Hey, Reader,

After the chaos and indulgence of the holidays, I often find myself wanting a chance to reset.

You spend a month in celebration mode (AKA buying mode) constantly needing one more thing for special meals, presents, holiday baking, and more.

By the time January comes around, we feel tapped out. We're drained emotionally from the holidays and financially from the constant spending that feels like it just won't stop.

This time of year, I find myself drawn to the idea of a spending fast.

It's like the antidote to all the over-the-top abundance and excess of the holidays.

Many of us already have so much food, cleaning supplies, and toiletries on hand that we could probably go weeks or months without needing to replace some items!

If you're feeling the same way, then this is the PERFECT time for a pantry challenge.​

What is a pantry challenge?

A pantry challenge is a fantastic way to temporarily shrink your budget while eating from the stockpile of foods in your pantry, fridge, and freezer before they go bad.

In a pantry challenge, you commit to only eating food you have on hand before you go to the grocery store.

But, don't worry! You can adjust the rules however you see fit.

For example, we tend to eat a lot of produce. We're not about to stop doing that just because of a challenge. We focus on using what we have first then replacing it.

My favorite things about pantry challenges are these:

• Reduce food waste

Americans tend to throw away up to 40% of all the food they buy. It's a huge waste of money, resources, and labor.

Doing a pantry challenge allows you to notice which foods are about to be wasted and do something about them!

• Flex your budget

If your budget is feeling a little tight this month, then imagine how nice it would be to shrink your grocery spending!

We often do pantry challenges any time we need to cash flow an unexpected expense. This is why I always think of my pantry as a type of bank account. It can literally free up hundreds of dollars per month to pay off your credit card or cover an unexpected expense.

• Think creatively

I truly believe that limits help us think more creatively. When you give yourself permission to run out of dish soap or oats, you get to think creatively to find a solution without simply going online to order more.

Running out of things offers an opportunity to look at what we already have in new ways, too.

You truly have no idea what you'll end up making and that's half of the fun!

Plus, you can make your pantry challenge fit your specific needs.

There is no timeline or arbitrary set of rules. It's up to you!

I usually start by just deciding not to do any grocery shopping for a week, then I push it to another week.

Two weeks is a good amount of time for us to really work through all the fresh ingredients in the fridge, but we usually still have a bunch of food in the freezer.

This year, I want to focus on working through our freezers and some of our bulk dry goods. I'm thinking of it more as a freezer challenge to help me prioritize this area.

However you want to do it, I've got some tips to help along the way!

P.S. I'm offering my pantry checklists for 60% off during the challenge! Get your set here.

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