Nearly 5 years ago, I wrote about building up your pantry on a budget. Now that I’m leaving Spain in just 4-5 weeks, it’s time to do the opposite. Care to join me in a pantry challenge? Let’s use everything up!
Although I’ve moved within Spain several times, this will be my first international move since I arrived in 2015. With each previous move, I left food behind with local friends, since pantry food was the last thing on my mind, and I never planned for it.
This time, I have taken a complete inventory of my pantry items. I recommend this pantry challenge for anyone else whose program is coming to an end. Let’s take a look at my inventory, which you can open here.
Pantry Challenge Priority Ranking
Low – Items that could easily go in my suitcase if I wanted to take them with me. This includes things like tin cans (though heavy, will not be damaged) and individually wrapped items like teabags and condiments.
Medium – These have less stable packaging, such as cardboard or plastic, but could still work in my luggage if necessary.
High – These items are either already opened or are in glass jars, which wouldn’t travel as well.
Goal of the Pantry Challenge
I would like to use up as much high and medium priority food as possible before relocating to the US. To do this, I will only buy new food items if they combine with and eliminate something from the list. Refrigerator contents are not included in the inventory, as it’s short-term stock that gets used up weekly. Spices aren’t included either, because they are inexpensive and easy to re-home.
This pantry challenge is not only a way to make planning fun, but it will also save us money on groceries in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for updates as my pantry stock dwindles, and let me know how you’re doing in the comments below!