We’re buckling down and making ourselves eat as much of the remaining food in our fridge as possible. We haven’t gone grocery shopping for at least three weeks (except for the occasional under $30 run for milk, cereal, and some fresh fruits & veggies) and we don’t plan to go at all for the next two weeks (since there’s still plenty to nosh on before we move). We’re concentrating mostly on eating things in the freezer and the fridge since there will be at least five hours between handing over the keys to our current house and getting the keys to our new one (we were luckily able to coordinate both closings on the same day, but the bank still needs a few hours to transfer funds in between). So we don’t want to worry about keeping a bunch of things refrigerated or frozen in a cooler in the moving van (or over in John’s sister’s fridge) if we can help it. Here’s what we’re dealing with (MTV Cribs style):
So I devised a little look-how-type-A-I-am system to keep us focused when it comes to strategically stuffing our faces. I’m a sucker for a list, what can I say? It actually took a little while to get the whole list thing figured out. I knew we needed a reminder about what we should eat, so first I made a list of all the random ingredients and items that we ideally should scarf before moving day. But it seemed like a chaotic little crammed piece of paper with too many things to actually absorb. So I decided to compartmentalize, grouping items that we could eat together and listing things in these categories: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack/dessert. Worked like a charm. We now have this list staring us in the face every time we glance at the fridge:
- Breakfast:
- eggs
- oatmeal
- waffles
- smoothies
- Lunch:
- peas and carrot sides (J)
- broccoli soup (S)
- grilled cheese (J & S)
- turkey, cheese, & deli flats (J & S)
- tuna on wasa crackers (S)
- laughing cow cheese or almond butter on wasa crackers (S)
- Dinner:
- breakfast for dinner omelette w/ frozen veggies
- pot stickers with frozen veggies
- burritos and frozen veggies
- pancakes with mixed berries
- spaghetti
- frozen amy’s pizza and alexa fries
- sides to eat asap: brown rice & cous cous
- Snack/Dessert:
- pumpkin bread
- ice cream
- tea
- mixed nuts & pistachios
We just cross things off when we finish them and then move onto other meals in that category. So far we’re on track to eat right up until moving day (since we have a few servings of a few of the things on the list- like pasta, pot stickers, a truckload of wasa crackers, etc). Here’s hoping we can get ‘er done. Have you guys ever strategically planned meals (for moving or just money management or organizational purposes?). Do you have weekly meal plans (Macaroni Monday? Taco Tuesday?). Growing up we had a pretty predictable rotation but there was something strangely comforting about it. I still miss Wednesday night pizza dinners…
Psst- I know the last few posts haven’t been very DIY focused (we blame our turkey coma) but soon we’ll be sharing some fun homemade holiday gift ideas along with a free downloadable calendar for 2011 and another home-related video. So as they say on SNL, stick around…
Second pssst- Holy bananas. Who watched Dexter last night? Was it not the single best episode ever? John and I couldn’t sleep from all the adrenaline rushing through our veins. Love that show.
UPDATE: See how we did when it came to cleaning out the fridge before our big move here.
Irina@CanDoGal says
When we moved in August, we tried, oh we tried to eat everything, but there were days when I simply was in no mood to eat the available options, and ended up getting takeout. Even though I gave the fridge contents the ol’ college try, there was still a good amount of throwing out of food on moving day. I still feel guilty thinking about it. Now, in the current house, I keep ALL the food pushed toward the front of the fridge. If I can’t see what’s there upon opening the door, I forget to eat it!
