No buying until I’ve used up ALL my stashes

Wednesday2000

I too have to eat down my stash of food. There are only two of us (and three pets) but I buy food like I am prepping for the apocalypse. We have been having too many takeaways and eating out a lot since we moved house last year as well on top of that. I took everything out of my fridge and freezer today and cleaned them both (I read your fridge can be dirtier than a toilet!) and so I can see what food I have left. I am going to be careful about not letting any food get out of date at all, meal planning and avoiding takeaways.

Katiehound

Caramac said:

I’ve sorted out some books and clothes to donate to charity, plus am binning old socks and underwear.

clean old socks & clean old underwear can go in a rag bag. A couple of local charity shops get paid rag weight. Just ask in your area to see if anyone does this.  it's probably where all the unsold clothes go.......

ariarnia

old socks are also okay as cleaning rags. you can put your hand int hem to run them along shelves and blinds. 

Ellie79

Gosh I feel so seen in reference to the food stash! It's my worst stash, in that I get in a tizz if my cupboards aren't groaning. I have got rid of some by not shopping but I know I am slipping back to the urge to have everything in. I'm out tomorrow night not for food I hasten to add, but I know I have an easy freezer tea for us all. That was deliberately planned but normally I would be buying something because I don't really have much in the way of convenience foods in (despite two freezers!). 

In a very poor defence my OH has some health issues and has to be careful what he has and his responses are not always predictable to foods. That said he doesn't help himself sometimes and then I feel guilty for not sorting out 'proper' food  for him, despite him being more than capable of working out his own food and that I work FT and he doesn't! So, I shall be adding this stash to my list of things to destash. 

On a more positive note I ticked an item off my to do list and actually made it through a full day of work (I hybrid work, so was able to wfh as I am still unwell). I'm sitting here with some yarn about to try to destash some along with destashing some of the immense amount of baileys in this house. It is medicinal, honest!

kiss_me_now9

luvchocolate said:

My weakness is yellow sticker meat and fish. 
Live alone with a standard size fridge freezer. 
Counted 20 full portions for meals but couldn't resist squeeze in pack of 8 chicken breasts reduced by half price 

Upon cleaning out cupboards this weekend to keep warm without putting heating on   counted 17 tins of tomatoes...really need to stop looking!!

Oh, kindred spirit! Me too. I don't eat meat and OH rarely eats it (because I do the shopping...) so we end up with lots of the same reduced veggie/vegan stuff in (Pukka pies and sausage rolls mainly ). Even if I've got 5 packs I'll buy it if it's there and the YS is right!

Is it worth maybe making a list of what you have in your cupboard/freezer atm and taking that with you when you shop so you can say "Yes, there is another pack of XX but I have three in the freezer already so someone else can have them"?

DiamondLil

luvchocolate said:

Upon cleaning out cupboards this weekend to keep warm without putting heating on   counted 17 tins of tomatoes...really need to stop looking!!

I'm ashamed to admit that I had at least twice that number. I've gradually whittled the number down to a mere 10 tins.

Caramac

I did ask about rags in a couple of charity shops last year with no luck. I need to ask around further. 

luvchocolate

kiss_me_now9 said:

luvchocolate said:

My weakness is yellow sticker meat and fish. 
Live alone with a standard size fridge freezer. 
Counted 20 full portions for meals but couldn't resist squeeze in pack of 8 chicken breasts reduced by half price 

Upon cleaning out cupboards this weekend to keep warm without putting heating on   counted 17 tins of tomatoes...really need to stop looking!!

Oh, kindred spirit! Me too. I don't eat meat and OH rarely eats it (because I do the shopping...) so we end up with lots of the same reduced veggie/vegan stuff in (Pukka pies and sausage rolls mainly ). Even if I've got 5 packs I'll buy it if it's there and the YS is right!

Is it worth maybe making a list of what you have in your cupboard/freezer atm and taking that with you when you shop so you can say "Yes, there is another pack of XX but I have three in the freezer already so someone else can have them"?

Definitely and did a list 

Really useful 

Siebrie

Caramac said:

I did ask about rags in a couple of charity shops last year with no luck. I need to ask around further. 

Some clothes stores (C&A, H&M) have recycle programmes, where you can hand in any bag with clean clothes or rags (no shoes or belts) and get a discount voucher in return. It's usually not very much (15% on 1 item, valid for 3 months), but if you're shopping in that store anyway .....

joedenise

@Siebrie - C&A doesn't even exist in the UK anymore!  I know there are branches in both Belgium and Germany and have been in both.  Germany is far cheaper than Belgium and I spent a fortune in there when we were there a few years ago and still wearing most of the clothes I bought then.