I was so proud of myself for planning ahead for my meals this week. With my recipes all laid out and my grocery list ready, I headed out to our local store and got everything I needed. No last minute stops at a convenience store, no pizza delivery, and no fast food. Good for me!
My bubble was burst, however, when I got home and started putting my groceries away. Lo and behold, I had purchased several items that I already had in my pantry. Now that wouldn't be a big problem except that I bought those items earlier at a great sale price and now have paid full price simply because I didn't remember I had them. Unnecessary pantry items purchased at full price. Ugh! Talk about wasting money.
I think it's time for a plan to get my pantry set up so that I don't buy food when I don't need it and when it's not on sale. A 4 step plan should work for me. Let's see if it will work for you, too.
Step 1: Empty Your Pantry. Take a couple hours to clean and wipe out your pantry. You'll need a few boxes and a strong cup of coffee. Begin by taking every food item out of your pantry or cupboards. Look for expiration dates and damaged goods and throw them out. Wipe down the shelves and doors.
Step 2: Mapping Your Pantry. This will take some organization, but it isn't difficult. You'll actually be sorting your food items into categories so that you can make an inventory of what you have. The basic items could be sorted into baking goods, soups, broth, canned diced tomatoes, canned tomato sauce, oils, barbeque sauces, crackers, dry snacks, canned snacks, rice, and so on. Then you'll need to do the same with your spices. This can be tedious, but start arranging your spices in alphabetical order so that you can check for duplicates. You'll be amazed how many duplicates you have. Again, check the expiration dates and throw out any spices that you know, or suspect, are old.
Step 3: List The Contents Of Your Pantry. This is somewhat involved work, but it pays off. Make a "basics" list; a list of all the items that you use routinely, and tack it to the inside of your pantry or cupboard door. If you use an accounting type columnar pad, you can make tick marks in the columns to indicate how many of each item you have in the cupboard and draw a line through one when you use it. That way you can keep a running tally of how much of any one item you have. This seems more labor intense than it really is. Your ongoing list of items will get easier as time goes on.
Step 4: Grocery Shop Using Your List. If you already have a supply of the basics that you bought when they were are a special price, you're all set. Why would you want to accidentally buy the same items at full price because you forgot you had some? That's why referring to your new list will save you money. Stock up on your staples, like pasta, rice, canned tomatoes, and soup, when the price is right and eliminate that duplicate purchase at full price.
Wouldn't it be great if we always knew what food items we had in our pantry and never bought duplicates at anything other than a sale price? Once you dig out your pantry and discover all those hidden items tucked away in the dark corners, you'll see why a system and a list is important in saving money and time. You'll never go grocery shopping again without referring to your newly categorized and inventoried list of the basics. - 15359
My bubble was burst, however, when I got home and started putting my groceries away. Lo and behold, I had purchased several items that I already had in my pantry. Now that wouldn't be a big problem except that I bought those items earlier at a great sale price and now have paid full price simply because I didn't remember I had them. Unnecessary pantry items purchased at full price. Ugh! Talk about wasting money.
I think it's time for a plan to get my pantry set up so that I don't buy food when I don't need it and when it's not on sale. A 4 step plan should work for me. Let's see if it will work for you, too.
Step 1: Empty Your Pantry. Take a couple hours to clean and wipe out your pantry. You'll need a few boxes and a strong cup of coffee. Begin by taking every food item out of your pantry or cupboards. Look for expiration dates and damaged goods and throw them out. Wipe down the shelves and doors.
Step 2: Mapping Your Pantry. This will take some organization, but it isn't difficult. You'll actually be sorting your food items into categories so that you can make an inventory of what you have. The basic items could be sorted into baking goods, soups, broth, canned diced tomatoes, canned tomato sauce, oils, barbeque sauces, crackers, dry snacks, canned snacks, rice, and so on. Then you'll need to do the same with your spices. This can be tedious, but start arranging your spices in alphabetical order so that you can check for duplicates. You'll be amazed how many duplicates you have. Again, check the expiration dates and throw out any spices that you know, or suspect, are old.
Step 3: List The Contents Of Your Pantry. This is somewhat involved work, but it pays off. Make a "basics" list; a list of all the items that you use routinely, and tack it to the inside of your pantry or cupboard door. If you use an accounting type columnar pad, you can make tick marks in the columns to indicate how many of each item you have in the cupboard and draw a line through one when you use it. That way you can keep a running tally of how much of any one item you have. This seems more labor intense than it really is. Your ongoing list of items will get easier as time goes on.
Step 4: Grocery Shop Using Your List. If you already have a supply of the basics that you bought when they were are a special price, you're all set. Why would you want to accidentally buy the same items at full price because you forgot you had some? That's why referring to your new list will save you money. Stock up on your staples, like pasta, rice, canned tomatoes, and soup, when the price is right and eliminate that duplicate purchase at full price.
Wouldn't it be great if we always knew what food items we had in our pantry and never bought duplicates at anything other than a sale price? Once you dig out your pantry and discover all those hidden items tucked away in the dark corners, you'll see why a system and a list is important in saving money and time. You'll never go grocery shopping again without referring to your newly categorized and inventoried list of the basics. - 15359
About the Author:
Nicole Dean is the mostly-sane mom and owner of ShowMomtheMoney.com - a fun and informative resource to help moms achieve success working from home. She invites you to learn more ways to save money in her Frugal Cooking section. Be sure to sign up for her free lessons for work at home moms.