Amanda says
This is actually unrelated to this post, but I’m wondering where you got the silver bows you put on your tree? I love that idea instead of traditional garland! Also, do you remember or know what height your tree is? I’m trying to decide how tall I want mine and I like the height of yours. Thanks! I love your site, you guys have crazy amazing ideas and keep impressing me!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Amanda,
Target! They sold them by the dozen (attached to these odd cardboard rectangles). They’re wired so they’re perfect for the tree (although they might have been meant for present wrapping). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
maggi says
We make a weekly menu, shop at Whole foods once a week (thursday morning), and always buy a fresh vegan cookie from WF bakery for our 13 month old son for the ride home.
since we are vegan we do love to try any new vegan product that we see, but we mostly end up disliking any frozen product (other than coconut bliss ice “cream”).
we also have a large garden and are members of a CSA.
the main heavy hitters in our menu rotation are deep dish pizza (cast iron skillet magic), veg/tofu curry, chili, chipotle corn soup, and veg/udon noodle.
we started doing one night a week Raw Vegan depending on what we got from our CSA, but we will resume again next year.
Jyl says
I yelled at my tv a little bit when Dexter and Lumen got together. I guess I prefer my serial killers single. I don’t think Lumen makes him sloppy, but I do think the writers have left a few too many details unanswered when it comes to Dexter slip ups. Sherry I’m surprised that doesn’t irk you too. I was happy to see the show return to the edge-of-my-seat tense scenes though. If you love a rush check out The Walking Dead on AMC. It’s a little gory though.
Oh and mango chutney + a couple squirts of Dijon mustard on cooked up chicken pieces? Fab with a little cous cous made with a splash of OJ.
Katrina says
When I’m really organized about diners, we have pizza nights, pot pies nights and my fav meatless Mondays! lol just my way of cutting out a lot of meat
Amanda says
@Mary C if you put and around the words you want to strike out, it should work. (minus the spaces. ie: strike out) This is assuming you right your blog posts in HTML, which if you use Blogger, or WordPress you most likely do.
Ashley M. [at] (never home)maker says
I’m a total foodie, so I would probably go insane following your method. That being said, it’s pretty nifty. Great way to save some cash and get rid of stuff that might otherwise linger.
However, I’ll stick with my “every night is like T-giving” dinners . . . :) I just love food too much to limit myself to what’s in our freezer!!!
Teresa says
OK I was reading your comment back to Elle…when you move and have time, can you touch on your veggie garden? I’ve read the post on herbs but lettuce! I’m curious…maybe it’s my lack on a green thumb. I would love to get some ideas.
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve actually blogged about planting our cutting garden for the past two years, although we don’t touch on the lettuce thing in much depth (you can see those posts by visiting our Projects page, see that tab under the header?). Lettuce is really easy to grow and plant (it’s also pretty hardy when the weather is still cold, so it can be planted earlier than many other things) so perhaps if you google “growing lettuce” or “cutting garden lettuce” you’ll find lots of in depth info about it. Good luck!
xo,
s
Allison says
Is that Vegemite on the top shelf!!?? I hope it is it, because that would be awesome!! I’m Aussie and I didn’t know you guys could get it over there. Also, I’d love to know what season and about what episode of Dexter you guys are up to in America, as it is deferent here…
Thanks! :)
Tash says
Hi John and Sherry!
I love your blog – keep up the great work! Odd question – is that vegemite I spotted in your fridge? I’m Australian so I had to ask! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! I LOOOVE vegemite, so from time to time some Australian friends (aka blog readers) send a little jar my way. It was actually one of my pregnancy cravings! John is still on the fence about it though…
xo,
s
Sara @ House Bella says
I’ve definitely done this before, especially before big moves! It’s really hard to properly time things like ketchum, mayo, and the like, but you can definitely get rid of other things with a good list. Nice work!
Allison says
haha I mean DIFFERENT* :) damn spellcheck auto corrected it.
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I don’t want to give anything away for anyone, but Dexter and Lumen just took things to the next level and it was quite suspenseful since they almost got busted bigtime. Yikes. So intense!
xo,
s
jenn says
you forgot french toast for breakfast! :o
Marci says
This cracks me up! My husband and I often have “inventory reduction” weeks to get through the refrigerator/pantry overstocks and misfit items. (he’s an accountant…or did I even have to explain that?)
