Ready to redo your life in 2026? Join the Big Redo Challenge where we’re going to do a pantry challenge, dejunk the kitchen, refine the grocery budget, and get a meal prep plan in action.
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I don’t know about you, but when January rolls around I am more than ready for a clean slate. Sometimes it works out that I can start cleaning and organizing over the Christmas-New Year’s break; sometimes it doesn’t.
This year I thought I’d challenge myself to a Big ReDo in January, including the following:
- eating down the excess food we have on hand (aka Pantry Challenge)
- dejunking and organizing my kitchen
- refining our grocery budget
- rebooting my meal prep habits
I know many Good Cheap Eaters participate in our yearly pantry challenge, but I also know that not everyone is up for that. But, you might be up for one of these other healthier habits on my list.
Wanna join me?
Per my yearly tradition, starting January 1st, I’ll be posting daily what I’m doing in the kitchen and what we’re eating. Hint: it will probably not be all four things every day, but something!
I know that pantry challenge, kitchen organization, grocery budget, and meal prep are a lot, so I certainly don’t expect everyone to do all the things. But this way, there’s probably something for everyone.
Here’s what you can do to participate in the Big Redo of 2026:
- Subscribe to my email list – this way you won’t miss a thing! You can subscribe for free in the form below.
- Leave a comment on the daily posts – I love to hear what you’re up to.
- Share this post with a friend – Just copy the link and post to your Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.
- Shift into hyper drive with the Good Cheap Eats Club – We’re getting serious about the Big ReDo in the Club. Join now so that you can really rock the ReDo.
When you subscribe to my free mailing list, you’ll get instant access to our library of printable resources to help you do all the things included in the ReDo challenge.
You ready for a ReDo?
What do you think?
Let’s chat in the comments!
Deja
I usually start the pantry challenge and then a couple weeks in, basketball season gets overwhelming and I go for convenience. I need to get more consistent with using what we have, planning my meals, and definitely trimming our grocery budget. We have 2 weddings in the next 15 months and some large expenses to both, plus I’m working to launch a business. So I need to squeeze some money from somewhere to make it all work.
Christine
I will participate. I don’t have a huge stockpile of food but I do love using what we have. I keep my kitchen pretty organized. I need motivation and support with menu planning. Sometimes I am so tired after work I fall apart and order take out. Today I used what we had and made homemade pizza. It’s a good start.
Karen J
I’m looking forward to participating in Pantry Challenge again this year! As usual I am overloaded in food from Christmas entertaining and over buying at sales (although I’ve been somewhat better in this area). I’ve inventoried my freezers and am ready to go!
Kitchen decluttering is a goal also. We disposed of all our black plastic kitchen utensils earlier this year, however there is more to go through-especially ridding myself of duplicates.
It will be fun, as always, to get back in touch with like-minded internet friends 🙂
Thanks for hosting, Jessica!
SarahLiz
Hiii!
Count me in for the pantry challenge and decluttering! I feel like I have half of multiple kitchen gadgets shoved in baskets and I should toss what I haven’t used in the 3 years we’ve lived here.
We did a big pantry inventory last month and thankfully got rid of a lot of freezer meals by giving them to my BFF who has a toddler and is exhausted. It was so nice to bless them with all kinds of cooked food so they didn’t have to worry about cooking for a bit. And I didn’t have to eat bean soup for the millionth time since there’s only 2 of us.
Barbara
I’m in, need to do pantry challenge. I do this every year, great way to save on groceries.
Heather M
I am so in, despite the fact that I start the new year out of town through the 4th, and then am out of town again around the 10th through the 18th (need to buy plane tickets still so it’s an ish, but it’s happening- we are going to visit mom who isn’t in the best shape these days). I have so much food in the cupboards and a full freezer. But I also have plans to clean out several things in my house (not necessarily in the kitchen), and need a “Big Redo” in general, as 2026 is already shaping up to be interesting/potentially complicated at times. I’d like to get some things in order that have long term been driving me nuts. This is the time to start, regardless of travel. And I will continue on into February for sure. The cupboards alone need so much attention. So excited to be here with the “usual suspects” and all the new people who join in ? Happy New Year everyone!!
Amber
I’m in as well! I have many pounds of dry beans and rice to use and other random items I bought to make some recipes, then never actually used and don’t know why I bought it. I also want to fine tune my grocery budget because as you have taught us, that is one area we definitely have control over and can save money.
Beth
I’m in! Looking forward to it! Hoping to take an assessment of some things that need replaced after almost 22 years of marriage- bath towels, kitchen towels, etc. and then make a plan to replace them. Decluttering and doing a budget check up are the first two steps!
