Yes, you read that correctly. No groceries purchased for the month of November. How is that possible?
“You have a hidden stash of cash in your house in the form of cans, grains, pastas and sauces: I’m talking about your pantry. Eating down the stores of food in your home can save money and help prevent some of the $165 billion in food waste that goes into U.S. garbage cans each year. Jessica Fisher, author of the Good Cheap Eats blog and a mother of six, did a month-long pantry challenge and cut her $1,200 grocery bill down to $550. Even more impressive, she says, “my kids didn’t even realize we were eating down the pantry until I mentioned it two weeks into the month-long challenge.”” – ABC News
The Fisher family saved $650 by “Eating Down the Pantry.” $650. Think of all the amazing ways this money could be used to bless others!
Here’s the idea. Live on what you have left in your fridge, freezer and pantry for one month. Give what you would have spent on groceries to the ministry efforts of Grace Klein Community. One family has enjoyed “No Grocery November” for three consecutive years. They actually start looking forward to how God will creatively provide in November.
A precious year, they shared several stories of God’s provision:
- Free Chick-fil-A sandwiches in the carpool line for the first 100 people.
- The dad had a business meeting and rescued the leftovers before they were discarded. They ate on the brisket for a week.
- A friend moved and gave all her leftover food and cleaning supplies. The kids were running out of snacks for school and she “just so happened” to include snacks.
- Mom realized she was hosting Thanksgiving and had no idea how to cover the turkey and then her mom called and said she was bringing over the turkey for Thanksgiving.
- The family found themselves short on shampoo and a friend left some at their place.
- They hosted a party and received lots of extra sodas and a little food.
We wonder… would God provide creatively for our family too? It seems scary. What if we don’t have enough? Will our kids eat what we have? A month feels like a long time. Awww, sounds fun. Why wait until November? Maybe my family could start today!
If not this month, why not January or February? Talk to your family. Brainstorm the idea. Calculate how much you could give away to help feed families in Birmingham, feed orphans in Zambia, or care for children battling illnesses in India.
Maybe it’s not so crazy to trust God with our groceries for a month. Maybe you want to try for multiple months or even a year. Why not? See what God does with your decision to choose creative simplicity.
