Operation Use It Challenge!

[coupondink]

I have a challenge to present to everyone!

There is a popular challenge in the stockpiling section that mainly focuses on everyone's total oop. The idea started as a way to get folks to use up their stockpiles, but it seems to have evolved to a list of everyone's total expenditures. It is a fun thread and fun to read.

Perhaps we can do another challenge in this section with a slightly different focus. USING your stockpile and not spending money.

Every year, I make new challenges and goals for myself for couponing. In 2010, I came up with Operation Use It! My goal was as little oop as possible, and to use the stockpile. Well, I kept my oop quite low ($288 for the entire year! WOOT! Not as good as previous years, but I was quite busy and didn't have as much time to dedicate to couponing as previous years, but still wonderful). I focused my energies on finding ways to use what I had and only went shopping for things that were free after coupon or free after rebate. I did have to purchase milk, eggs, fresh produce, as well as other ingredients to use up the stockpile.

Well I am trying to extend Operation Use It! to 2011. I have a nice stockpile now, and am focusing on saving money for a few financial goals we have.

To stay on target, I thought I would start a thread where folks can post their efforts to not spend anything, and to start using those stockpiles creatively. I see a whole lot of stockpile pictures where I seriously think many of us do not need to be spending more money, but can use up the stockpiles and save some money for a while in the process. I know the allure of a good deal is hard...but not spending money is even more alluring.

Recipes, creative uses of stockpile items, motivation to keep oop low and use up stockpiles are all welcome here.

[coupondink]

Yesterday I made lo mein...a creative use of the free noodles this week

Penn Dutch noodles are free this week (and last) at shoprite
I added in onions, cabbage (free), chicken quarters deboned and chopped ( free), Chinese mushrooms soaked in water and chopped, a small bell pepper, garlic chopped, 2 scallions, soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce.

It was delicious! However, I wound up with 4 pounds of lo mein! Good thing DH loved it. This is about 6 meals. All for under a buck.

Breakfast: potatoes (free), onions (free), 1 egg(about 6 cents) all fried up. Coffee
lunch: not hungry after the huge breakfast
dinner: lo mein for 2

Today--
chicken quarters again (I got 30 pounds free!) with a hoisin glaze baked (not great, won't make again)
bok choy (.79 a pound - got a small bunch)
jasmine rice (I get 25 pound bags for $18 at BJs, and it lasts us 6 months...so a serving costs pennies)

breakfast: cereal (free) and a little milk, coffee
lunch: clam chowder (free) and multigrain bread (free) and butter (free)
dinner: chicken (free) , rice, bok choy for 2

next few days - leftovers!!

Total for the week- under a buck! :-)

Today is shopping day. I got $171 worth of free stuff, and made a $35 profit! I got paid $35 today to take home about 5 bags of stuff. Woot!