$5 Summer Pantry Challenge | Build Your Pantry With Me!
$5 Summer Pantry Challenge: Friday, June 20 – Thursday, September 18
Welcome, friend! You are invited to join me in a $5 summer pantry challenge!
For the next 13 weeks, I’m setting aside $5 a week to stock up my pantry for the fall and winter. I’ll be focusing on shelf-stable essentials, like beans, oats, canned goods, and baking staples. I’m hoping these small steps will help me prepare for the coming seasons in a way that feels peaceful and doable.
One or two pantry staples a week and $5 to do it? Let’s do it!
Over the last year or two, I’ve been slowly building a pantry that serves my family well and doesn’t break our budget, but it’s taken much longer than I expected. This summer, I want a bit of a reset. I want a realistic way to be more thoughtful with our grocery budget and to grow in my own scratch-cooking skills, without feeling like I need to overhaul and fully restock my pantry right now!
Maybe you’re feeling that, too.
Whether you’re brand new to homemaking, or you crave a practical rhythm this summer, or you’re just eager to challenge yourself with only $5 of intentional spending a week, this challenge is for you!
We’re starting on the first day of summer and going until the last day of summer. Let’s grow our pantry into fruitful stores that will bless our families in all seasons, one faithful little step at a time. :)
How It Works
Timeline: June 20 through September 18 (13 weeks of summer pantry building)
Since I grocery shop on Fridays, that’s when my challenge weeks will start! Feel free to adjust based on your schedule. :)
Budget: $5 per week
Goal: Stock your pantry with real, practical essentials (just in time for fall & winter!)
Walk With Me: I’ll share weekly blog updates, pantry check-ins, and encouragement on Instagram.
Free Printable Checklist (Below!): Download my free, printable checklist, so you can check off each week’s pantry victory!
Weekly Pantry Plan
Each week has a focus, but feel free to adjust based on your family’s tastes, local prices, or sales you find! The free printable (below) is also customizable. Here’s what I’m going to purchase each week:
Week 1 (Friday, June 20 - Thursday, June 26): Dry Beans or Lentils
1–2 bags of dry beans (pinto, black, or lentils)
Why: Inexpensive, long-lasting, and protein-packed
Week 2 (Friday, June 27 - Thursday, July 3): Rice
1–2 lb bag of white or brown rice
Great base for lots of different meals and easy to store
Week 3 (Friday, July 4 - Thursday, July 10): Baking Basics (Part 1)
Salt, baking powder, yeast, or sugar
Choose based on what you’re low on - for me, I’m going for yeast!
Week 4 (Friday, July 11 - Thursday, July 17): Canned Tomatoes
2–3 cans (diced, crushed, or whole)
Perfect for soups, sauces, and casseroles
Week 5 (Friday, July 18 - Thursday, July 24): Pasta
Grab 2–3 boxes of dry pasta
Choose family favorites like spaghetti or penne
Week 6 (Friday, July 25 - Thursday, July 31): Broth or Bouillon
Boxed broth or bouillon cube
A simple way to add flavor to meals
Week 7 (Friday, August 1 - Thursday, August 7): Canned Proteins
Canned tuna, salmon, or chicken
Watch for store sales or BOGO deals
Week 8 (Friday, August 8 - Thursday, August 14): Oats
Rolled or quick oats
Useful for breakfasts, muffins, and meatloaf
Week 9 (Friday, August 15 - Thursday, August 21): Canned Beans
2–3 cans of black, kidney, or garbanzo beans
Quick protein for busy nights
Week 10 (Friday, August 22 - Thursday, August 28): Spices & Seasonings
Add a new spice or restock old favorites (garlic powder, cinnamon, taco seasoning, etc.)
Week 11 (Friday, August 29 - Thursday, September 4): Baking Basics, Part 2: Flour & Oil
A small bag of flour and basic cooking oil
Key ingredients for scratch cooking
Week 12 (Friday, September 5 - Thursday, September 11): Pantry Fill-In or Baking Basics, Part 3
Replenish something you’re low on or grab something that didn’t fit in earlier weeks
Week 13 (Friday, September 12 - Thursday, September 18): Specialty Week
Use this final week to stock something that blesses your family—tea, honey, peanut butter, dried fruit, or a favorite item you’ve had your eye on
Printable Pantry Tracker
Here’s my free printable, a pantry tracker so you can follow along during the challenge! It’s a google word document, so you’ll want to first make a copy and add it to your Google Drive before you do an editing.
If you don’t need to edit the weeks/items, you can just hit print when you open the link! ;)
To Edit Your Free Printable (Before Printing):
1. Open Link
2. Go to “File” and Click “Make a Copy”
3. Add Copy of Document to Your Google Drive
4. Edit the Weekly Checklist as Desired :)
Let’s Do This Together!
I’m so excited to begin this challenge, hopefully together if you join me. I’ve been wanting to build up my pantry without forking over a ton of cash at once. This challenge allows me to slowly build up my pantry over time, all within my budget. I’m excited to spend the summer with a small, weekly practice of stewardship, one pantry-staple at a time. :)
Happy stewarding!
