Play It Again: Cleaning Out the Pantry for Halloween

Here's something I have done for several years now, and I thought I would pass it along. I do some pantry cleaning every year on Halloween -- right into the Halloween treat bowl!

Okay, don't get the wrong idea, I am not putting in cans of pinto beans or packets of dry spaghetti mix. I look through the pantry and see anything that is:

(1) Still Good

(2) Something we just aren't going to eat

(3) Is appropriate for the treat bowl.

If it meets all that criteria, it goes into the bowl.

For instance, last year from the pantry, I put in: a few packets of mini bags of microwave popcorn that were going to expire in November that we weren't going to use in time (we had an over abundance of microwave popcorn at the time), a small box worth of Cherry Kool-Aid single packets -- I picked them up once, but nobody was interested, an individual size of Coco Krispies from a time not too long ago when I splurged on a package of the single boxes of fun cereals (nobody will eat that one), some individually wrapped fortune cookies, and some gummy snacks that were not of a preferred brand.

Of course, I also have regular candy in the bowl that I pick up for trick or treaters as well. But, as I said, I have been doing this for a few years now, and I have found out something interesting -- the trick or treaters always choose those crazy things from my pantry first. Sure, I get the kid here or there that will pick regular candy instead, but mostly it is those things from my pantry that are the first to go, and then the regular candy is left for later trick or treaters.

So, before Saturday night, why not take a look through your pantry and see if you have any non-traditional goodies awaiting your trick or treaters!










photo by .imelda

For lots of great tips and ideas, be sure to check out Frugal Friday!

 

***this post was originally posted on October 31, 2007, but since it's the right time of year, I thought it would be great to repost!***