This move has helped me to realize that I have a problem, that I cannot control it, and that I need help.
But, dang it, if the world as we know it comes to an end, my husband and I won't starve.
Yes, I have a problem. I finally have admitted it to myself and to my husband, who sang hallelujah that I have seen the light. Of course, admitting that I have this compulsive behavior does not mean that I can control it.
The pantry is standing room only. Every shelf is stacked three to five items deep. I'm not even sure I know what's under there, and I only filled it up a couple of weeks ago. I had to install shelves on the back of the door just to get everything in there. So what did I do today? I had to add a bag of tapioca. Why? Did I need tapioca for a recipe I wanted to try? Nope. I just had to buy it because I didn't have any.
Selling one of my freezers for this move, however, did force me to consolidate and temporarily stop some of my bulk buying habits. Oh, except for that 6 pounds of flank steak that I got on sale two days ago. I had to find a home for them somewhere in the abyss. For crying out loud, I have to practically empty a shelf out to find what I'm looking for. Thank goodness for dry ice. I don't think I could ever move if I had to actually empty my freezers to do so.
Oh, and the canned goods. Yeah, they don't all fit in the pantry - or the kitchen at all, for that matter. Thank goodness there's this nice space under the steps.
I have gotten a lot better about using up my food before I move. I also love to stock up on things, but 6 months before I move I start going through everything in the house and make an inventory. I then start planning my weekly menus around anything that needs to be used up first (I start with the freezer). I try really hard not to add any new meats - including anything that shows up on sale - and only supplement my meals with fresh veggies and fruits as I need them. I am about to move again myself, and have been detailing how I used up my food in my blog.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I have enjoyed is finding new ways to substitute for missing ingredients and also coming up with completely new recipes using whatever I have left in the house.
Good luck using up your food - it sure looks like you have a lot of nice meals in store for you :) All those home canned items made my mouth water.
I absolutely have the same problem.
ReplyDeleteI now have a deal where every couple months I go on a "no shopping for X days" and I can only use food in my pantry. It gets interesting but definitely helps solve the hoarding :-)