I've just about cleaned out the fridge.

Well, the beef stew is gone, the spaghetti sauce is gone, and I used the last slice of bread yesterday. The freezer is full, if I could only get myself in gear to plan and prepare a meal. The pantry is full. I've been on this challenge in one way or another since June 26 and I haven't made a dent in the pantry food. I just can't even tell I've been using it for over 3 months.

I broke down and went to CVS today as I had 2 of the .50 Dawn Qs and it's .99 this week. I used my GC for the $1.16 I owed, so no money spent there. Truly, I should have let the Qs expire on the 30th. I have 2 liquor boxes full of dish detergent. The whole purpose of this challenge has been to use stockpile, not bring in more. There's some deals, though, that are just impossible to walk by. Free Dawn is just one of those times.

October 1st can't come too soon. I have about 3 days' worth of cat food in the basement for my 4 outdoor cats, plus the freeloaders.

What kind of challenge should I create for the month of October? Any ideas? I'm completely out of Walgreens GC, although I will have $4.37 put on a card within the next week. See? I really didn't chase the deals at Walgreens, just like I said! I've used almost all of my Rite Aid GC. I have a couple of dollars left on that. I have a $25 CVS GC, but, no grocery GC. I'm hoping for about $30 back in rebates during October. Those are hard to count on, though, as the processing times swing so wildly. I've got to spend about $12 in the next few days for cat food. That takes a chunk out of the $50 I've been allowing for a couple of months. I want to continue the challenge, but, I've got to be realistic about how much I need to spend to get through the month. I don't want to jack it up too much; it takes the spirit out of the challenge.

I'd like to hear from my readers for ideas about October. Is there a new twist I can put on it? Should I continue as before, with $50? I admit, saying that I spent no money oop in July is a little misleading; I had a goo-gob of gift cards to work with. Even into August and September, I had quite a bit left with Rite Aid, Walgreens, and CVS. That money is pretty much dried up. Please post your comments. I'd like to get a discussion started about October. I don't do anything special for Halloween. I have a bag of fun size candy bars, just in case, but, for the past few years, I haven't had a single child come to my door. I remember as a teenager that we went out like a marauding gang to score candy, roll yards, and throw eggs. Yes, I was a bit rebellious. Worse, I did this with my church group friends!

Chime in with your opinions and suggestions. We've only got a couple of days to come up with a plan. I can't do it without you!