Erin says
Just as a side note, though I’m sure someone has probably mentioned it or you’ve thought about it yourself, it might not be that difficult to keep your foods cool for those hours between the move since it will be December. I mean, I know you live in Richmond, which basically guarantees nothing as far as weather goes, but it’s always a possiblity for those things left on that exciting day!
And a question.. I moved into my house in July and am STILL struggling to get everything organized and put away. It’s just me, and I started my own business at the same time, so I’ve been extra busy. Any suggestions for quick organization and clean up to prepare for the coming holidays aside from throwing everything up and into the attic?
YoungHouseLove says
Great point about the car being cool. I’m worried it’ll be stuffed to the brim with stuff, but it’s always an option if we have some space and some uneaten items.
As for your unpacking/organizing dilemma, systematic tackling usually works for me. So maybe try tackling one room (or closet, or even one drawer) at a time and slowly working your way towards an organized house. I know how tempting it is to stuff things up in the attic though…
xo,
s
Sarah says
I spotted the Vegemite on the top shelf as well! Must be an Aussie thing to spot it straight away. But your Vegemite should last the moving without being refrigerated, most people here just leave it in the cupboard. Also absolutely love you blog!
lori says
Ok…so we have burrito’s on Wed…always…and Competition Pizza on Friday. My brother, sister, mother, and father will all get together on Friday and make one pizza each. Then we have a taste test…yum.
And as for Dexter….OMG! My husband and I are in looove with the series. We have been devoted Dexter fans from Season 1! Nice to FINALLY meet another Dexter luver!!! yeaaaa!
Jennie says
MAXX ME!!!
Handy Man, Crafty Woman says
ugh, this is one of the WORST parts of moving (to me), eating all the leftover crud in the fridge. Its so hard not to waste anything. We did pretty well with this, though, since I hate wasting food.
don’t worry about your posts not being very “DIY” lately, as 1) you have a small baby 2) you are about to MOVE and 3) it’s the holiday season! You get a pass, in my book! ;-)
Hillary @ The Sweet Maple Life says
This season of Dexter is DEF one of the best. After every episode this season I have to calm myself down, b/c it seems like each one has my heart pumping a million miles a minute!! I love it :)
Kate V says
Holy Cow, I love this season of Dexter! We have pizza on Friday nights. After a week of working and cooking all week that’s the last thing I feel like worrying about. Do you guys ever argue about what’s for dinner? or do you plan your meals for the week?
YoungHouseLove says
We’re pretty agreeable folks when it comes to food, so not many arguments ensue in that area (when it comes to wall color or decor… yes!) so we usually just each say what we’re in the mood for and list possibilities until we both agree. When it comes to getting rid of the stuff in our fridge/freezer, we’ve pretty much resigned ourselves to some boring meals for the cause, so we’re not really in a state of mind to be divas or argue about what we’re eating these days. We’re just trying to get ‘er done!
xo,
s
Gayle says
I also ate from my cabinets well in advance before my last move. I didn’t make lists. I physically moved the oldest and most obscure items up front…put them in my way…and made plans for them. I realized I was okay with packing and moving staple ingredients (flour, sugar, rice, etc), but I was NOT okay with packing and moving the random can of coconut milk, sauerkraut, etc.
I also start clearing/eating from my freezer every July in preparation for freezing the new crop of garden tomatoes.
Rhiannon says
It absolutely cracks me up that you guys just did a post like this. I just finished making a meal plan for the whole month of December! I have about twelve meals that I’m really good at and we’re trying to save some money these days so for us one big trip to Trader Joes this week is our plan. I wrote out all the meals and all the ingredients I’d need, plus snacks we like and I got everything on the list and nothing else. The only trips to the store will be for fresh herbs and veggies. My secret weapon to staying on track is a list. I have…let me see…1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7!…tablets around the house for my list making obsession! I never go to the store without one and I very rarely stray from the items. This is how we stick to our monthly food budget. I also make lists for every other house hold thing, cleaning products, home repair items etc. Guess I’m type A too. I think your strategy is great, and you might be surprised that you’ll want to do it once or twice a year in the future, just to clean out the pantry!
