How To Prepare Your Food Pantry Cabinet For A No Spend Challenge

If your food cabinet pantry is a little bare and your spending freeze is coming up, then it’s time to come up with a game plan to get it in shape.

When you are attempting a No Spend Challenge to try to save some extra money during a month, it is a good idea to prepare for it so you’ll be successful.

Many people have attempted a no-spend challenge and have shared their successes and failures with me.

So I have pulled together many ideas and have comprised a list of the top things to consider as you prepare for your monthly challenge.

So first, let’s make sure you have enough pantry food available with the best pantry staples you’ll need to make it through the month.

With a stocked pantry full of pantry items, you’ll not only be able to make great meals, but you won’t be tempted to shop for extra items.

And, with these pantry essentials, you won’t go hungry and you’ll be able to stay out of the stores!

So let’s see how making your food cabinet pantry stocked will help you save money during your spending freeze!

Don’t Overspend While Prepping Your Food Cabinet Pantry

When preparing for a No Spend Challenge it can be tempting to overspend on pantry food.

Keep in mind that this will defeat the purpose of trying to save money!

Instead, set a strict budget on how much you are allowed to spend on food and supplies for your stocked pantry for the coming month.

You can determine this by figuring out how much you usually spend and how much you believe you can cut back on your spending.

Do you need those sugary caffeinated drinks?

Can you restrict name brand products to a better deal like store-brand generics?

Avoid returning to the grocery store by freezing your fresh vegetables and stocking up on enough dairy to last the month.

Keep In Mind Your Season of Life

If you are a mother of three kids who are all very young, it might be unrealistic to cook a big fancy meal at home every single night. Even if doing so could result in more money in your pocket.

I know from experience, it’s not realistic to cook every night from your food cabinet pantry.

That means, in order to cook at home each night, you need to make an appointment with yourself one day a week to meal plan your dinners by making freezer meals, crockpot meals, or even buy frozen pizzas so that you can have a quick dinner.

This will still help you reach your goal of eating at home every night but helps with not having to “cook” each night.

When setting your goals, take into account what your life is like right now.

If you have soccer practice Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and you rarely get home by 7:30 pm, you know that you are going to need a quick meal at least 3 times a week to add to your meal plan. Whether that’s putting a meal in the crockpot before you go to work, having a frozen skillet meal that only takes 15 minutes to whip up, or a frozen pizza to pop into the oven, knowing these challenges ahead of time will help you stay out of the drive-through. Plus, you’ll be prepared with something to feed your family.

That’s why it’s important to have those essential pantry items on hand to make easy meals.

Create Your Plan Of Action

It takes a detailed plan of action to figure out how much food you’re gonna need for the month.

Take the time to prepare now so that you don’t run out of food or meal ideas half-way through your challenge.

First, go through your kitchen food cabinet pantry and toss anything that is outdated. Also, go through your fridge and freezer and jot down the supplies you already have and what you might need.

Second, write down everything that you have available in your pantry.

Third, come up with meal ideas for the items that are on your list with my simple weekly meal plan template printables.

Don’t have a clue what to fix with the items in your pantry staples? Start with MyFridgeFood. Just click the items you already have and it comes up with a list of recipes. Easy peasy!

You may have to replenish pantry essentials or purchase new things to complete your meals for the month.

Select Items That Will Go The Extra Mile

When deciding what you want to include in your food cabinet pantry, choose items that you can use more than once, and will also fit your budget.

A bag of rice can last forever, and it is very cheap.

Stock up on sauces, bouillon paste, and condensed soups to make many different types of meals.

Flour, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder can be used to create many dishes that are low cost.

Oats can be made into oatmeal, breakfast bakes, and even help stretch food farther.

When your food cabinet pantry contains these essential items, including spices, then it will become easier to develop a meal made from scratch.

Here are 25 items that you should have on hand to make cheap meals.

Don’t forget about your breakfasts and lunches too! Here are the cheapest breakfast foods so you know what to stock up on!

Organize Your Pantry Food

This step is just as important as your initial plan.

Take everything out of your pantry and group like items together.

All the canned vegetables can be in one group and grains in another.

When placing the ingredients back into your pantry, sort items that will expire sooner towards the front of the cupboard.

This will guarantee that you will use all the ingredients and will not have to throw out expired food.

Having everything organized into groups makes it easier to keep track of what you have and what meals you can still create out of your food cabinet pantry.

Have an extra shelf? After you’ve made your meal plan for the week, keep the items you’ll be using for meals that week on one shelf. Or even put each meal’s ingredients in a separate labeled basket. That way you know what you need from the pantry for each meal that week.

Check Out Grandma’s Recipe Book & Pinterest

If you are new to cooking from scratch from your food cabinet pantry, then this is a great time to learn some new cooking skills.

By doing some research and maybe talking to some family and friends, you will discover that you can create your own sauces, rubs, and desserts from ingredients that you probably have sitting in your pantry.

Once you begin finding new recipes and practicing these skills, you will be surprised by how many different meals that you can develop with a stocked pantry.

Don’t Forget Non-Food Items

During a no spend month, you want to prevent additional trips to the store. More trips to the store mean more money spent that you were trying to save.

Make sure you are stocked up on a month’s worth of cleaning supplies, paper towels, toilet paper, hygiene products, and anything else that you use daily during the month.

If you have to buy more cleaners, look into making your own cleaners with these DIY recipes! You’ll be surprised at how much you can save by making your own.

If you are running low and need to stock up on any of these items, then choose to purchase them with coupons or temporarily check out a cheaper brand.

Don’t forget about your pet’s food, baby supplies, and diapers if those are items that you use in your family.

Try to think of anything else you’ll need to add to your food cabinet pantry so you can stay out of the store!

Be Reasonable

Double-check everything and make sure you are entirely ready for this no-spend challenge.

At the end of the month, you want to feel accomplished and have some extra money in your pocket.

Be sure you are realistic with the amount of food you and your family can live with or without in your food cabinet pantry.

You don’t have to abandon treats altogether, but you may want just to limit them.

To keep you motivated you can choose to treat yourself to something once a week. Instead of going out for ice cream each weekend, have an ice cream treat at home. This way you still have the treat like normal, but you have prepared for it and you don’t have to go out to spend the money during the challenge.

Don’t set yourself up for failure but straying from your normal routine, just be reasonable.

If you are still up for the challenge, then consider these suggestions.

When following these steps, you will be closer to your end goal of saving money and not running to the store for a last-minute meal. Stay strong and cook on.

Let’s make sure you have enough pantry food available with the best pantry staples you’ll need to make it through the month.

With a stocked pantry full of pantry items, you’ll not only be able to make great meals, but you won’t be tempted to shop for extra items.

And, with these pantry essentials, you won’t go hungry and you’ll be able to stay out of the stores!

YOUR TURN: What meal could you prepare right now from your food cabinet pantry? Let me know in the comments below!

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