Just so you have an idea of what I am working with, let me give you an overview of my 
I also have reusable grocery bags that I don't use anymore, because they are storing even more items that I just had to stock up on. I have an upright side-by-side refrigerator/freezer that is almost always full. I just went to My Girlfriend's Kitchen last week and still have 11 meals left from that trip. We used to belong to Rich Plan and their quarterly meat deliveries holds up all of the stuff on the top layer of my chest freezer (not pictured).
I like to shop for deals. I like buying 20 boxes of whole grain, organic pasta from Big Lots for $1. I like not having to worry whether or not I have applesauce to pack in our lunches each day (below). Frozen vegetables are a necessity when you no longer have room to store the canned goods. And you never know when you might need 32 bottles of free vegetable oil (left).I just went grocery shopping last night and
spent $75. Was that cheating? No, not really? The idea for this eating it up experiment only came to me on my way home as I pondered my husband's earlier comment about having too much food in the house. As I mulled it over, I had to agree. I buy too much food. I wouldn't be surprised to find a bottle or can of something that is more than 2-3 years old as I dig further back into the archives that is my pantry. You haven't even see my cabinets, 2 of which also have food stocked up in them - one for baking supplies and the other for spices, snacks, and beverages.
10 comments:
So I guess if I was coming to stay while I recovered you could say it would be a gastic adventure! Just think of the room you will have once you finish off your stash and get to start out totally fresh with new ideas for dinner :)
Mom
I'll have a ton of room! And there will be less food to move one day, far off in the future.
Whoa!!! I think I have ever had that much in my pantry.....ever! I'd love to though for my kiddos! They are always hungry!
i know... it is sad. My only defense - at least I was wasting the money on clothes I don't need.
LOL...
on a different note:
Is this much grocery stockpiling kinda like hoarding?
It sure is... and it is a sin (lack of trust in God) that I need to continually repent of.
I see! Well...I am definitely praying for you girl! I admire your honesty!
We do the same thing! We actually have an upright freezer in our 14 year old son's bedroom (in our very small 2BR apartment). We have an extra storage closet in the apt. too, and we bought some heavy duty Sterilite shelving to creat our "pantry". We stockpile when cereal is $2 or less a box. We also do loads of canned goods, ketchup, salad dressing, pasta, and more, when it all goes on GREAT sales.
It's kind of cool when you run out of ketchup, and you can just tell your kid to go back to the closet and get some!
It's also nice to be able to have extra on hand when someone in our church is sick and needs a hand with meals.
Webster's dictionary says that hoarding is "to lay up a hoard of; to keep to oneself". It's not a sin to store up...this is being wise with the resources that God has given you to take care of your family. It becomes a sin when you aren't willing to give of what you have to others who are in need, or when it becomes "withholding of time, goods, etc." from God and the poor.
What a great opportunity you have to organize and look at all that God has provided at remarkably low costs; and to ask God how you might use what He has blessed you with to help others.
I know that when we have an abundance in things, it is so easy for us to be able to bless others out of that abundance that God has given to us.
A friend of mine just sent me to your blog since I wrote a similar post about my own home. I wrote about craft supplies, but the same issue exists in my pantry. You can check it out if you like. http://underscarletbirdswing.blogspot.com/ Thanks for sharing your journey. It is an American thing I expect.
Post a Comment