Can You Go a Month Without Buying Any Food? (1 Viewer)

[Mister CIA]

Maybe this is a single person problem, but over time I tend to accumulate stuff in the pantry that never gets the serious attention it deserves. It just sits there week after week while I devote my attention to more recent impulses. It's so bad that on occasions I've actually thrown out canned goods that were WELL beyond their expiration date. I'll add, it's disgusting the amount of fresh produce I've thrown out in my lifetime.

So, I declare a new form of March Madness. I'm not spending a dime on food during the entire month of March*. I estimate I'll reclaim about $400 if I do this. Anybody else want to join in?

March - comes in like a lion, goes out like the last can of LeSeur peas.

*Disclaimer - I've got one lunch obligation and a dinner date commitment next week that cannot be discarded.

 

[mr roboto]

We probably could. But 'pantry' items are shockingly unhealthy really. We eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies and a decent amount of fresh meat (some frozen in the downstairs freezer). We'd really miss the fresh stuff.

 

[Das Boot]

It would be interesting to try, and I'll be curious to see how your experiment goes.

I'd be kind of afraid at using up my (completely unplanned and totally random) emergency supply of victuals though.

 

[Christo]

NWIH. Other than about a dozen cans of beans I only have about 3 days worth of food in the condo.

 

[Mister CIA]

We probably could. But 'pantry' items are shockingly unhealthy really. We eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies and a decent amount of fresh meat (some frozen in the downstairs freezer). We'd really miss the fresh stuff.

I agree. I started down a path this evening to clean up my diet, which is wholly another thread, when I realized I'd have throw out couple of hundred dollars worth of food if I truly wanted to turn a corner. I decided instead to lie (lay?) in the bed I made for the next 30 days.

 

[Clown Car]

Tomorrow will be 21 days since I've been to the grocery. My friends have brought so much food for baby gifts. I bought ahead a lot too. I don't think I could go all through March, but I will try to go through everything we have first. Except dog food and milk.

 

[Mister CIA]

Tomorrow will be 21 days since I've been to the grocery. My friends have brought so much food for baby gifts. I bought ahead a lot too. I don't think I could go all through March, but I will try to go through everything we have first. Except dog food and milk.

Good call. I'll pick up some Milk Bones and Eggs tomorrow to bring on our journey. We've got a full tub of dry dog food.

 

[jamny]

We probably could. But 'pantry' items are shockingly unhealthy really. We eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies and a decent amount of fresh meat (some frozen in the downstairs freezer). We'd really miss the fresh stuff.

Same here. Probably half of what we buy are fruits and vegetables. We could probably make it two weeks.

 

[Rohn Jambo]

I usually keep a week of food in my frig and stock up to 2 weeks during the winter, in case of a big storm.

I like fresh produce and keep only a few kinds of frozen veggie in the freezer.

 

[MAC_32]

We probably could. But 'pantry' items are shockingly unhealthy really. We eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies and a decent amount of fresh meat (some frozen in the downstairs freezer). We'd really miss the fresh stuff.

Yep, I'm sure we could, but We won't do it. If you have a wasting food problem then it could be helpful though.

 

[proninja]

Could I? Sure. We buy meat in bulk and just got our 1/4 cow and 40lbs of salmon a couple months ago. Do I want to go a month without buying produce or any sort of different meat? Absolutely not.

 

[gianmarco]

If you did, you'd end up spending a ton at the end of the month to restock the pantry. What's the point?

 

[RedmondLonghorn]

Tomorrow will be 21 days since I've been to the grocery. My friends have brought so much food for baby gifts. I bought ahead a lot too. I don't think I could go all through March, but I will try to go through everything we have first. Except dog food and milk.

JFC.

Did you have another baby?

 

[MC Gas Money]

I would have to say yes but it would suck andni would be eating only rice for 20 of those 30

 

[Jack White]

I eat fresh, organic fruit, veggies, eggs and meat every day.

No way I could do it.

 

[Mister CIA]

For the record, my pantry is not filled with total crap. Lots of onions, sweet potatoes and russets (hope they last), a bunch of dry legumes, an 8-pack of Rotel, Pacific salmon, tuna, soups (sodium and all that), almonds, macadamias and of course LeSeur peas. ... Lot of stuff to purge from the freezer too, several types of sausage (Hello Beans!), chicken breast, homemade veggie broth, many berries and a couple of Ezekiel loaves bought on clearance ... and so forth.

While my diet should be better and cleaner, It's not like I'm remaking Super-Size Me. I just want to consume what I've already bought without buying anything new.

 

[Raider Nation]

NWIH. Other than about a dozen cans of beans I only have about 3 days worth of food in the condo.

