Grocery spending = $0

It's been a financially and emotionally trying week. Long story, but in the short term we are going to be living off one paycheck (mine), and there's a decent chance we are breathing down the neck of financial apocalypse and may have to sell everything we own and move in with one or more of our relatives. Now, hopefully not, I'd rather stab myself in the eye with a rusty spoon than sell everything and move, so let's all keep our fingers crossed.

What does that mean for this blog? It means, for the time being, our grocery costs will go down to $0. Because I won't be buying any groceries. Or booze, or desperately-needed summer clothing, or stuff at the drugstore, or anything. All money will go directly to either paying bills or shoring up the emergency fund.

So, for a little while at least, we'll be living off the pantry stores, supplemented by fresh spinach and herbs out of the container garden, and whatever free leftovers I can scrounge at work.

Also, because there is a small chance we'll have to sell everything and move, I won't be replacing things as we run out of them. If we get through this temporary crisis unscathed, then I'll replenish the pantry. Not before.

Look for lots of creative uses of pantry staples: pasta, dried beans, lentils, grains, and rice. I'll also be using stuff out of the freezer--pesto, jalapeno/cilantro puree, frozen broth, those will all get thawed and used.

This is why it's a good idea to a) have an emergency fund, and b) have a well-stocked pantry. If we have to, we can eat for at least a month and possibly six weeks before we start feeling the pinch. I could probably stretch it to two months if I had to.

Tonight I think I'm making pizza.