Belle says
Oh yes! Dexter is where it’s at for TV viewing at our place. As we’re in Australia AND work super corporate lifestyles (which = things get here slower + we have no time to watch when they’re actually scheduled to air) so we buy DVD’s from the States and watch them when we’re finally at home late at night. Oh yes, we bond over blood splatter.
I’m counting down the minutes until you release that calendar template, I loved the one you did with the quotes last year!
Jill says
Love dexter and love alexa fries. :)
Cari Burnett says
Well, every Saturday morning I sit down with a calendar and write out all of the meals we will have for the week and then I make my grocery list accordingly. It really saves us from overspending or just throwing things that “look-good” into the cart. We also find ourselves eating out a lot less when we remember to make the list.
Connie says
Oh Geez! I was totally all over the place with spending, until I saw a finance guru on Nate Show named Farnoosh Torabi. Here segment was short; but packed with information. I highly recommend people viewing the taped portion. She introduced me to mint.com which tracks spending, monthly income, you can create goals, and the list goes on. It’s totally FREE! I’ve been able to stay within my spending parameters, and slowly change my spending habits. I found that I have more money now.
Nuha says
the simple fact that you made a list of what foods you need to consume before moving is the reason why I love this blog! happy holidays! xoxo
Jennifer Tasker says
So I gotta ask, where did you buy Vegemite in the US, and how did you get on to that? I married an Aussie, we just relocated back to Perth after being in the States for 2 1/2 years, and I was paying through the roof on Amazon to keep us in Vegemite supply. Too funny.
We’ve relocated (big moves, overseas) 3 times in 3 years, so we’re very familiar with the total fridge/pantry clear out as we haven’t been able to take a single thing, not even a spice, with us. This last time we moved from Texas back to Perth, and I had been playing the grocery game for quite awhile, so had a good stockpile. We thought we’d be there 9 more months, but it was only 9 weeks! So the eat-a-thon was on.
I did the same thing you guys did, made the list, checked it twice, crossed it off. I did pack a full suitcase to take in check-in baggage this time – just too much food leftover to give it all away. I started giving food to friends if I knew they’d like it and use it. Also made a huge donation to the church’s pantry needs.
Another friend of mine found out two days after we did that they were being transferred to Malaysia, so we combined our pantries and freezers about a week later and did a huge cook-up together. I don’t think we had to go buy a thing, and we both left with about 10 meals each that were in the freezer. This was absolutely a life-saver for both of us, as it meant we were able to focus our days on getting ready for the moves (can you say inventory-every-item-you-possess) and not worry about what we were going to eat.
YoungHouseLove says
I love Vegemite. I actually got into it when a reader sent a small jar my way a few years back, and every so often another Aussie friend offers one up (since it was my pregnancy craving, I’ve gone through quite a few jars of it). John doesn’t get why I love it, but a thin coating on buttered bread is heaven!
xoxo,
s
Sharon says
Wow! And I thought I was OCD. You guys are awesome, love your blog, it’s a daily treat for me. You seem to do so well with money. How do you guys set up your budget? Do you use Quicken or some other type of program or just an old fashioned budget? Most of all, how do you stick to it? I’m excited to see your new house!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sharon,
In all my crazy list making, we actually don’t have an actual computer doc that we use as a budget. We just pay all of our bills online so it’s easy to see what our “set” expenses are each month and then we just try to eat in as much as possible and stretch our pennies. Anything that we don’t spend each month goes into saving, and being the geeks that we are, we actually get a thrill when we save more than we expect each month (we make one big transfer on the last day of each month from checking to savings, so it’s easy to see how we’re doing when it comes to saving more or less than we’d like. That’s how we keep ourselves in check. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Erin says
Hated trying to eat everything in the fridge! We’re too cheap to toss out everything on the fridge door, though, so we ended up storing that in MIL’s fridge for our own closing.
