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eleny Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-20-05 08:25 PM
Original message
How long could you go without shopping?
I was just thinking about today being "no shopping" day. So, I took a good look at the stash of stuff in this house and figure I could go about 2 weeks if we weren't fussy. I could make bread and if we ran out of milk, I found packets of powdered milk. So, the two of us could go 2, maybe even 3 weeks.

we don't have a stand alone freezer. But I do have a second fridge out in the shed and use it's freezer to stash sale meats etc. It's got a big bag of ice cubes in it right now. But I still think I could stretch it to 3 weeks of no shopping.
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The empressof all Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-20-05 08:33 PM
Response to Original message
1. Comfortably
For the three of us we could go about 5 days without too much discomfort. If it were an emergency we could stretch supplies out about 3 weeks but we'd be eating pretty lean.

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NMDemDist2 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-20-05 08:34 PM
Response to Original message
2. since I have milk delivered to the store weekly, if you don't count that
I could go for at least 6 weeks with my 2 fridges and upright freezer

I got a big check for Xmas and filled the freezers so I'm set other than milk and fresh veggies and soon I'll have my tomatoes on the patio and then can go a long while.

I usually only shop every couple weeks anyway
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Stinky The Clown Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-20-05 09:57 PM
Response to Original message
3. We could probably last a month unless we go on an all macaroni diet
There's probably 15 or 20 pounds of Barilla in the basement store room and there's lots of condimenti in the cupboard so we could do different macaroni each night for two weeks and then repeat until supplies are exhausted. We also have a bunch of soups down there and the makings of a few asian dishes ...... some canned hash ..... mmmmmm .... actually quite a bit of stuff. Dried cepes (porcini 'shrooms), roasted peppers, lots of canned tuna in oil and water, 'chovies, sardines ......

The freezer has a bunch of meat and some fish, a few frozen pizzas, maybe two or three frozen lasagne, frozen veggies in bulk, stuffed clams in bulk .....

We buy coffee by the case and just got in two 6-kilo cases. Same with Pellegrino; maybe 3 cases on hand.

Milk would be an issue for Sparkly's cereal, but I could live without macchiatos if I had to. We have a bunch of canned milk, so we could probably get by.

Its funny, we're only two people at home, and we shop maybe three or four times a week and yet we still have all this stuff stored here.

:shrug:
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eleny Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-20-05 10:24 PM
Response to Reply #3
4. We're just two here, also
And I think I shop way too much. The thing is that when I see a buy one and get one free, I take a hard look if it's something like a staple. I don't buy too much c**p. And I make a lot of meals from scratch. But I know that some stuff gets pushed to the back of the pantry shelves and I forget it's there. Like various flours and some canned goods.

I hunted and found several beans soup packages that were a gift and also rice I didn't know I had. Lots more that I won't mention. So I'm going to dig around and use things up. Not a bad resolution for this new year.
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grasswire Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-21-05 12:44 AM
Response to Original message
5. Less than a week.
More likely four or five days. I don't have much room to stockpile, and I really like grocery shopping anyway.

I'm about to move to a bigger town, and I'm mourning the loss of really good meat and an independent supermarket with superior choice and superior customer service.

Wah! I may have to start shopping at Trader Joe's for some things.
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BamaGirl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-21-05 10:22 AM
Response to Original message
6. Probably a couple of months lol
There are 5 of us and when something goes on sale I tend to stock up.
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cmf Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-21-05 10:56 AM
Response to Original message
7. A couple weeks
We don't have a pantry, but there's only two of us. We always have tomatoes and pasta, and flour to make bread. I have powdered milk in the earthquake kit I could break into if necessary. Plus, if we don't eat our leftovers during the week, I freeze them. There are several meals waiting in our freezer.
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Nicole Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-21-05 04:13 PM
Response to Original message
8. 6 months
or longer, if I had to.

In the summer months I get my veggies & herbs from the garden.

During winter, I can go without fresh veggies. I eat a lot of soups & casseroles during winter. The frozen veggies work fine for those. Same for dried herbs.

I don't drink milk so the canned or powdered milk works in recipes. I can bake my own bread since I don't eat much of it anyway. When I buy a loaf of bread, I divide it & freeze 2/3 or it gets old.

I buy in bulk when I find sales. I have a fully stocked pantry & 2 freezers.

In addition to food, I have lots of paper products, personal hygiene products & cleaning supplies stocked. Those would last 6 months as well, if not longer.

I am single so that works for me. I know if I still had a family at home, I would have to go to the store weekly for milk. My daughter & husband would never drink powdered or canned milk.
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Mandate My Ass Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-21-05 04:18 PM
Response to Original message
9. It depends on the reason
I could go quite awhile with what is in my freezer and pantry and still have mainly varied meals, even when the fresh stuff runs out.

I'm one of those freaks who loves to food shop. I adore supermarkets, produce stands, specialty kiosks, ethnic markets, natural food stores, general stores...the list goes on and on.

I buy specials and sales, I'm quite frugal, but I still spend too much because I can't stop myself from going, usually on some flimsy pretext. Once there I always find something that is such a bargain I can't pass it up. When the shopping jones hits, I must go get my "fix."
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Stinky The Clown Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-21-05 04:44 PM
Response to Reply #9
10. LMAO - "The Shopping Jones"
Edited on Fri Jan-21-05 05:10 PM by Husb2Sparkly
I had to laugh at that one! I just got back from today's shopping jones. We're gunna get snowed on tomorrow so I went to find some comfort food. Not that we needed any cuz the larder's bursting at the seams.

But any reason to shop, dontcha know!

<edit: spelling>
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Mandate My Ass Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-21-05 04:47 PM
Response to Reply #10
11. Yes, today was the snowstorm excuse. LOL
are you on the East Coast? They just upped the anticipated accumulation to 10-15 inches.

I'm in Philly and a big Iggles fan. The football game on Sunday is gonna be interesting to say the least. Gotta have the gameday snacks on hand! :9

Note to self. Better go get the beer tonight.
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Stinky The Clown Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jan-21-05 04:58 PM
Response to Reply #11
12. Just down the road a bit
Edited on Fri Jan-21-05 05:13 PM by Husb2Sparkly
between Baltimore and DC. I haven't heard the very ;latest, but at noon they were saying 6 to 12, with where we are closer to the 12 line.

When we had that biggun a few years ago, our cul de sac was snowed in for four days. We all trudged from house to house for meals. It was a four day party!

Edited to add: We came up with a unique way to get a path between houses. We lured the dogs from house to house with doggie treats! They loved bounding through the snow. Once they made a few trips, we humans were able to follow in their foot prints (actually, their belly paths because the snow was damned deep!).
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mandyky Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jan-23-05 06:11 PM
Response to Original message
13. I shop monthly as a rule
We just went 3 months (except for bread milk eggs cereal) due to financial trouble. Our last month we were meatless completely, but other than that we made it through.

We have 2 refrigerators and one that we need to have freoned, and then we'll have 3. I plan on stocking up on meats bigtime then.
We have 3 people in our family so a little usually goes a long way.
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