June Challenge wrap-up: "Essentials only month"

My challenge this month was an adaptation of the Essentials Only Month that I did last year, where we had a strict budget (all cash) to spend on everything for a month that was "essential" and nothing to spend on things that were not essential. This was a good challenge to do his month since we will be closing on our house July 22 and moving a week before that (still don't have house to move to yet, but that's another story). This gave us the chance to eat the food we already had in our pantry and freezer so we didn't have to move it or worse, waste it when we move.

My budget for grocery shopping this month was $75, and I'm happy to report that I only managed two trips to Publix (which is hard for me, because I LOVE Publix...) and spent about $45. I would call that a success!

Meanwhile, our fridge looks like this:

We're getting there, people!

It feels so good to use what you have a clean everything out (even if you're not moving). A fresh start is always welcome!