Pantry Game

Glenn and I move often and I think we will continue to for a long time. It's the way of the Navy I suppose. While I love finding a new house and making it our own and discovering a new city or country, I hate all the money that is associated with moving. New hooks for the bathroom, a new rug because now we have linoleum floors, the list goes on and on.

I think the thing I hate the most though is the waste. A pantry full of food, a fridge door full of condiments, a cabinet full of liquor- all of which the movers can't or won't move. It can be such a waste. Which is why I started the pantry game 6 months before we left Norfolk. I didn't buy any groceries except a few veggies, eggs and milk. I suppose I learned my frugalness from my mother. She got to see her student in action as well since she helped me move out of the house the last week we were there. For example, I used a 5-lb box of bisquick in 4 weeks. You'd be amazed all the things you can make out of bisquick.

I've decided now though that this game should not just be a pre-moving game. And yes, to me it is a game. For Glenn, probably an annoyance, but I like to see how creative I can get with the ingredients I have on hand. So now this game as evolved to a spend-as-little-money-on-groceries- while-Glenn-is-gone-on-deployment game.

So far in the last few weeks I have made/discovered the following:

• Nachos with homemade tortilla chips
• Turkey taco salad (tastes the same as beef!)
• Tomato, totellini and cheese salad

Not the most extensive list, but I'm getting there. So far in the three weeks that I have been back from the states I have only spent about $50 on groceries and that is mostly because I had to made key lime pie for my friendship group, an appetizer for the pool party and I had Laura and Gizelle over for dinner. I don't make others partake in my game involuntarily. :)

You should try the game too, you'd be amazed what you came come up with for zero dollars!