The Pantry Challenge...and Flu

I guess it was inevitable.

Got back at 1:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, after a lecture and some fun spent with the Northern Colorado Quilters (LNCQ) in Fort Collins, a few hours north. We had a great time looking at pioneer era pieces, and talking about the kinds of quilts and coverlets taken west. (If they were going to last -- sturdy ones!)

On the way home, I stopped at Daughter #1's new apartment, only to find out she needed 'just a few things' moved out of her old place. Two trips later, we both staggered out (she'd had a long day, too), and I drove home, feeling a tad strange.

Found out why yesterday morning. Some kind soul, probably either in Fort Collins or at church on Sunday, had given me a present: the flu. I spent most of yesterday either sacked out on the couch or huddled up to my new best friend, the toilet. (Not very conversational -- but a useful ally.)

Today, the fever's down, although I haven't strayed too far from home. Mr. Nausea keeps wanting to visit; Doritos and hot tea are two of the few things that keep him away!


A final assessment of the Pantry Challenge:

I could have done better -- but I could have done worse.


Instead of $50, I spent closer to $95 for the month of January. Why? Because some incredible sales came by that I couldn't afford to ignore. Potatoes -- 99 cents for 10 pounds. Whole roasting chicken -- 79 cents a pound. Pork loin -- 99 cents a pound. All practically unheard of here in central Colorado.

So yes, I gave in and stocked up. Forty pounds of potatoes are ensconced in a cooler on the back porch, and should keep there nicely until late spring. (If the temp goes down to single digits, I'll bring them in for the night.) I even got some tv dinners for Husband, who hates to cook for himself while I'm on a gig. (Which I was -- in California, and northern Colorado.) Also bought groceries for Daughter #1's recent move. (She now lives smack dab south of the Capital -- a large golden dome glows on her street throughout the night.)

On the plus side, I went way over on Jan. 31 -- the last day of the experiment. Nearly all purchases were on sale, including stock-up items. There's a lot more daylight showing in both freezers, and the pantry shelves are not so jammed. There are families in our church who could use some extra supplies -- I think I may thin the ranks even more, for a good cause. (Could you help out people in your community, too? Surely you wouldn't miss a few cans of something that much.)

Here's another person's final tally for the Pantry Challenge...and the lessons they learned.


The final score for the Bricks: approx. $25 a week, for two people, plus extras? Not too bad. I'm hoping to keep purchases down to a dull roar in February too -- it helped.