So the message board associated with Dave Ramsey's website, at MyTotalMoneyMakeover.com (TMMO for short) is starting a grocery challenge before Thanksgiving. Details of the challenge to follow. So in considering my participation in the challenge, I decided to take an inventory of my kitchen. I went through my fridge, freezer and cabinets and wrote down every edible item in my kitchen, spices, condiments, oils and all. I typed it all up on Word and came out with 2 full 2-column pages. Then I posted it on the board for our resident menu wizard and the others to work on for me. I had been waffling on whether or not to participate, and when she saw my list she said "Good grief girl! And you were worried about participating??" Cracked me up.

Our resident menu wizard is amazing. We love her and most of us aspire to be her, lol. She worked on my list for a while, and came back with 5 weeks worth of meals from what I already have with only a handful of things to buy. Wow. 5 weeks!! I had no idea I had that much food. It certainly doesn't feel like it. But she knows what she's doing and she made it happen. I don't even have to think for the next 5 weeks if I choose not to. Just go down the list and cook as directed. And I probably mostly will, although there's a couple things I'll likely change a little.

So, needless to say I'm in for the challenge. And now I'm challenging you. You can probably guess some of it already, but here it is.

The challenge is to only spend $25/wk on groceries between now and Thanksgiving and use up as much stuff from your kitchen as you can before the holidays hit. Clean out your freezer and your pantry, make room for your holiday shopping. Start the new year out fresh. Be creative. Think outside the box. Dig into the back of the pantry for things that you have long forgotten about. You might have to throw some of them out, but you're likely to have several things you can still use. Use them. Experiment. Try some new recipes. Have fun. Let your kids have fun with it.

Now we all know the price of groceries has gone up in the recent past and family sizes vary, so if you need to raise the limit, then do it. $40, $50, whatever. Just something below what you normally spend each week.

So anyone in? I'm in at $40/wk, but I somehow doubt I'm going to need that much now.