This. I just did a quick inventory:

4 cans of beans with bacon bits and onion.

3 cans of corn.

1 can of tuna.

In the fridge there are some condiments, eggs, OJ and a little milk left. I'd starve to death in a week.

 

[Raider Nation]

Lots of beer/booze, too. That goes without saying.

 

[Mister CIA]

NWIH. Other than about a dozen cans of beans I only have about 3 days worth of food in the condo.

This. I just did a quick inventory:

4 cans of beans with bacon bits and onion.

3 cans of corn.

1 can of tuna.

In the fridge there are some condiments, eggs, OJ and a little milk left. I'd starve to death in a week.

This is where I want to get to, I think - have very little food in the abode and make conscientious choices every day or two.

 

[fred_1_15301]

Not a chance in hell

 

[top dog]

I could go a month just on the food I have stashed in my office at work.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

I eat fresh, organic fruit, veggies, eggs, ****, and meat every day.

No way I could do it.

What is fresh? Like Renuzit?

 

[whoknew]

What are y'all buying? Just canned, preserved foods? I couldn't go 3 or 4 days without going to a market.

 

[Short Corner]

Need my fresh fruits and veggies.

 

[FUBAR]

We probably could. But 'pantry' items are shockingly unhealthy really. We eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies and a decent amount of fresh meat (some frozen in the downstairs freezer). We'd really miss the fresh stuff.

Same here. Probably half of what we buy are fruits and vegetables. We could probably make it two weeks.

We'll be pushing as far as we can in the next few months (moving in late June) but there's zero chance we make it more than a week without buying fruit, fresh veggies or milk. Family of 6, so that makes a difference.

 

[chauncey]

I eat fresh, organic fruit, veggies, eggs, ****, and meat every day.

No way I could do it.

What is fresh? Like Renuzit?

 

[Christo]

Lots of beer/booze, too. That goes without saying.

Of course. I could easily get drunk every day for the next month with what I have on-hand.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

I can barely make it a day without needing something for the kids or that nights dinner

I have been trying to challenge the wife to use stuff in the pantry though

 

[FUBAR]

Lots of beer/booze, too. That goes without saying.

Of course. I could easily get drunk every day for the next month with what I have on-hand.

Challenge accepted!

 

[Juxtatarot]

Maybe this is a single person problem, but over time I tend to accumulate stuff in the pantry that never gets the serious attention it deserves.

I think it's usually the opposite. It's easier for a single person to predict what he/she will eat compared to someone shopping for a whole family.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Tomorrow will be 21 days since I've been to the grocery. My friends have brought so much food for baby gifts. I bought ahead a lot too. I don't think I could go all through March, but I will try to go through everything we have first. Except dog food and milk.

Good call. I'll pick up some Milk Bones and Eggs tomorrow to bring on our journey. We've got a full tub of dry dog food.

For some reason the first time I read this I thought 'Huh. Filled up the bathtub with dog food. This is actually pretty brilliant."

 

[Rohn Jambo]

What are y'all buying? Just canned, preserved foods? I couldn't go 3 or 4 days without going to a market.

I don't buy cans or food that I do not eat normally. For storm prep, I get dried food like 2 bags of beans/lentils and a box of angel hair pasta plus sauce. They do not take up much room to store and last a while.

 

[NutterButter]

I wouldn't make it past breakfast. I need either milk for cereal/oatmeal or eggs. I hardly ever anything for more than a few weeks, but that's mostly b/c I eat the same things from day to day. If I want a change, I just do take out.

 

[Clown Car]

Tomorrow will be 21 days since I've been to the grocery. My friends have brought so much food for baby gifts. I bought ahead a lot too. I don't think I could go all through March, but I will try to go through everything we have first. Except dog food and milk.

JFC.

Did you have another baby?

Yes. #10. He was 12 pounds!

 

[msommer]

I usually keep a week of food in my frig and stock up to 2 weeks during the winter, in case of a big storm.

I like fresh produce and keep only a few kinds of frozen veggie in the freezer.

Winter storms on Ibiza?

ETA: To answer the question, no way I could. Every day fresh veggies go into the pot/pan/oven. The only canned stuff I buy is tomato paste.

I'd need fresh fruit and milk for the kids as well. The freezer might have sufficient meat for a month though, but I'd hate to have to mince the good stuff to make burgers or bolognese

 

[sbonomo]

When is someone going to create a store that is tailored to single or people married with only one spouse? Fresh and Easy did an ok job of this but i too waste far too much food every week. Classic examples are bread, spagetti sauce, lettuce, etc. There has to be a way to package everyday items so that us single/married without kids can buy and not waste so much.

