If you were to walk into my kitchen today, you would find roughly 400lbs of food. Included are at least 50lbs of whole grains that a friend gave to me before they moved to Peru a couple months ago and several cans of Italian tomatoes we ordered in bulk for our favorite pizza sauce.

There’s also six different types of sweeteners, several varieties of flour (at least five, but probably closer to 10), and seven kinds of dried beans.

Between the fridge and freezer, you’ll find 40lbs of chicken and 70lbs of berries. There’s another 4lbs of berries on the counter, 5lbs of potatoes on the dryer, 9lbs of strawberries in the dehydrator and 4lbs of blueberries turning into leather in the oven.

Don’t forget the myriad of sauces and vinegars in the pantry, homemade yogurt and dressings in the fridge and the zucchini bread and chocolate chip cookies on top of the microwave.

The more I think about the kitchen, the more I’m apt to believe that saying we have a lot of food is a gross understatement.

The problem? The feeling that I still need to go grocery shopping.

Most of this food wasn’t in our kitchen two days ago. Every year my dad brings home an overflow of produce, and when he does, it’s a race to dehydrate, can, jam, freezer or eat as much as we can before it goes bad.

But just last weekend, when there was 200lbs less food in my kitchen, the tug to go to the grocery store was still there. Admitting this is difficult and humbling, but it sparked something inside.  Much like I share my shopping trips every month to hold myself accountable to my grocery budget, sharing with you what’s in my kitchen is a reality check that I felt this past week that I believe many of you can benefit from as well.

How many days could we go without grocery shopping?

Have you ever looked at what was in your kitchen and wondered that? I do, almost every month.

My family is blessed in more ways than I can possibly count. We have a roof over our heads and clothes on our backs. There has never been a day when we go hungry, yet there’s always a small part of me that thinks the food we have isn’t enough.

I meal plan based on what’s in the house and then shop the kitchen before every stepping foot in a store. But still… it’s a trip for just one lemon… or just sour cream and dill… or whatever else I think we “need” in order for the family to eat a proper meal.

But what would happen if I didn’t go to the store?

Would we starve? Would we lose any nutrients? Would the family complain about the salad being dressed with plain oil and vinegar instead of a tastier strawberry vinaigrette?

How much is enough?

Last year at the Allume Christian Bloggers Conference, Kelly and I heard Jeff Shinabarger, author of “More or Less,” speak on the topic of “enough.” He shared a story about how his wife began to question her thoughts about her wardrobe. Instead of continuing to think “I don’t have anything to wear” each time she opened her closet, she instead wondered how many days she could go without wearing the same thing twice.

The question she asked herself was, “how much is enough?” She soon discovered that she had enough clothing in her closet to wear a different outfit for more than 45 days in row. This simple question changed her perspective and her family’s. They now serve to help others in need.

Asking ourselves “how much is enough?” can be the ultimate key to discovering our needs versus wants, and so I’m taking it to the kitchen and I’d like to encourage you to join me …

Ask yourself: How much food is enough?

The average family eats between 3-5 pounds of food per day. Starting with the 400lbs of food in the house and assuming my family of four eats 16lbs of food each day, we could eat for 25 days without leaving the house.

And you know what? I think we could easily go longer.

It’s not a competition to see who could eat the smallest meals possible so that they can say they went the longest without shopping.

Rather, it’s the fact that 95% of the food in our house is real food (with the tortilla chips and ice cream being the two current exceptions) and the nutrients in real food help to control our appetite and blood sugar. Eating real food means we’re less likely to overeat in the first place, and the food we do eat will help us feel full and more satiated than if we had eaten junk food.

Plus we don’t eat much of the food we have in its current form. Whole grains are ground into flour to make bread. Raw beans are soaked and cooked first. Salads are only drizzled with dressings, not soaked in them. So there is certainly more food available than we probably even realize.

So while the math says we could go for 3-4 weeks without shopping, I have no doubt that if we made a legit attempt at eating only the food in our home, we could add at least another week.

Sure, we’d cook pretty much everything from scratch, and there would definitely be some hodge-podge meals, but we’d still be eating real food.

Can you imagine how much money my family would save if we didn’t go grocery shopping for 5 weeks?

Our grocery budget is $330 for four weeks, which means we’d save over $400 simply by eating the food we already have on hand.

Friends, I encourage you to ask yourself these two questions, and answer honestly:

1. How much food do you currently have in your kitchen? 100lbs? 200lbs? More?
2. How much food is enough? Could you stay out of a grocery store until your family ate every last ounce, or at least made a significant dent in your surplus?

There are hundreds of ways you can save money on real food, but there’s one way that surpasses them all: Eat what you already have.

As summer begins to wind down and the busy season of school looms ahead, I encourage you to not just be a good steward of your provisions, but to seek contentment with them by cultivating a heart of thanksgiving.

Before you shop – before you even make a meal plan or shopping list – really consider how much food you already have and find a way to use it. Your kitchen will be less cluttered, your budget will be leaner and your purposeful stewardship will be for His glory and will result in a more thankful heart.

