Budget Overhaul: Starting With the Kitchen

I'm horrible with New Years Resolutions because I always give up.

So instead of slapping on a label, I'll just say that I'm trying to make better financial choices for our family. If Lily gets into a preschool program this fall, we'll have another expense to plan for, so I think it's wise to start now by optimizing our incomes and making sure we're not overspending now.

I am a closet hoarder of food. If you look in my pantry or chest freezer, it's almost always full. Although this is nothing short of a blessing to be able to provide so much for our family, it's excessive. At least 50% of what we keep on hand is not stuff we use very regularly. It's time to make some changes.

So, the first step in my plan is to eliminate the cans and boxes that are lurking on the back of my shelves. You know, stuff like canned black beans, that one, random box of Hamburger Helper that we always keep on hand for a quick-fix meal, but never eat. That lonely microwave meal that looked good on the shelf, but isn't nearly as appealing once you bring it home.

My freezer is stuffed with crock pot meals that I literally spent hours prepping, shopping, chopping, and pouring. But I'm the world's worst for making those convenient meals and never actually cooking them.

Ultimately, once I get my cabinets and my refrigerator cleared of the ingredient misfits, I would like to take a more planned approach to our meals. I need to reevaluate the items that we should keep on hand and stop buying things that we don't eat very often.

I know from experience that meal planning has the potential to save us tons of money, but it takes time, dedication, and self-control to avoid the temptations of eating out and the convenience of a drive-thru.