Christine
Great idea. My towels need a clean out.
Kathy in Denmark
I’m in for the pantry challenge, as always!
I will also try to declutter my kitchen, mostly because we are gearing up for a large remodel of our kitchen and living room, and I really do not want to have to pack up more stuff than I have to.
I am looking forward to hear from both old and new participants. I find it the perfect way to start the new year ?
Kathy
I’m going to work on decluttering my kitchen. So much stuff I don’t use, or think “I’ll need this someday”.
Jessica Fisher
Yes! Sounds like a great plan.
Tàsty
I’m definitely in for the Pantry Challenge. I join in every year and love it! I really appreciate the peer support and seeing the same people show up every January is lovely. Roll on Jan 1 26.
Jessica Fisher
So glad to have you back!
Marichell
I’d love to join in with sprinkles of it all since it’s needed. It’s been a year since I’ve gone gluten free and family doesn’t always like gf foods. It’s a little hard when there are different things we all like or will eat. But the Food Budget is the First thing I’ve already told everyone it needs to get fixed. Too much eating out and me questioning why there’s a fridge full of food?!
Jessica Fisher
Be sure to read this post: Budgeting for Meals: How Much to Spend on Food?.
Also, Marichell, I saw your email but haven’t had a chance to dig out. I will try to get you some more specific suggestions soon!
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Count me in for the Pantry Challenge, which I love! I think I’m in better shape in that area than in previous years. We’ll see. I did inventory my freezers for a start. Can’t wait to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones.
But this time around, I also need to get back to a budget. For more than a decade I have faithfully tracked my food expenses. Somewhere along October-November I stopped. Not sure why-just other things in life happened and got me sidetracked. Once I stopped, it was all over. Just didn’t get back in the saddle. For the first time in a long time I have no idea what I spent the last quarter of the year or the year in total. That needs to change as not knowing makes me crazy.
So, those two areas will get my main attention, though I could stand to work in the other areas as well. But, baby steps, baby steps.
And thank you Jessica, for making these options available to us! Happy New Year everyone! Here’s to a great productive 2026!
Kelly
I’ll be doing a bit of a pantry challenge and a budget re-do. There will only be 3 of us living at home, so I can stop buying so much so often. It’s going to take some reminding, and one way to do that is to be purposeful about eating what’s already here and making notes about what NOT to get anymore, or what we wish we were eating instead.
Jessica Fisher
Yikes! Three. That is a change. I know you can pivot well, Kelly.
Angela
I need to get back in the saddle with meal prep. Teaching middle schoolers until 4:30 every day makes me exhausted by the time I drive home, and it’s all too easy to say, “Let’s go out”. We have a freezer full of beef (half a cow) and I need to use up that protein!
Jessica Fisher
Sounds like great goals, Angela. Can you carve out a day to do some batch cooking, with a note to thaw a couple days in advance.
Angela
That’s the plan! A great reset for sure!
Kristy/Mama K MeYeR
I am 1000% in for the pantry challenge as twice in the last two months a friend has either moved away or radically changed their eating habits and gifted me the entire contents of their pantry so now my walk-in pantry is way over-full and I have crates full of can ed goods sitting in my laundry room. I am READY for a pantry challenge. And don’t get me started about the fridge and freezers. ? To make things more interesting…we are in phase one of a kitchen expansion project, which has closed in the back porch and made it part of the kitchen and dining room creating a great room style experience. All of my kitchen gear is ready and waiting for new homes as this expansion proceeds through the month of January. I can’t wait to work through all of these challenges with all of our friends here.
I hope everyone has a beautiful Christmas and a blessed new year.
Warmly,
Kristy
Erin in Ontario
I’ve been working on the freezers all year, but I’m looking forward to the Pantry Challenge again in 2026. The number of people who share their wins keep me feeling encouraged!
Allie from Ontario
I’m in for the 2026 pantry challenge and any kitchen declutterring I can do. It’s always fun to challenge myself, carefully plan, reconnect with veterans and meet new participants. See you on January 1!
Julie Smith
I’m in! We did a big pantry challenge back in Oct-Nov out of necessity, but I’m ready to hit the ground running with meal prep planning. We also need to eat or toss the freezer food we didn’t get to back in October, but we have a yearly tradition of this the week between Christmas and NYE.
Jessica Fisher
That is a great yearly tradition!
Julie Smith
It’s mostly to give myself the week off of meal planning ?
Jessica Fisher
Still, it’s brilliant!