Boost Your Budget Pantry Challenge ~ 01/09/12 Update

So week 2 starts tomorrow and as usual I am behind...lol!  Actually I had planned to officially start off on this challenge today.  Last week was my mother's birthday.  Plus my sister and BIL was visiting from out of state.  BIL hadn't been to the area in 25 years so we had to make sure he got his fill of Louisiana food. So I'll be finishing this challenge on 2/4/12.  I'm posting this now as I will probably forget to do it in the morning.  I've caught myself several times typing 2011 instead of 2012...lol!
Recap of the Boost Your Budget Pantry Challenge 2012 version:Denise at Shopper Strategy suggested this challenge as a way for us to support each other in giving our budget a boost by cleaning out our pantries. The general idea is use items in our stockpile and freezers to give our budgets a boost to start off the New Year. Each of us that are participating have set up our own personal goals/rules.  
I changed my original goal of $150 to $160.00 to spend for the month on grocery/household items.  This will give me an average of $40/week to spend.  I would have liked to set the limit to $100 but my beloved New Orleans Saints and LSU Tigers have some major football games going on right now!  :)  
Rules to keep me focused and on track:1) Set aside $20 each week for the basics...milk, bread, eggs, etc.  2) Try to go through the stockpile/freezer weekly to downsize.  3) Make a weekly menu plan using items from the stockpile/freezer. AND STICK TO IT! lol!4) Track my spending for the month.  5) Try to not add to the stockpile unless I can get it for free or as close to free as I can.6) Bring my lunch to work on days that I am in the office and remind hubby to bring something with him.  We both drive quite a bit for our jobs and sometimes a sack lunch is just not possible. We both need to get better at getting or preparing items that don't require refrigeration so that we can keep them in our vehicles. Our monthly budget allows us to each have $20 to spend weekly on our lunches.  I plan to use my lunch money for #7 or #5 if I can't bring myself to pass up a deal.7) Limit going out to eat as much as possible.  If we do #3, we can do this.8) Donate items that we have an excess of or haven't used.9) Offer support to the co-hosts and update my blog with my progress.    

The Challenge is being co-hosted by myself, Shopper Strategy, Going Crazy Wanna Go?, The Frugalista Chick, Matter of Cents, Thrifty Divas, Frugal Mom of Two, How About Free, TheItMom.com, All The World Is Art, Sweeping The USA, Mommies Point of View, Mama's Money Tree, Crunchy Frugalista, Fab Find Foodie, Making Time For Mommy, Adventures in Coupons, Full Price? NEVER!, The Frugal Navy Wife, Generations of Savings, A Savings WOW!, and of course, Shopper Strategy.   

Each Monday during January all of us that are participating are going to post an update of our goals and how we're doing at meeting those goals through the linky below. Plus, we’re also going to be giving away a $25 Coupon Clutch gift certificate each week to one participant who either leaves a link to a challenge post or a comment about their challenge goals. Won’t you join us?