I have a confession to make.

I’m a bargain shopper.

Oh yes, friends I clip coupons, watch sales and never pay full price (unless we’re talking bananas, they never go on sale :( ).

It can be a great thing to be frugal, and to get great deals.  At a certain point, it is too much.

BREAD, desserts, frozen veggies, etc
BREAD, desserts, frozen veggies, etc

When you no longer have room in your freezer for an ice tray.

baking supplies, oats, couscous, brown rice, barley, bran, etc.
baking supplies, oats, couscous, brown rice, barley, bran, etc.

When you can’t even fit anything else into your cabinets.

Then you need to take a break from bargain shopping and start using up some of the food you have.

You see, I don’t need anything else and I could be happily, and healthily fed for the next few months with my bounty. I also realize that just because something is a steal doesn’t mean I should spend money on it.  Spending money on things you don’t need, no matter how cheap, is still a waste of money.

My plan for the rest of 2009 is to eat out my pantry.  I still *need* fresh fruits and vegetables so I’ll still be stocking up on that.  I even have a plan there though, I’m going to limit my food budget to $100.00 a month.  Cooking for one should make this easy especially since I spend about that much anyway.  What’s leftover at the end of each month will go into my graduation trip fund.

One caveat to that will be that if something is free after sales/coupons then I’ll still get it because I really don’t think I’m strong enough to walk away ;)

Anyone else have a well-stocked pantry they need to “eat down”? If not, want tips on how to get one on the cheap?

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