Weekend Projects

You Can Potentially Save $50 This Weekend… Just By Decluttering

published Oct 8, 2021
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Apartment Therapy Weekend Projects is a guided program designed to help you get the happy, healthy home you’ve always wanted, one weekend at a time. Sign up now for email updates so you never miss a lesson.

This weekend’s project is not only going to leave you with potentially $50 more than you would have had, it will also help you make your kitchen more organized. And all you have to do is cook and eat the foodstuffs that have been cluttering up your pantry and fridge.

Simply not eating out on a weekend will keep a good chunk of change in your pocket. And then there’s another perk: a thinned out pantry, fridge, and freezer.

You’ll cut up the strawberries that are nearly over-ripe and put it on that last bit of Greek yogurt you have. You’ll empty that bag of nuts and crack open that pasta sauce that got lost in the back of the shelf. You’ll feel so resourceful as you use up the items that have been sitting around or are about to go bad. And you’ll end up with freed-up space in all your food storage, just in time for holiday cooking.

Credit: Joe Lingeman/Kitchn

This Weekend: Don’t eat out and don’t grocery shop.

Dipping your toes into a new practice for a weekend is such a great way to try on a new habit for size. Maybe a month-long “pantry cooking” challenge feels overwhelming. The thought of not being able to fall back on drive-thru after an extra long soccer practice is… unpalatable.

But committing to the challenge for two days? Totally doable. Focusing on something as simple as making meals from food items you already have on hand can end up changing your daily habits. Your food waste will decrease and that initial $50 you saved over the weekend will grow into lots more dollars over time.

If you need some inspiration, check out the ideas in 10 Ways to Eat Your Pantry All the Way to the End.

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You can catch up with weekend projects right here. Share your progress with us and others by posting updates and photos on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #atweekendproject.

Remember: This is about improvement, not perfection. Each week you can either choose to work on the assignment we’ve sent you, or tackle another project you’ve been meaning to get to. It’s also completely okay to skip a weekend if you’re busy or not feeling the assignment.