Feeding the family cheaply

I sorted through my pantry the other weekend, finding in its depths half-full packets of lentils, pasta, chickpeas, jars of wheat and barley berries, quinoa, couscous, dried beans, tins of stuff for an "emergency", and stacks of Oriental ingredients bought in a fit of enthusiasm and used only once or twice.

I resolved to start using them.

This pantry cleanout (the fridge and freezer are yet to be tackled) was inspired by The $21 challenge ($NZ26) by Australian "queen of thrift" Fiona Lippey and New Zealander Jackie Gower, of www.simplesavings.co.nz

The challenge is to feed your family on $21 for a week, using what you already have in your fridge and pantry.

Although you won't be able to do this every week, the aim is to give you more control of your food budget, become a smart shopper, exist without fast food, substitute ingredients instead of running to the shop every day as well as save time and money.

There's lots of tips and recipes, not only for smart shopping, simple cooking and ideas for using that stuff in the back of your pantry, but also for dealing with naysayers, underminers, sponges, snobs and big kids who knowingly or unknowingly try to sabotage you.

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Freebies
The Otago Daily Times has five copies of The $21 Challenge to give away. To enter the draw for one, write your name, address and daytime phone number on the back of an envelope and send it to $21 challenge competition, Editorial Features, Response Bag 500012 Dunedin, or email playtime@odt.co.nz with "$21 challenge" in the subject line, to arrive before Tuesday.

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