Inventory

I have decided to challenge myself to go a full week, preferably 2, without needing to run to the store to buy anything. No groceries, no toiletries, no spending ANY money. In order to accomplish this I need to make a menu plan and assess what all I have on hand and what I need to get. I think I will hold myself more accountable for my grocery spending if I can try to do a weeks worth in one stop and not need to run out for stuff. I inevitably get more than intended when I go in for those couple of things. I still need to make the menu for the week and I need to figure out what kind of of household items we need.

Unfortunately I think we are getting low on toilet paper. This is one my least favorite household purchases. Like many things, TP is a consumable product but it is so darn expensive it seems! I also know I need more baby wipes. Edison goes through more diapers than it seems one baby should but he cant stand being the slightest bit wet. Luckily I am AWESOME and signed up for subscribe and save and amazon mom from Amazon and I get 228 size 2 diapers for $25. At the store you can get 82 for $20 so Amazon is amazing! I still wish the kid didn't go through them so fast though.

Besides wipes and TP I think we are good. Since I started using Norwex I don't need to buy a bunch of cleaning stuff which is fantastic.We make a 6 roll pack of paper towels last months because I use cloths for most everything.

To start a menu plan for the week I decided to do an inventory of what I have on hand for potential meals. Now, it seems like I have spent an awful lot on food lately and yet my workable pantry seems limited. I do have 3 pounds of ground beef, good. I have a bunch of bone-in and some boneless chicken, good. Those are the only types of meat I have though. I have wanted to make swiss steak for a while but need to get some round steak and it hasn't been on sale. The ad comes out today so maybe this week I can do this!

I am out of potatoes and low on veggies. I do however have the most random assortment of things on hand. Some came from WIC, some came from my mother-in-law, other things I got because it was a good deal and just haven't used. These things are:
*6 jars of sweet pickles (this doesn't include the full stock I have downstairs that I canned last year)
*8 boxes of decaf tea
*15 cans of various legumes and 4 bags of dry beans
*6 jars peanut butter
*20 pounds of rice

Lilly wanted a picture with our random assortment of canned goods

Now, I have decided I am fairly set for a natural disaster or the apocalypse. All those legumes and peanut butter and we are set for protein! The rice would come in handy too, as long as we could get nice clean filtered water. Anyway, enough of the end of the world food rations... I don't know what to do with these items besides the obvious PB and J and then maybe a 7 bean salad or something.

speaking of full of beans, this is Lilly with her 'baby son'

I am in a bit of a food planning rut and cant decide what to make for meals let alone work with my odd assortment of foods on hand. So I will need to think about it and if any of the 5 people that read this (seriously, for the number of hits the stats thing says I have I am seriously lacking on my followers section :) have suggestions for awesome, lower budget, easy-ish meals I'd appreciate it!