Strategic meal planning is a great game! Like when odd ingredients are on sale, finding multiple ways to use them within the same week – on their own or in combination. I do math for a living so it serves as a much needed creative outlet.
I get freaked out by Dexter, but dh loooooves it.
Cara says
Let me just say that I LOVE your posts that veer off from DIY :)
K (Barking BabyMama) says
I do all of our meal-planning fairly strategically, as I hate having things sitting in the fridge. Although, I do not use our condiments and various sauces strategically, which I realized when I noticed how uncluttered your refrigerator door is!! There are so few things on it!! I’m jealous – Ours is overflowing. BUT I’m grocery shopping tomorrow so I will keep those things in mind while I make my menu :)
Caitlin says
I just love how neat your fridge is. Being a Type A personality, you would faint if you saw my throw as you go fridge! (Works for me – most of the time… There’s been a few instances where things have got gross when stuck at the back…)
Meg says
My hubby and I LOVE Dexter and I personally love the fact that you’re a crazy list-maker like myself ;)
Nicolette {Momnivore's Dilemma} says
Sherry- I’m a list maker as well. I’d be doing the same thing! When you move into your new digs…make a menu board like the one I did here. I’m also going to be making boards for leftovers and mystery freezer items. I hate waste as well.
Check out that easy menu board here. Happy freezer eating!
http://momnivoresdilemma.blogspot.com/2010/11/home-organized-home-command-center-made.html
Kristin says
We recently improved our grocery shopping and now spend considerably less money (from about 250 Euros to about 150 Euros, we do eat lunch at work because it costs only about 2 Euros per meal here).
Every first friday in the month we do “big grocery shopping” at a cheap discounter and buy all the long-lasting stuff such as juice, noodles, rice, frozen food. The next friday we go to a normal supermarket to buy the stuff we can’t get at the discounter. The other two friday shopping trips are for things like fruits, vegetables, milk, bread only.
Additionally, we plan to empty our fridge and pantry every once in a while just as you are doing now, just to empty everything we do not like that much anymore and get new stuff in.
Cristina says
Sherry, really your mum is from Italy?
From where exactly if I may know? :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Cristina,
With a name like Diana Teresa DeCesare LaPadula (for real), my mom is definitely representing for the Italians. She (and her six siblings) were all born here, but their mom and dad are from Italy (the Bari region). I’d love to go there someday and see the cute little town their family called home.
xo,
s
Rose says
Any time you need vegiemite just let me know…..and also have you tried Cheesymite which is a cross between a cheese spread and vegemite. My husband hates vegiemite but loves cheesymite…it might be one for John..
YoungHouseLove says
You’re too kind Rose! We actually haven’t tried Cheesymite yet- but I bet you’re right. John’s a sucker for cheese!
xo,
s
Sean says
This is a totally off topic question, but I figured posting here would ensure the best chance of it getting answered. Have you guys ever considered adding a message board/forum to your site? My wife and I just purchased our first home, and have a lot of home decorating and home improvement projects ahead of us. We’d love a nice, friendly place to post questions and pictures and get feedback from a great community.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sean,
We’ve definitely considered adding forums, but the technical workings of a message board seem like a bit more than we can handle these days (just keeping spam at bay on those can be a full time job). So for now we use our Facebook page as an awesome forum for people to ask each other questions and even post pics for advice. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amy says
this summer we moved from Chicago to Pittsburgh–we packed up our condo on Sunday, stayed at friends overnight, then drove the 8 hour trip on Monday.
