Not bought fresh food for 10 days - eating only from fridge/freezer and cupboards

I’ve just moved into temporary accommodation of a one-bed flat. The contents of a family sized kitchen do not fit into the kitchen here. I can see Dh and I will be eating some esoteric meals made from the contents of tins and packets for a while yet!

I've always kept a well stocked store cupboard and freezer but I do enjoy using up the little bits of things that accumulate. I can't abide waste and often freeze leftovers. It is very satisfying to make a meal out of what might have been thrown away. New recipes are often invented this way.

I won't be running down anything, I rotate and use things as needed. I have always had a stock of things as one winter I could not get out of the house for three weeks. Hence, when Lockdown happened I had no need to be in the shops with the other panic buyers. I buy what I'm able to store, rotate and use. I have bought a couple of things extra as prices are increasing every week. I honestly believe we are heading into a recession and have never fully recovered from the 2008.

Living alone is wonderful. So peaceful. But expensive. Everything is so much more expensive to buy in small portions. So everything is purchased in family portions and divided up and frozen to reduce the cost. I batch cook. I rarely use the oven now and use a pressure cooker or air fryer instead to save energy
It's an ongoing battle to eat a balanced diet,stay warm and have enough money to pay my bills but I am managing so far

I always have well stocked cupboards pullout etc in case of illness or emergency. I have been trying to empty the freezer as it needs renewing but I do keep topping it up. Old habits die hard not been very well this week so it’s all come in handy.

I can't even relate to this as I live alone and buy what I need as I go along. My upright fridge freezer has very little that doesn't get used on a weekly basis. I buy extra supplies if expecting visitors, but the idea of having cupboards and freezer full of unused food would freak me out.

I do have dried fruit, candied peel, glace cherries, icing sugar which I bought last year to make a Christmas cake (or two) but never did. ?

We've used the flour.
And of course, I'd need butter, eggs ...

Let them eat cake!

At this time of the year I start to eat through the contents of the freezer as I want room for the fruit and veg I grow. I am totally hopeless at labeling things so it can be a bit of a lottery when it comes to leftovers that have been frozen, I always think I'll remember what it is and I don't!

I am currently keeping my store cupboard well stocked, especially with tins, pasta, flour, cereals.
Yesterday we had a delivery from the butcher and on Monday we get a delivery from a supermarket, mostly heavy or bulky items. That just leaves veg and milk to buy locally.
I have some very aged tins. Must think about using them.

Nowadays, I don’t run a freezer or keep a well-stocked larder, preferring to buy as I go. However, some years ago - twelve maybe, when I was snowed/iced in for two weeks I did do what you describe - used what was in the larder.

I wouldn’t say it was a balanced diet but it did give a strange sense of satisfaction using up jars, tins and packets. I came to like flat bread spread with jams and chutnies, weird soups and stews. I may even have given paprika an outing. Another member reminded us recently of Michael McIntyre’s hilarious skit on herbs and spices. So true:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnQTDO8lL8I

Kathy72

If your fridge / freezer is almost empty, won’t it cost more to run? I think it’s a good idea to use up perishable stuff, not sure about the tins, etc. Useful to have a stock in store?

It's empty of 'eatable' foods but does have an array of condiments which I put in the fridge when opened, and the small three-drawer freezer has a few bags of frozen onions and portions of cake which a friend gave me!

Yes tins are useful and I always have a few in stock but I'm endeavouring to eat those before buying new.

I agree with Maw. I always have well stocked cupboards and a full freezer with plenty of meat and veg. I replace things as I use them but don't hoard unnecessarily. Some food items will become more difficult to obtain or become much more expensive due to the Ukraine situation, and I wouldn't want to have to re-stock from scratch. I also buy long-life milk which lasts for several months in the cupboard so could last for at least a month if I had to.

Yes I really need to do this too but I can't seem to make myself do it - it must be very satisfying.

Yes, when we had a large chest freezer, we used to keep polystyrene blocks to put in when it was low on produce. Space triggers the engine more often.

The one fear at the back of my mind is that having dispensed with many of my “stores” , Ukraine or supply issues will mean empty shelves in the supermarket - then I’ll be stuffed!

Well it is tempting fate - the last time I did this seriously was about a week before Covid took hold, and there was not one egg in Waitrose and the Ocado website went into meltdown!

We have three freezers, the biggest being an old chest freezer. When it gets low on food, I shove a couple of pillows in to use up the space. I read that somewhere!

Doing the opposite here with price rises, buying an extra couple of tins a week, we just have a fridge freezer, the freezer is pretty full.
Yes Kathy72 I think it does cost more.to run it empty, I recall being told to crumple newspaper rather than have an empty freezer.

Think this is great. I continue to watch with interest. Every time I decide to blitz the freezer I find either bargains or friendly food donations which cause me to fill it up again.

If your fridge / freezer is almost empty, won’t it cost more to run? I think it’s a good idea to use up perishable stuff, not sure about the tins, etc. Useful to have a stock in store?

Well I think you are cheating by allowing yogurt, salad and eggs!
Not wishing to sound competitive but I have restricted myself to milk only while I also try to eat “out of” my freezer and store cupboard.
The one fear at the back of my mind is that having dispensed with many of my “stores” , Ukraine or supply issues will mean empty shelves in the supermarket - then I’ll be stuffed!
Mind you, I think it could take years to eat my way through all the dried goods and there would still be gnocchi in the freezer and tinned tomatoes in the garage!
But good luck- think of all the money you are saving!
(Hash browns and peas anyone?)