Did you know that my traffic spikes on my website every year after Christmas and soars until about January 9th? Have any guesses why? Most people give up on their goals before two weeks of the new year even pass. But guess who’s not giving up?
YOU.
You’re here reading this post. You keep showing up daily. You’re not like everyone else. You’re getting the job done.
And even if you missed a day or two, I want to encourage you to keep going! Pick up where you left off or jump right now or go back to the beginning. The point is not to finish this challenge on January 31. The point is that you finish it PERIOD. So grace and peace friends.
Each of the assignments should only take 10-15 minutes and you’ve only missed assignments to Clean Out Your Wallet, Clean Out Your Refrigerator Door, Clean Out Your Car Console, Clean Out Your Sock Drawer, Organize Your Coupons, and Clean Out Kids’ Backpacks, and Clean Out Your Purse or Bag.
Just a reminder, don’t forget to join the Financial Decluttering Facebook Group of over 1100 people for ideas and encouragement. You’ll love the photos of the clean wallets, clean refrigerator doors, car consoles, coupon binders, backpacks, purses, and more!
Now, on to the challenge!
Day 8: Clean Out ONE Pantry Shelf
I know this is going to drive some of you crazy. WHAT. ABOUT. THE. REST. OF. THE. PANTRY?! Look, look, I’m not going to hate you if you clean out the entire thing and then some. But the idea of this entire challenge is to make the process manageable. Most of us freak out over having to clean an entire house. Many of us shut down thinking about cleaning an entire room. And there there are of those of us who want to toss in the towel even over a single project within a room.
So, these assignments are small on purpose – to help you keep going, to ease you into the process, to make it stick.
Why It Matters:
Eating from home is a big deal, y’all. You pay out the nose when you dine at a restaurant – even if it’s fast food. And our pantry shelves are gold mines. They contain some of the lowest priced foods with the longest shelf life. However, they can become cluttered, making it difficult to see what we have on hand and preventing us from using the food we’ve already paid for.
Maximizing your pantry requires a plan of attack. You need to be able to glance at its shelves and immediately know what you could fix without running to the store. You need to use the items you already have. Should we do a cook only from the pantry challenge, next? Perhaps.
How to Do It:
- Empty out the entire shelf.
- Clear out and throw away items that have expired.
- Donate items you’re not really going to eat.
- Repopulate the shelves with the items you need to use first up front.
- Try not to stack things too far deep (unless they’re duplicates) behind others.
- Take out the trash.
- Make a plan to make a donation ASAP. Don’t let items sit for more than 24 hours (they’ll grow roots).
- When you’re finished, take a photo and post it to the challenge post in the Financial Decluttering Group. We’ll celebrate your victory. And/or post on Instagram with the #FinancialDecluttering Hashtag.
- You’ll get bonus points and virtual fist bumps for interesting discoveries.
How to Keep It That Way:
Once a week (preferably on Sunday night), make a sweep through the shelves. Put items away that have creeped into the wrong homes. Before you make your meal plan or grocery list, open the pantry and cabinet doors. See if you make as many meals as possible with what you already have. Next, work on meals that require only one or two purchases.
Make that pantry work for you this year! You already have been blessed with so much. Use it, friend.
A Few More Thoughts:
As always, if you already have a clean pantry, awesome. Find another small manageable job to tackle instead. Maybe it’s a a single shelf of a bookshelf in your bedroom. Small, manageable difference makers every single day – that’s our focus this month.
I can’t wait to see all we achieve together this month. I’ll continue sharing my own journey in the Financial Decluttering Facebook Group and via e-mails. Be sure you subscribe for both.
Leave your pantry shelf victories and tips in the comments! Help all of us be better managers of what we have.
Our new book Your Money, Your Marriage is now available! Be sure to check out videos on managing money together on Facebook.
My book is now available: Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After. You can also check out The Debt Free Devotional
This post contains an affiliate link. That means when you get a great deal, learn about a way to save, or maybe even something for free, I may end up making a small commission. All prices are subject to change.
[…] Sock Drawer, Organize Your Coupons, Clean Out Kids’ Backpacks, Clean Out Your Purse or Bag, Clean Out ONE Pantry Shelf, and Clean Off Your […]