After one U.S. homeowner spent a year fully restocking their pantry, refrigerator, and freezer, they decided to challenge themself to buy as little as possible so that they could put the money towards their mortgage.
Here's what to know
In a Reddit thread, the homeowner explained that when every item in the refrigerator had to be moved into a replacement appliance, they realized they had "way more food" than they thought.
"My plan for the next two months is to buy as little at the grocery store as possible during non-holidays weeks, which should save a bunch on our grocery bill," they said. "I'm going to challenge myself to go beyond that, save what's left, and apply it to our mortgage."
Other commenters streamed into the thread to add their questions, advice, and encouragement. One of the top commenters joked that "the hardest part would be resisting the urge to buy groceries just because there's a sale."
Another wrote, "We did this before our last move. I started at least four months before the move and still didn't quite get to the bottom of the chest freezer. … It's wild how much food we had — we definitely saved a ton on groceries before we moved."
A third chimed in to explain, "We are doing this, too! … We want a clean freezer and pantry to start the new year with, so there is no leftover food."
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One added that "about every third or fourth week, we shop our cupboards, and freezers before going grocery shopping," to save money.
Where can I learn more?
How you shop for groceries and store food at home can make a difference in your household budget.
• A frugal creator uses money-saving home swaps to keep groceries at $300.
• A single man tried cash and meal rotation after his food bill reached $1,000.
• Shoppers can skip prepped meat and use loyalty apps to reduce grocery costs.
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