Pantry Living Weeks:1 - 4

So I spent my first 4 weeks of pantry living with a house full of guests. My sister and her six children came for a week at the same time as my other sister and hubby and their four children were staying with my parents. After my sister left my in-laws came that same night. It was a regular occurrence for me to serve meals to 21 people. That is why this post is combined for the first four weeks.

Reminder about my Pantry Living Rules:

1. No grocery shopping.
2. Cash only except for gas, dairy, bread, eggs, produce, and medical expenses.

That really is it.

Pantry after week 4

My results:

• Unopened boxes of cereal before week 1: 55
• Unopened boxes of cereal after week 4: 40 (see gifts)
• Items opened from pantry: dog food, spaghetti sauce, pasta, mac and cheese, corn, green beans, trash bags, toilet paper, water bottles, napkins, paper towels, powdered sugar, syrup, peanuts, fruit snack, chips, pretzels, cake mix, frosting, brownies, spray butter, canola oil, olive oil, crackers, cookies, peanut butter, nutella, salad dressing, garlic, parm cheese, granola, ziplock bags, tin foil, granola bars, fruit roll ups, yellow rice, rice, dog food, salsa, light bulbs, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, tooth paste, wipes, graham crackers, marshmallows, chocolate bars, flour, (you get the picture.....we ate a lot!)
• Items I ran out of: dryer sheets, cooking oil, fruit roll-ups, hot dogs, dog food
• Gifts: milk, sandwiches, fruit cups, individual bowls of cereal, 2 boxes of cheerios, large box of goldfish, yogurt, (I know the nicest people!!)
• Gifts part II: My sweet mother-in-law took me to the grocery store and offered to buy me a few things to help bulk up my pantry. She was so generous and asked me to make a list. I only had oil and dryer sheets on the list. She found many more things I should have including but not limited to: detergent, beef, pork chops, chicken legs, steak, pork roast, 8 boxes of cereal, chips, water, cheese, bread, yogurt, cookies, goldfish, pasta, onion rings, tater tots, watermelon, pizza, ice cream, eggs, new sandals for Max, stuffed animals for the kids, dinner at a fancy restaurant.
• As far as cereal goes we were gifted 10 boxes of cereal. So in 4 weeks we actually went through 25 boxes of cereal. 
• Meat from the freezer we used: ground pork, chicken legs, whole chicken, italian sausage, chicken breasts, pork roast, turkey bacon, breakfast sausage,
• Garden goodies: my garden isn't doing all that great. My green beans didn't all come up so we only get a handful at a time and I have yet to cook them so they keep going bad on me. Today I picked 2 tomatoes and 2 cucumbers. 

• Allowable credit card purchases: car repairs, oil change, gas, milk, bread, buns, strawberries, raspberries, bananas, medical bills, 
• Cash purchases: McDonald's, Rainforest Cafe, pizza, lunch at Sam's, candy, chips, ice cream, soda, bread, produce, trip to the Science Center in Ithaca, NY, membership to the Franklin Institute, water ice, popsicles, chinese food, new pretty scarf, toys,
• Cheats with a credit card: I tried really hard to be good. On 2 occasions I was checking out and had mostly allowable items with one or two exceptions. Hot dogs, candy, dog food, paper plates, plastic forks, 

We have had the best July! We went to the beach and boardwalk, went to a lake, and the Hill Cumorah pageant. We visited family in upstate New York. Family visited us here in South Jersey. We ate a lot of food, played a lot of board games and made a million memories. I hope your summer has been as much fun as ours so far. I would love to hear what you are up to!

Happy Summer!