Clean Out the Cupboards Challenge – The End. (til next year!)


Clean Out the Cupboards Challenge


Welcome to the Clean Out the Cupboards Challenge, co-hosted by me (Crystal) here at Mrs Happy Homemaker,  Laura at Frugal Follies, Denise at Shopper Strategy, Robbie at Going Green Mama, and Rebecca Jean over at Midnight Maniac.

Well, we have finished the final week – and even though I have enjoyed the challenge, I am so very glad that it’s over!  I am ready to replenish my stockpile as it has dwindled extremely low! 

I have not done as well as previous weeks this week.  I started off well, but then I was out of ideas of what to make from the few things left in my pantry.  I still spent less than $50 on groceries for the week, so I guess I didn’t do too bad though.  But, that total does not include the eating out we did this week.  We spent about $35 on that throughout the weekend.  Friday night I ordered in pizza because my daughters were having a sleepover.  On Sunday night we stopped by CookOut for burgers as my oldest daughter had been in the Emergency Room with an ear infection (somehow they missed that she had the flu, but that’s a whole other rant story) and I just didn’t have the time or the energy to cook anything.

My whole family has learned that there is food to eat, even when we think that there isn’t – and we have found lots of new recipes that we really enjoy that we would have never found if it wasn’t for the pantry challenge.  Especially the Tuna Noodle Casserole with Rice Krispies!  We all love it, and I certainly would have snubbed my nose at it any other time.  It really made using up all that tuna & mac n’ cheese in my cupboards a breeze!


This post was going to be longer, but I now have 2 little girls with the flu, & I am starting to not feel so well myself – so I am going to end it now & I hope that everyone had a great month on the challenge.  I will be doing this again next year, and I hope that you will join me!