My five-week challenge

lisa110rry

The day has almost arrived. Tomorrow, my husband is going for a five-week holiday to visit our son and daughter-in-law in Dubai.

My cunning plan is to use the time to do some of the de-cluttering that needs to be done in the house, and at the same time, see if I can run down the freezer and walk-in pantry and all the toiletries and save myself quite a lot of money, not to mention adjusting the heating to a more normal healthy-person level.

Here is my initial to-do list:-

1. Clear out pantry, shelf-by-shelf, clean down and replace needed items and work out what to do with “not needed” items from top shelf. Replace all food items in groups so I have a vague idea of what’s in said pantry. DONE
2. Eat from said pantry and from freezer. See how long I can go without buying any food, except bread and milk (and perhaps the odd gin and tonic, though there does seem to be quite a bit of alcoholic stuff hanging around from Christmas and earlier including last summer and even May 2015!).
3. At the appropriate time, when freezer is becoming empty, remove what’s left, store with friend, switch off and defrost. Clean and reconnect to mains, allow to cool then put any items remaining back in freezer from friend’s freezer.
4. In the bathroom, use up all those samples of shampoo, conditioner, soap, etc. given to me by friend who frequents hotels regularly. Should only have to buy toothpaste and toilet tissue, perhaps some cleaning materials.
5. Rationalise the books in the library. This sounds very jumped up, but it’s only that we house the library of a society we belong to in our small third bedroom. So many new books on the subject have been written in recent years, some shelves are over-full with books on the floor.
6. Have a look at my “send to e Bay” suitcases to identify things suitable to list at this time of year and do the photos and listings.

7. Enjoy the solitude and be sure to make time for 'me'.



Wish me luck!

FunBrum

Sounds like a plan! :T

I will be popping in to see how you get on.:D

Good luck!:j

Caterina

Best wishes for success! It is certainly easier to do something like this if you are on your own, so you only have yourself to look after.

pm2326

If your clearing the pantry shelf by shelf and restocking where necessary why not start an inventory of exactly what's in there as you go and how many of each item you have?

I do this on a simple spreadsheet, doesn't have to be complicated, you could even write it out on paper and cross off as you go. use it to meal plan every week and it should help you keep it in order going forward.

I do the same with the freezer contents.

JIL

I am envious, as much as I love my husband I would love to have the house to myself and do what you are about to do.... And don't get me started on how great it would be to have a walk in pantry.

Lynplatinum

Hiya

As I may be moving soon I have been 'eating up' my pantry and freezer. i have truely shocked myself at how much I can still make with vastly reduced stocks!! Why oh why did I have so much in my pantry when it was just going over date and even over my date!!!!

Make your life simpler - it just feels so much easier! :j
Good luck and I ll pop by and see how it goes!
Take care

Pollycat

lisa110rry
Number 7 for your list:
7. Enjoy the solitude and be sure to make time for 'me'.

pollypenny

OH used to travel for work, but he retired before I did. If I had a chance like you, Lisa, he wouldn't recognise the house on his return!

Enjoy your clear out and your me-time.

DundeeDoll

Great idea. Wonder when i could fit a 5-week challenge in...
As you empty the freezer replace space with milk containers filled with water - keeping ice cold is much more efficient than keeping air cold

lisa110rry

Good morning and thank you all for your comments!

In addition to my de-cluttering, I shall indeed be having some "me time". This coming weekend, the pantry will be done, or at least partially completed, as I have a hair appointment on Saturday (I find it boring, sitting for three hours while my hair is coloured, washed, cut and dried, so I use iPlayer radio and listen to radio plays while waiting and this time, I'm thinking of taking a small thermos with chilled white wine and a glass!). On Sunday, I have promised myself a visit to the Lady Lever Art Gallery (as mentioned by another on here) to see the last day of an exhibition on 30s evening gowns.

I would be fine without spreadsheets for my freezer and pantry, were it not for the fact that my husband does most of the food shopping, being retired, and he tends to purchase randomly and put things in the pantry even more randomly!:rotfl:Whereas, I like all soups to be together, all sauces, all vinegars, etc.

Thank you all for your good wishes, have to confess as the hour approaches I'm feeling a little anxious for some reason (not about the pantry and freezer but about his trip).

[Deleted User]

Fantastic idea well done I bet you will find even after five weeks you will still have so much food and stuff that you have to use up I list things on paper inside each door cupboard and cross off as used that way I have been trying to reduce my food mountain :0 I am still playing freezer tetris with the food though I have two new drawer for my freezer to go in but I have so much stuff in there I am not replacing the old battered ones until the freezer is a lot less full that it is at the moment I am looking to around May possibly before I can defrost my freezer.
I too will watch with interst.Be aware that you will be using up stuff and making some odd combinations of meals :):)I know my meals have become definitely ....interesting to say the least.I used tinned chickpeas in HM soup instead of potato's to thicken it and it was gorgeous One of the best soups I have made.Its the wrapped but unlabelled things that make like a hoot at times though.I had what I thought was mushroom soup in a pouch in the freezer and it turned out to be frozen apples,still with a dollop of custard they went down well one lunchtime :):)