Circumstances... Time for a pantry challenge.

 

"The Time has come, the walrus said, to talk of many things..."

 Especially the cabbages part. lol

  This is an interesting time we live in. And by interesting, I mean downright terrifying at times.  I have been caught in  web of  sticky wickets of late. We have more money going out than coming in, like a lot of Americans. Having had an onslaught of medical bills, his OT at work has vanished, gas prices through the roof (and when I say gas prices, I mean petrol for the car and truck as well as propane for the furnace and stove).  We are about out of propane, I expect, and the last time the tank was filled it was over $750.00.  In the meantime our [another] small company bit the dust and was bought out by a bigger national company.  I tremble to think what the next fill is going to be and if we can afford it. I just paid off the last one. Utilities are on the rise and the general cost of living has skyrocketed.  This isn't news to anyone with half a brain.

That brings us to the cost of eating, as it always does here.  lol  I have been tucking away bits and bobs of stuff when I can and trying to prepare for a rough year. Not easy when everything is such a struggle already. I have tried to focus on things like meats I could can, already canned meats like tuna and salmon and mackerel.  Staples like rice and beans and flour and sugar and salt.  Spices for cooking. Olive oil and vegetable oil, grapeseed oil and sesame oil. Cases of canned vegetables. Meat for the freezer. 

This isn't my first poverty rodeo, lol   Those of you who are new here may not remember this:

https://dragonwomansmysticalmeals.blogspot.com/2014/06/eating-from-my-pantry.html

It's that time again. So, starting September 15th, I am going to do another pantry challenge, to try and get through this rough time.  As soon as I have a little extra money Wed -Fri (hopefully) I am going to buy a few more items like oatmeal and some other staples. I think I can do it for under a hundred dollars. I haven't bought any groceries for 2 weeks. Then I will not buy any food related items. We will eat what we have. Creatively.  The last time (see link above) in a 3.5 month period I spent less that 38 dollars, and that was only because I had to buy rice, toilet paper and olive oil.  The pantry was completely bare by the time it was finished and he went back to work. But the gardens were going and the hens were laying. No hens or gardens this year. So there's that. But I have the confidence to believe that we can do it again. It may look a little different, but I will make it work. 

Wish me luck.