Chances are you’ve got forgotten food supplies in your pantry, writes Herb Weisbaum, so why not feed your family some old food for a week and ban yourself from the grocery store? The woman in Weisbaum’s article tried it out, and found that there were enough unused items that when she was forced to make do, she figured out a way.

Day one: Gable scrounged through her cupboards and discovered 4-month-old tortellini that she prepared with grilled hamburgers from her stash of frozen meats. And stuffed in the bottom of her refrigerator, she found asparagus. That’s dinner for four!

Day two: Gable was desperate for certain spices for a sauce and, while rummaging through her kitchen, found spices that she forgot she bought three years ago!

Exclamation mark! Yes, you’ll be eating old foodstuffs, but the experiment may also force you to finally clear out your cabinets without having to make a big task out of it. As far as food safety goes, there are different types of expiration dates. “Use By” dates should be followed; things like “Best Until” or “Best Before” may still be usable, but might have lost some flavor or texture. Check out these posts for more information:

“Here’s A Simple Tutorial On Expiration Dates”
“Is It Legal To Sell Expired Food?”

“Cut Your Grocery Bill Twenty-Five Percent by Doing Nothing” [KOMO News via BBB]

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