Happy New Year (when will I next enter a supermarket?) 9


I wish I could tell you there was some wonderfully inspiring reason for my decision to see how long I could last in 2017 without going grocery shopping but honestly there isn’t one.

 

Yet my question to you is when do you think I will next go to the supermarket?

No this isn’t a cry for help and I do have the resources to buy my own food.  I am curious to see how long I can go for and I thought you may like to share the journey with me. I don’t know what I’ll offer as a prize for the winning entry but if you want to leave a comment below let me know when you think I will first go grocery shopping in 2017. Bonus points for creative and/or extremely specific answers.

The Rules I’ll be following:

No major changes to normal eating habits (so I won’t be having takeaway for every meal).

Accepting free food from others and dinner invitations is ok.

No grocery purchases from any retail or wholesale outlet (barter is ok).

I haven’t done any massive stock ups just for this challenge, only regular shopping in the past couple of weeks.

 

Leave your creative comment below, I look forward to reading them..

 

*** UPDATE 12th JAN 2017 ***

So I’ve survived 12 days so far, had a close call one day thinking I’d go see what Christmas foods they may have left over and reduced. thankfully I remembered this challenge before it was too late.  The thing I’ve found most interesting so far is how badly I wanted to go shopping in the first few days of the new year. It was like I was a child being told not to do something yet having that thing foremost in my mind because I was being denied it and the urge to go even though I had no practical need to do so was so strong. Thankfully that has subsided and now I barely think of this self imposed challenge.  I visited with a friend last week and they commented how much harder it would be if I had a kid, and they are right being single and with no kids sure extends my possible time frame a smidge.

 

The first thing I ran out of was bread.  No I haven’t broken down and started baking my own, though I’m sure I could, mmm home made bread ok I’m getting distracted now. Thankfully pancakes tided me over until I got a free loaf on Sunday, 4 slices left hopefully I can get another one soon.  I’ve only had takeaway once and that was only because I had a friend visiting with dieting requirements I couldn’t cater for without outside food (any excuse to buy pizza).

So some supplies are definitely getting lower but nearly 2 weeks without shopping how much longer do you think I can last?

 

*** UPDATE 27TH JAN 2017 ***

Can you believe I’ve made it this far? I knew if I could make it to Australia day (26th) I’d be able to make it to the end of the month though I have to admit some supplies are running low.

I ran out of spuds the other day and as soon as I did I was craving them for a good 3 days afterwards. The psychology of this experiment has proved most interesting. Frozen wedges helped tied me over though as of dinner tonight they are all gone now too. I’m still good for most things further proving just how much we can stock with out even trying and just how blessed we are.

I’ll be looking forward to restocking next week though. I could go longer but having exhausted some of my usual foods it’s no longer fun and I think I have achieved what I set out to do. Could I go another week, probably. Could I go another month, possibly though I would have to get a lot more creative. I think though one full month is enough. I may even make it an annual event and see if it’s any different next year.

Are their any other things you would like to see me give up for a month in 2017?

 

Leave a comment below.

 


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9 thoughts on “Happy New Year (when will I next enter a supermarket?)

  • Greta

    Moving house is the best way to see how long you can live out of your cupboard/fridge/freezer. The incentive is there. Eat it, throw it out, or carry it to the new home. The last is to be avoided at all costs. I found we could survive for quite a long time. It also forces you to try new food combinations.

    Good luck with your experiment

    • niftynev Post author

      I agree moving house would provide that incentive Greta. I”m already only one day in finding it interesting how strong the urge is to go shopping even though I don’t need to so it will be interesting to see if I cave earlier than I think I can last.

    • niftynev Post author

      only 2 days to go, supplies are running lower but I think I can last till at least the end of the week if not longer. Might be time to give everyone an update.

  • curious

    so many variables …

    how do you define supermarkets?
    does that include the 7-Eleven?
    does it include specialty stores (reduced price stores or american food stores)?
    are pop-tarts groceries?
    are gummy snakes groceries?

    • niftynev Post author

      ok someone knows my eating habits way to well ..

      how do you define supermarkets? here they define themsleves yet in going with the spirit of the challenge rather than getting bogged down in the details this includes butchers, bakers, fruit and veg stores, this isn’t a protest about big business more a test to see how much we have in our cupboards, fridge, freezer when we say we have nothing to eat and go and buy more just beacause we don’t have what we want right then and there and because we can.
      does that include the 7-Eleven? no groceries from them either but candy and krispy kreme aren’t groceries though I haven’t bought any yet and am unlikely too before this challenge is over.
      does it include specialty stores (reduced price stores or american food stores)? yes to all of the above, except re above.
      are pop-tarts groceries? yes thankfully I still have some when you pay so much for them they are a treat rather than a staple.
      are gummy snakes groceries? see above.

      so with all that extra info what is your guess?

  • Robbie

    And there’s just a couple of days to go and you won’t be spending some of them at home…. that’s a sneaky way of making it through to 31 Jan!!!
    I would expect you to reach the goal of the full month – just because it makes it sound so much better than “almost a month”.
    What would I see you give up for a month? I don’t know that I can answer that in such a public forum….
    You have already sacrificed facial hair in aid of a good cause. You don’t indulge in alcohol in any significant amount, so that would be too easy a challenge.
    How about NO MOTORBIKE?