Declutter something edible. For example, something that has been lingering in you fridge, freezer or pantry for quite a while.
Reducing our stuff one day at a time.
Reducing our stuff one day at a time.
Declutter something edible. For example, something that has been lingering in you fridge, freezer or pantry for quite a while.
Thank you for this good reminder about food!! As public schools begin in August in Colorado, this is my annual reminder to clear our my garage freezer and cook up leftover meat, frozen veggies, and frozen fruits. Some items I will share with my elderly neighbor single ladies down the street this week. I have 2 chickens to make up 4 chicken casseroles. I date everything when it goes in the freezer anyway. Some items, like soup, I will make for winter and this goes back inside the freezer for those colder months for my family and to share with neighbors. And I have peaches and blueberries to make 3 cobblers I will bake this coming week. I will label those for 3 friends to give to them in Dec for holiday gifts. Yum!
Then I will have enough room for new items I will freeze in this clean freezer. Each new school year reminds me to check that freezer and spend a few days or a week to cook and bake.
This summer fruit has been cheaper, so I have frozen extra strawberries and blueberries. I save those for holiday desserts. I buy meats on sale each year and rotate packages each month. Being retired, I have the time to do this. And sharing with our elderly neighbors has helped me to meet new people down the street. So thanks for this reminder to get started!
Colorado USA, Pat
You all encouraged me to get rid of soo much things that have been a stumbling block for me. My daughter n i loaded up the van n took a lot of stuff to the goodwill. I felt so relieved. Thank you for all your post.
Good for you Esmeralda. Keep up the good work.
This is too funny, Colleen. I just did this. I can’t remember if I have told all of you that I was told that I have an intolerance to about 50 foods. Some are complete categories like dairy, grains, squash and some are individual like Turkey, cinnamon, pears. Anyway, it means an entirely new way of eating. It has been an interesting 3 months since I was told. I was also told to go off of these foods completely for 2 months and then I could add in one food every two weeks to see what happens. Well I have tried a few of my favorite ones and learned real fast that they are permanently out of my diet. So, I have been going through my pantry and giving away food that are on the no-no list. I gave away the last of it last Sunday. There is very little I can eat that I don’t have to fix fresh. One thing that has bee nice about it is that I have lost 40 pounds. From what the doctor tells me, eating foods you are intolerant of can cause all sorts of issues with your body and especially with you digestive system.
Isn’t it amazing how our bodies change over time and I don’t mean just aging. Good news on the 40 pounds though. Every cloud has a silver lining.
I just stumbled on your site today. I have been on a permanent decluttering cycle for 10 years or more and I get so stalled along the way. I get overwhelmed, and procrastinate, or start and go really well… then stall. The idea of working on something small each day appeals to me. Its less overwhelming, and less time consuming. Part of me wishes I could put my whole house contents on the lawn and only bring the things we truely use back in! But we have a huge house and getting it out would take hours maybe even days. I am sick of the clutter. We have WAY too much stuff. The kids are overwhelmed and dont play with everything because we simply have too much! I am sick of spending my time tidying and trying to find homes for things! I am devouring your website on my lunch break and came back and declutter the food drawer of my desk, and scanned some things I was putting off… I then dealt with a couple of piles of cluttered and put back the stationery I don’t use and I feel sooo much better already. I can’t wait to get home to do some too. Thank you.
Hi Debi, you may not be able to put your whole house contents on the lawn, but you can empty a whole drawer and put back only what you use…or a whole shelf. I still have a lot to declutter, but it’s amazing what a difference it makes when you break it down into smaller chunks.
Looks like you can read my mind.
I got rid of food that had been in the fridge too long !
I just got over the shingles. I stayed home for 10 days, during that time I used up things I had in the freezer, while garden provided salad makings. It was good to use up food I had in the freezer, along with getting over the shingles. Luckily I had a mild case, thanks to a vaccine I had 5 years ago.
My freezer, fridge and cupboards look bare now. In the winter I usually stock up in case the roads get bad, never thought I would use my stores of food in the summer.
Sorry you had the Shingles. I hope you are much better now. You ‘shopped’ in your freezer and the cupboards. We do this each fall and winter, one week each month. It helps bring done the cost of our food budget. And it’s fun to discover casseroles and items I had stored away.
I live in Colorado and we also have some days and weeks of being snowed in. Take care. Pat
Thank you Mrs Pat Schneider.
Doing much better now.
I like the one week a month of shopping from items in your home. I’m going to try that.
Thanks for the idea!
Hello again! I spend about $100/week on food, not including the cleaning supplies. So I save in the months of Sept to March $700. That $100 went into a savings account for a goal. Each year the goal is different. I had to replace the washer and dryer five years ago. I had $2100 in that account at that time. I paid cash for the two items and had money leftover. I do this savings project each year. We have replaced the stove and refrigerator also. This is like found money.
The week we don’t shop at the store, I know I have t use food at the house. I have run out of bread often. But I fix a meal with crackers or I make biscuits, and I’ve learned to freeze 2 pieces of bread out of each loaf. We don’t waste anything if we can help it. It is like a ‘frugal game’. My neighbor lady told me about freezing the bread 2 pieces. Ha! This is a great idea!!
Now each month during that ‘savings week’, two neighbor ladies and I have a ‘mini-potluck lunch’ from our freezer items. They also are doing this ‘eat out of your cupboards and freezer week’. We visit and share main dishes and desserts; and one lady fixes a salad until all of her lettuce and fresh veggies are gone.
So I challenge this group to see what other food sharing ideas you will have! I’m very interested in hearing about your creative ideas. Thanks! Pat
I need a new dishwasher and this sounds like a great way to fund it and start a fund for other appliances. Thanks so much for the suggestions!
I forgot. The lady with the garden gives me fresh veggies each summer to make my fall soups. So I freeze those veggies and I fix vegetable soup for my husband and me when the weather gets cold; then, I freeze soup to give as holiday gifts also! I do bake fresh yeast rolls in the winter, banana nut bread, and cinnamon coffee cakes to share also.
My little potluck group also has ‘meatless’ meals. We will fix veggie stuffed potatoes or do a vegetable plate with hot corn bread as 3 or 4 of our 7 luncheons. There are many great food ideas in cookbooks that have triggered our creativity!
Pat in Colorado