30 Days Without Spending
And if you’re up for a good challenge, I’d like to invite you to join my family in our “30 Days Without Spending” challenge. Yes, that’s right. We’ve decided to not spend any money on groceries. At all. For the rest of August.

Sound crazy? Perhaps. But after writing this post, it really was on my heart (and my husband’s) to continue to challenge ourselves to be better stewards of what we have, and we’d love for you to join us!

Honestly, how many days could you legitimately eat, based on what’s in your house?  I’ll go first:  I think we could eat for 33 days, which is why we’re taking the “30 Days Without Spending” challenge.

Note from Kelly: For many of us, stocking our pantry and fridge week after week (even when we may already have an abundance of food) often is a result of mindless habit rather than thoughtful intention. That’s why stopping and asking ourselves “how much is enough?” helps us to live more purposefully – with more intention and with more gratitude. Tiffany’s post really struck a chord in my heart, and as I began to take inventory of my near-full pantry, I stopped and prayed, “thank you, Lord, for your gracious blessings!” I needed this reminder to be thankful for my daily bread and for friends like Tiffany who help us to stay focused on what truly matters – living with gratitude to the praise of His glory. I hope this post blesses your heart, as it has mine.

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Note from Kelly: I always get excited about the budget-saving tips that Tiffany shares with us each month, but this one is a real gem – not only because it helps to save money, but also time! By having this handy list to compare prices, we can quickly see what gluten-free items may be available at our local Costco and make a quick trip over to check them out. So thank you, Tiffany, as always for yet another incredibly helpful post!

No doubt about it, saving money on real food is hard. We have an aggressive grocery budget of $330 to feed four people for four weeks. It’s a budget that has been attainable for several years now, but despite my best efforts, I still went over budget last month.

So when others say they struggle with affording whole foods, I completely understand! We started our own real food journey a couple years ago and back then, I could have really used a tour guide of sorts. A guide to tell me what to buy, where to get it and how much it was going to cost. Having a list like that would have GREATLY reduced my stress level, freed up more time and overall, made the switch to real food just a whole lot easier.

While I can’t go back in time and re-do the baby steps we’ve already taken, I can take what I’ve learned and create a tour guide for those who need the help NOW. That’s exactly what this post is: It’s a real food guide to healthy food at Costco – the gluten-free edition.

After walking the isles over and over again at my local Costco, I’ve compiled a pretty good list of gluten-free foods that are affordable. The list is broken down into different categories, depending on how you shop for gluten-free foods:

• “100% Gluten-free foods” are certified, stamped and labeled as gluten-free. According to the manufacturer, these are processed and packaged in gluten-free facilities, so there should not be any risk for cross-contamination.
• “Gluten-free foods” are those that naturally do not contain gluten, but are not certified or marked as gluten-free. These items might be processed or packaged in facilities that handle wheat, so there is a chance for cross-contamination. If you are Celiac or highly allergic to gluten, use your own discretion when making a purchase.

There’s also a bonus category: Honorable mentions. However, just because an item is labeled gluten-free, doesn’t make it healthy. High fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and MSG are all gluten-free, but they’re all food additives, far from real food and flat out not healthy for you! Keep in mind that this list is not all encompassing. While I have done my best to include as many items as I possibly could in this gluten-free food at Costco guide, there will always be variation depending on where you live. For those who don’t have sensitivities to gluten, you might want to check out my original frugal real food at Costco list for even more real food items that are affordable at Costco.

Without further ado – here we go!

100% Gluten-Free (certified)

Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour, $17.99 for 3 pounds For gluten-free/grain-free bakers, almond flour is a staple item in the pantry. At just $6/lb, Honeyville’s blanched almond flour at Costco is a STEAL! I checked at least three other brands and they all come up costing over $2 per pound MORE than Honeyville. If you’re a fan of Kelly’s GF recipes here on this site, you’ll notice that she exclusively uses Honeyville blanched almond flour and has even conducted a Kitchen Showdown showing how Honeyville compares to another popular brand.

Nutiva Coconut Flour, $6.99 for 4 pounds Yes, you read that right! Costco has coconut flour for just $1.75/lb! This is another amazing deal for all real foodies alike, especially since some brands cost as much as $6/lb.

Essential Baking Multigrain Bread, $7.99 for (2) 17oz loaves Homemade gluten-free bread can be difficult to master if you’re new to gluten-free baking, so this is a nice addition when you’re just craving a sandwich. While this price seems a bit high for bread, it’s actually very affordable for gluten-free bread, costing about 50% less than the average single loaf on most store shelves! TruRoots Quinoa, $18.00 for 4 pounds Quinoa is actually a seed, not a grain, and this nutritionally dense food is an excellent option for many gluten-free diets. Costco has it for just $4.75/lb, and considering you’ll get approximately eight servings from one pound, this makes for a very frugal accompaniment to dinner.

MiRancho Corn Tortillas, $2.99 for 24 count Corn tortillas are a must-have in our house for taco night. If you can’t make your own from GMO-free corn masa (or are feeding too many to warrant making them from scratch), this is an excellent alternative at just 12¢ per tortilla.