We had TONS of food because we’re crazy couponers and tried to eat as much as we could before we left, but we still had a chest freezer full of food (yes, for just the 2 of us) but we’re so cheap who can throw away food????
so, we purchased 2 coolers on Craigslist and used the coolers to transport the food so we could carry the freezer out to the moving truck empty. then placed all the frozen foods back in the freezer and surprisingly it stayed frozen with very little ice in the chest freezer during the move for the 8 hour drive on a hot July day.
All of our refrigerated food we just placed in coolers and it was fine. It was super nice having a fully stocked fridge and freezer when we arrived in our new place :)
Kristen @ House Of Edison says
My little family has just started planning Monday meals! My parents are originally from Jamaica and always prepare delicious meals for us when we visit! Unfortunately, I have not mastered the cuisine, so my husband and I started a Jamaican Monday tradition! I will be posting recipes every Monday until I get through almost every dish there possibly is. MM! That way by the time my son can handle this rather heavy cuisine he will have a little bit of culture in our very Americanized home;-)
Melissa says
Dexter had me watching through my fingers and curled up on the couch like it was a horror movie. I was so nervous they were going to get caught!!! I love love love that show!!! And i don’t know about you two,but after the season finale last year with them killing off Rita-i was talking about it for weeks.
BeccaMarie says
I used to grocery shop based entirely on what sounded good at the time. Then I lost my job and we had to really watch our money so I started planning meals and only buying what is needed to make each meal. It’s saved us a ton of money and saved me from having to clean a lot of nasty things out of the fridge that I had forgot we had until it was time to clean the fridge. Now that I’m working again I still plan all our meals for the week and only buy what’s needed for each meal.
And what is vegemite? I have never heard of it
YoungHouseLove says
Mmmm, Vegemite is an Australian treat (not typically available in the US). It basically tastes very yeasty and salty, it’s used as a spread on bread (very thinly, usually on toast with butter). I’m obsessed with it.
xo,
s
Patti says
This is one of the many reasons I love your blog! For me anyway, it helps that you think of the things most of us (definitely I) would overlook.
Rachel Austin says
Ooooh….. I have like four episodes of Dexter on my DVR to catch up on! I’m so excited now!! Love, love, love that show!! Love ALL your posts-DIY or not! Can’t wait to see the new house!
Melinda J says
I just have to say that this quote from your post:
“So I devised a little look-how-type-A-I-am system”
literally cracked me up!!! Love it! And I am right there with ya. :)
Chrissa says
I LOVED Dexter last night!
My friends have been annoyed because I LOVE him with Lumen, so they were scowling at me ‘cross the internets.
Lisa Phil says
Hubs and I have had to eat out of our fridge/pantry due to moving. This Christmas season we are giving away food baskets because we have plenty of condiments that we’ve bought using coupons – the theme “Heat Things Up this Holiday”. We have plenty of hot sauces, mustards, marinades, etc. Will pair that with chili sauce and other fun ideas!!! In an effort to save money we’ll eat out of the pantry/fridge/freezer too. Meal plans work well – we plan two week meal plans and cook everything at once. We end up saving 20% off our grocery bill each month. Meal planning and cooking for the week saves time and money.
Carolyn says
100 bonus points for the jar of Vegemite front and centre in your fridge! I didn’t think anyone outside of Australia liked that stuff…it’s definately an acquired taste!
As for meal plans…well I’d love to see how you guys plan (maybe after you move and have some more ‘free time’!) I struggle with meal planning..when to do it, what to cook so it’s not the same old thing over and over. I do like the idea of Friday homemade pizza nights etc. Could be a nice, little family tradition.
P.S As for Dexter…what is that show about? I saw the cover of a dvd the other day and the main character was covered in blood, holding a baby?!? it looks kind of creepy and scary…yikes!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Carolyn,
It’s kind of a modern day Robin Hood story, but instead of robbing the rich to give to the poor, Dexter kills serial killers. Takes down the bad guys. It’s very creepy, but addicting and suspenseful and all around awesome to watch. As for the Vegemite, it’s one of my favorite things! It was actually sent over from an Aussie reader!
xoxo,
s