Welcome to Week 2 of my $5 Summer Pantry Challenge! This week (June 27–July 3), we’re stocking up on another essential pantry staple: rice. For just $5, try to pick up a 1 to 2 lbs bag of white or brown rice, a super versatile and filling base for so many meals.

$5 Summer Pantry Challenge: Week 1 — Beans, Beans, Beans!

Welcome to Week 1 of my $5 Summer Pantry Challenge! This week (June 20–26), we’re kicking things off with a humble but mighty pantry staple: dry beans or lentils. With just $5, aim to snag 1–2 bags of dry pinto beans, black beans, or lentils.

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.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this season of homemaking, it’s that a well-stocked pantry isn’t built overnight—and that’s okay. It’s taken me time, trial, and more than one budget mishap to learn that having a pantry filled with the right staples can make all the difference when it comes to feeding my family well while living within our means.