January's No Food Shopping Challenge 2025

AnotherNewDay

1 week down, 23 days to go

abundant1972

Good morning! ⛄

Monday went out for some staples off my 'allowed list' : bread, milk, fruit and some bags of frozen veg. I resisted going around the inside aisles where the naughty things are stored haha. So - does this still count as a no food shopping day?

I made up my vat of chill and have a good few meals stored up. Made inroads into some of my porridge today. Used up some guacamole with toast. Need to use up my yoghurts and still have a load of the dreaded rice pudding glaring at me haha. 

No Food Shopping Days = 08 / 31

abundant1972

Good morning! ⛄

Managed to use up some bone broth lurking in the back of a cupboard. I just cooked pasta in it and added some frozen veg and voila! That's done me 2 meals. Used up some frozen fish today too. I'm quite enjoying this if truth be known haha. Found a tin of sardines, so that can be breakfast tomorrow maybe, on toast. Yuuuuumy 😣😆

No Food Shopping Days = 09 / 31

EitherWalnut

Good evening everyone!

Well done to all for smashing the first week!  That's a quarter of the way there already.

If you're like me, you'll be rapidly running out of "fresh" food and soon be living on whatever you can dig out of the depths of the freezer/cupboard. It's amazing what you can come up with when forced to be inventive!  However, i must admit I have not yet managed to tackle my rice pudding either...

Yesterday, I had a night off the challenge per se as I was at my brother's house for dinner - so nothing used up.

More marmalade on toast for breakfast today, and for lunch I dug some homemade quiche out of the freezer.  Had a handful of out-of-date nuts for an afternoon snack, and for dinner this evening I have popped my last potato in the oven to bake.  Lifted a wee sandwich bag of bacon bits out of the freezer and I have some slightly pathetic cheese - but enough to make something edible!

I'm heading to Wales for a few days tomorrow night, so I'll not be using anything up in my house, but I might see how frugal I can keep the spends by using the likes of TooGoodToGo while I'm away.

Dizzycap

Awesome efforts everyone

As I've been off my food, I made a large pan of homemade veggie soup on Monday morning and that's all about finished now. I defrosted a portion of bread from the freezer on Monday which I baked up the remainder into a bread and butter pudding this evening along with batch cooking of small main meals for the weekend and next week which I can defrost from the freezer and cook in the microwave. Homemade ding dinners - Love 'em 

Breakfast will be toast and honey & lunch and snacks will be raw veggies or sliced fresh fruit, as these are foods I really need to eat.

No food shopping for 9 days and certainly none needed for a while xxx

Selina_C

EitherWalnut said:

Welcome folks!

Always nice to have peeps doing it along with me. I find posting keeps me accountable and makes me think twice about spending because I know I'll have to declare it! Does anyone have any particular goals they'd like to achieve?  This year, I'm just aiming to keep the spend as close to zero as possible.

I moved my chest freezer out of the house and into the shed during the summer - took the opportunity to catalogue everything in it.  Made a decent effort at clearing it but looking in it this evening, I have absolutely added to it again. Oops. @abundant1972 - I also have at least four tins of rice pudding in the cupboard!  Went through a phase of eating it for breakfast - should perhaps go back to that.

@lilian1977 - totally fine, it's just meant to be a bit of fun and you have to do it in a way that suits you - obviously don't want anyone going hungry! I live alone so fortunately don't need to take anyone else into consideration when I'm coming up with some of my odd combinations! 

I would eat SO WEIRDLY if I lived alone - and would absolutely join. As it is I have cohabiters who insist on certain things every week so it wouldn't work. You have inspired me to use up as much as possible though: freezer always full, why do we have nothing for dinner tonight???

AnotherNewDay

10 days down...1/3 of the way through the challenge 

Thriftymissus

Had Jus Rol fancy cinnamon swirls for breakfast, left over from Christmas and have had leftover Boursin and crackers at lunchtime, with leftover (unopened 🤣) crisps…

Not at all nutritious but my eating habits are usually okay so it’s not going to hurt I reckon.

I have frozen berries, UHT milk and yoghurt so will be starting the day with a smoothie tomorrow. ❤️

I completely overdid it in how much food I bought to feed 8 people with me for Christmas and I gave family members loads of sweet stuff to take away with them. I’m so happy though to have not spent on groceries this month and am proud of myself for not popping in to a supermarket down the road yet as we near the half way mark. 

I think the second half may inevitably be harder. 

abundant1972

Hey all

Out of essentials so restocked enough to be able to use up other stuff I have in e.g. rice for my chilli, bread for my spreads, tuna to go with my noodles. Resisted buying stuff off my list even though was craving a BLT and crisps so bad haha. 

The sardine tin remains. Couldn't face it yet. As does the rice pudding stash. 

No Food Shopping Days = 11 / 31 

I feel like a big cheater claiming a No Food Shopping Day even though it is all stuff off my list. I guess the danger is I just get stuck in an endless cycle eating things off that list and never get to try anything new ever again haha 😮😱
I will make a conscious effort to buy no more if I can.

AnotherNewDay

Almost two weeks down and I can see the benefit in my bank account. It also made me realise how inefficient my shopping habits were, as still have loads of food available.