 

[ClownCausedChaos2]

Tomorrow will be 21 days since I've been to the grocery. My friends have brought so much food for baby gifts. I bought ahead a lot too. I don't think I could go all through March, but I will try to go through everything we have first. Except dog food and milk.

JFC.

Did you have another baby?

Yes. #10. He was 12 pounds!

Wasn't mine.

 

[Juxtatarot]

When is someone going to create a store that is tailored to single or people married with only one spouse? Fresh and Easy did an ok job of this but i too waste far too much food every week. Classic examples are bread, spagetti sauce, lettuce, etc. There has to be a way to package everyday items so that us single/married without kids can buy and not waste so much.

You don't have to waste anything.

Bread in the refrigerator lasts a month. Lettuce in Tupperware lasts a few weeks.

People throw out pasta sauce??

 

[msommer]

When is someone going to create a store that is tailored to single or people married with only one spouse? Fresh and Easy did an ok job of this but i too waste far too much food every week. Classic examples are bread, spagetti sauce, lettuce, etc. There has to be a way to package everyday items so that us single/married without kids can buy and not waste so much.

Likely to be a niche for it online

 

[17seconds]

If you did this I think you'd find yourself eating like a can of olives for lunch.

Best approach would be to take inventory, spend $50 on some supplemental ingredients, then go for it.

 

[MC Gas Money]

When is someone going to create a store that is tailored to single or people married with only one spouse? Fresh and Easy did an ok job of this but i too waste far too much food every week. Classic examples are bread, spagetti sauce, lettuce, etc. There has to be a way to package everyday items so that us single/married without kids can buy and not waste so much.

Only one spouse?

 

[sbonomo]

When is someone going to create a store that is tailored to single or people married with only one spouse? Fresh and Easy did an ok job of this but i too waste far too much food every week. Classic examples are bread, spagetti sauce, lettuce, etc. There has to be a way to package everyday items so that us single/married without kids can buy and not waste so much.

You don't have to waste anything.

Bread in the refrigerator lasts a month. Lettuce in Tupperware lasts a few weeks.

People throw out pasta sauce??

after it is open...a week or so tops?

 

[sbonomo]

When is someone going to create a store that is tailored to single or people married with only one spouse? Fresh and Easy did an ok job of this but i too waste far too much food every week. Classic examples are bread, spagetti sauce, lettuce, etc. There has to be a way to package everyday items so that us single/married without kids can buy and not waste so much.

Only one spouse?

one is definitely enough....

 

[msommer]

You skipped

When is someone going to create a store that is tailored to single or people married with only one spouse? Fresh and Easy did an ok job of this but i too waste far too much food every week. Classic examples are bread, spagetti sauce, lettuce, etc. There has to be a way to package everyday items so that us single/married without kids can buy and not waste so much.

Only one spouse?

one is definitely enough....

You skipped right past Utah, huh?

 

[JoeSteeler]

Could probably make it but would end up eating a lot of canned tuna and green beans. Just spent $125 at the store today and live alone so it's possible.

Bought 3 lbs of ground turkey to make and freeze chili so that would last a while.

Will take an inventory and see what have...

 

[apalmer]

One month? Child's play. My parents always had lots of canned/frozen food, buying extra when things were on sale, etc. When I was in law school, my father died on Dec. 1. When I was home for Christmas, I didn't notice anything different...my mother was routinely using the stuff from the shelves and freezer. When the school year ended and I went home for the summer in April, I noticed things were pretty much deleted. Turned out she couldn't bring herself to go grocery shopping because that was something they always did together and it brought out too many memories and emotions, so she hadn't been to the grocery store except for quick stops for milk and eggs since he died.

 

[Mister CIA]

If you did this I think you'd find yourself eating like a can of olives for lunch.

Best approach would be to take inventory, spend $50 on some supplemental ingredients, then go for it.

Did this yesterday. Made a double-sized batch of ratatouille and loaded up on oranges.

10 hours in and everything is going great.

 

[joffer]

sure. I do all the time. I probably only go to the store a few times a year, other than a drive by for milk. There's currently nothing in my pantry I would eat.

 

[NutterButter]

When is someone going to create a store that is tailored to single or people married with only one spouse? Fresh and Easy did an ok job of this but i too waste far too much food every week. Classic examples are bread, spagetti sauce, lettuce, etc. There has to be a way to package everyday items so that us single/married without kids can buy and not waste so much.

What do you waste?

 

[Cliff Clavin]

It wouldn't be the healthiest month but I could do it petty easily. Freezer is full of chicken, pork, fish and goose; enough to last 6 months or so. Lots of pasta, rice, frozen veggies, perogies, etc.