the things in my pantry (but not all). I restocked for less than I had spent before. I was able to get a used freeezer for $150, and I was able to fill it with amazing sales on meat (including 9 turkeys).

Because of the nature of my husband’s income, I knew that we could end up living from our pantry again at any time.

God blessed us to be able to shop for 10 months. In mid-December of 2009, I stopped shopping again and we started living from our pantry again. I don’t know how long it will continue, but I can see that it’s going to be a while. For many things, we have more than we did, starting out in January of 2007 (when we started living from our pantry before). I have more home canned fruit. I have more sugar.

Some things I have less of: tomato sauce, diapers (I had diapers and wipes for 3 children for 8 months before), barley (I’m out), dried celery, and powdered milk, for example.

I know that God can provide. I only have diapers for the rest of the month for one of my children right now. Earlier this week, I got a call back on a diaper study. They are going to give me 3 weeks of diapers and $10 for completing the study. The timing could not have been better.

I am being diligent in planting my garden. We had some warm weather here. I planted some more turnips, and they came up. In a couple of months, we’ll have more food from our garden, which helps a great deal. I try to always have something producing (right now we have parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, green onions and swiss chard). We’re also eating pomegranates, lemons, and tangerines from Novemeber and December’s garden harvest.

To those who are worried–don’t be. God knows your needs and He will help you. The food is there in case you need it. If you’re needing it now because you can’t afford to buy food, you’re using it for the purpose for which you bought it.

And the chance to refill will come.

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