The Pantry Challenge - My Final Results

Okay, I'll just come right out and say it. I Failed. But you know what? I feel okay about it.

There are two reasons I failed.

#1: I'm weak. I started off strong in the pantry challenge and it was two weeks into January before I even set foot in a store but I didn't realize how long a month can be and I ended up grocery shopping 4 times and spent $200 (overall, not just on the items in the picture). My goal for this month was to spend only $75. BUT my overall goal is to spend $200 a month so in that sense I met my overall goals but not my goal for this specific challenge.

#2: I'm practical (kind of). This month my beloved husband turned 29 (gasp) and I didn't feel like punishing him on his birthday so I needed to go out and get some special treats for him as well as his cake. Additionally I had several coupons for either completely free items or almost free items that were about to expire as well as several items that were on sale at Publix that we use on a regular basis. So I had to ask myself this question - Do I stick to my goal and pay full price for these items later or do I break it and get the things that we need and can stock up on now for less? Well you can see what I decided. (20 of the items you see below were completely free and several I paid pennies for like the Advil for just $1 a bottle and the butter for .40)
Summary: I failed but I'm okay with it. The pantry challenge was fun but I found that with the way I cook on a normal basis I didn't change much of my habits. I usually just go to my cupboards see what I have and throw it together. I think if I was more dependant on a recipe in my normal life this would have been more adventurous for me but as it is, it was just a way of spending less money. Will I do the pantry challenge again? Maybe. Do I recommend it to others to try? Sure, why not?