Summer Series 2026: Building a Pantry with $5 a Week ... #3

Week #3 ...

Let me just start this post off by saying that I hope everyone is reading the comments.  Last week's were so inspiring!  Thank you to all who participated ... I highly recommend you go back and read the comments ... HERE.

            With each week's entry, we'll start out reviewing the rules ...

Total must be $5 or less each week not including taxes.

Must be a separate purchase ... in other words it cannot be hand-picked items from our weekly grocery haul that totals $5 or less.

All items must come from a grocery store, farmers market, etc.  In other words they must be purchased.  No running out to the garden and putting a grocery store price on items harvested or shared with us.  This challenge is meant to stretch us in utilizing a small amount of money to help build up and or restock our pantry.

Must be items we regularly use.  This will keep us from seeing a good deal on something 'we might like' and spending our 'challenge money' only to never get around to trying it or finding out we don't like it at all.  This challenge is for our tried and true pantry building basics.  Think mid - long term pantry stocking.

This challenge includes all things in our pantry:  food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc.

One more guideline ... no rolling money over from week to week.  We have to spend it or lose it!

This challenge will end on September 21st, the last day of summer.  

Here's what I added to my pantry for the sum total of  $3.38 (before tax) ...

In checking my pantry for items I was getting low on, I noticed that I needed to restock breadcrumbs.  So, I checked at the grocery store the next time I was there and noticed that the pictured bread was on sale for $1.69/loaf.  We don't eat much bread so I don't keep it on hand anymore.  If we have a meal that specifically calls for bread such as burgers or hot dogs, then we purchase enough for that meal.  Hence, the reason I purchased bread to make breadcrumbs.  I was hoping to find some marked down for quick sale bread, but that was not to be, so I just shopped for what was on sale.

Once I got it home, I cut it into chunks and started letting it air dry.  Because of time constraints, I finished the drying process in the dehydrator, then I ran the dried chunks through a food processor and turned them into breadcrumbs.  This will be enough to last us for several months.

I'll use these bread crumbs in the making of meatloaves, meatballs, casseroles, etc.

Okay, now it's your turn ... what did you spend your $5 on this week and if it's a food, how do you plan on using it?

Until the next time ...  

mrs. patsi @ A Working Pantry  

~ quietly holding the home front ~

She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27 

Other Places You Can Find Me ...

Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine 

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