Spending, schmending.

This 30 days of nothing has been a struggle. I am generally a frugal gal and trimming the fat, so to speak, proved to be difficult at times. I received a comment here from a friend asking if it was smart stocking up, did it really count.

I completely agree.

It doesn't make any sense for me to forego an incredible meat sale in the name of not spending anything in the month of September just to spend double the price per pound to feed my family in October. So I did end up going back to a grocery store in town and spending another $40 on a great chicken sale. Then in my absent mindedness I had forgotten that a 1/2 beef we were buying would be ready last week and there went another $700. But at $2.29 per pound for hamburger, T-bone steaks, roasts, sirloin, etc, etc, etc that is one worthwhile purchase. My freezer is almost full now with one shelf full of chicken and pork, two plus shelves of a side of beef, one shelf with corn and turkey leaving me one shelf for turkey that will go on sale in November. Did you know that a full freezer takes less energy to run than a 1/2 empty one?

Really what this month has done for me is it has forced me to really think about my purchases. To assess whether or not we really need something and what the motives behind my purchases are. It has also forced me to become more creative in how I use our food and to not be married to what we have always done. My pantry is also a little leaner in a good way. There aren't as many random items which leaves it streamlined with things we really use. These three things have made this month a valuable expenditure of my time and energy.

So what's next in October. Any ideas?