Lundberg Short Grain Brown Rice, $12.99 for 12 pounds Rice is a staple in many gluten-free homes, and at just over $1/lb for brown rice, this is a great way to buy in bulk and save. Would you believe that some other brands of gluten-free rice cost over $5/lb? Honorable Mentions

• Luke’s MultiGrain & Seed Cracker, $7.89 for 20oz (100% certified)
• Luke’s Organic Brown Rice Chips, $6.99 for 20oz (100% certified)
• Late July Organic Tortilla Chips, $5.99 for 24oz (100% certified)
• Mary’s Gone Crackers, $8.39 for 20oz (100% certified)
• Pure Ancient Grains Bar, $15.99 for 15 count (100% certified)
• KIND Variety Pack, $17.99 for 18 count (100% certified)

The “honorable mentions” are gluten-free, however, that doesn’t mean that they’re 100% real food. There may be unhealthy additives or preservatives, so it’s always best to check labels. Plus, they’re incredibly expensive!! You’re basically paying a lot more money for convenience and may end up with far less nutrition in return. Still, I understand the need to satisfy a craving for a simple cracker or nut bar. So you may wish to purchase these if they fit your dietary lifestyle and there’s room in your grocery budget. Otherwise, opt to make these foods from scratch instead using the delicious recipes on Kelly’s snack recipe page (there’s 10 to choose from).

Gluten-Free Foods

UPDATE: It has come to our attention that some Kirkland nuts at many Costco locations may have an allergy statement indicating that certain nut varieties may contain wheat or have been processed in a plant or on equipment that handles wheat. Therefore, it is extremely important to read labels to ensure any product you purchase is 100% gluten-free, particularly for those with Celiac disease.

Kirkland Cashews, $14.99 for 2.5 pounds At just $6 per pound, these are some of the most affordable cashews you’ll find.  Plus, you can get salted or unsalted at the same great price.

Kirkland Peanuts, $6.99 for 2.5 pounds Peanuts are technically a legume, not a tree nut, so peanuts might offer a viable nut alternative to those who are allergic to tree nuts. They’re also just $2.80/lb at Costco – perfect for snacking, baking or even making homemade peanut butter.

Kirkland Almonds, $13.99 for 2.5 pounds Whole almonds can be ground into almond meal or almond butter if you have the right equipment, making these whole nuts an excellent money saving opportunity. It’s important to note that California is the only state producing commercial almonds (the ones you would buy in a store). Because California requires that all almonds be pasteurized, there’s a chance that the premium charged on “raw” almonds is purely for profit. If you’re able to get raw almonds locally for $5.60 or less per pound, take advantage! Otherwise, look into the true source of your almonds to be sure you’re not overpaying for almonds that aren’t really raw. Nutiva Hemp Seed, $12.99 for 24 ounces Hemp seeds are incredibly high in protein, and another excellent alternative for those with nut allergies – especially since they have a nutty flavor! We use them to make protein smoothies, and at just 54¢ per serving, they’re incredibly frugal. P.S. Nuts and seeds can be used to make dairy-free milk alternatives. Get the recipes, tutorials and see how much you can save by making it yourself HERE.

Nutiva Chia Seeds, $13.99 for 32 ounces Chia seeds are a powerhouse of nutrition and protein, and are often used in recipes as the binder. Plus, a little bit goes a long way! They’re just 44¢ per ounce at Costco, which is about a 50% savings off most local stores and even other online retailers! Honorable Mention

• Qia Superfood Cereal, $14.59 for 22 ounces
• Pink Wild Alaskan Salmon, $12.89 for (6) 6 ounces
• Wonderful Pistachios, $17.89 for 24 ounces

While technically gluten-free, the Qia Superfood Cereal could easily be made at home for much less by buying the ingredients in bulk and measuring them out into a container. In this case, you’re again paying for convenience and not the food itself.

The Alaskan salmon is an excellent deal at just $5.72 per pound, but do be aware of the BPA that might be in the can. They’re not labeled, so you should double check with the manufacturer before consuming on a regular basis.

Finally, the price of pistachios is actually higher than other online retailers. It’s given “honorable mention” because sometimes it’s easier to buy everything from one store, at one time, rather than making several trips or placing orders through several companies. Just know that these nuts are priced on average $2-3 more per pound than other shops.

BONUS! Free Shopping List
Get both the real food and gluten-free editions of the Costco price list together in a one-page format that you can download and print.  Simply visit this page (or click on the image at left), scroll down to the entry form and enter your email address for instant access. This helpful free list makes shopping much quicker and easier!

P.S. If you’re still working on creating a grocery budget (learn how to budget HERE), know that buying in bulk will save you money over time, but it requires an upfront cost that can sometimes be difficult to afford. A great strategy is to aim for just one item each budget cycle and go from there. Soon you’ll create a meal plan from a stocked pantry and be able to save extra funds to splurge on better meat or organic produce! 

What gluten-free foods do you buy from Costco? Leave your finds in the comments!

Note from Kelly: Don’t miss all of the other great budgeting posts that Tiffany has shared here. Simply click here and keep scrolling through to see her many helpful posts on how to save money on your food budget.

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