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!
When I got home and started to put my groceries in the pantry, I noticed a reoccurring theme. There it was. Duplicate items purchased today at full price instead of the reduced price that I had paid before. I hadn't remembered that I already had some items that I needed, so bought them again. I sure didn't need to spend the money on those things again. And I sure didn't need to pay full price for them when I can always find a sale. What a tremendous waste of money.
So, starting today, I'm implementing a plan to organize and itemize my pantry so I never buy duplicates again at full price. To make it work for me, I'm going to set up 4 steps to follow. Here we go.
Step 1: Remove Everything From The Pantry. This will take a little time, so pick a day when you can dig in. Have a strong cup of tea or coffee, and begin. Pull all the food items, canned and dry, and check each one to see if they are damaged or expired. Throw out anything questionable. Now's your chance to wipe out the pantry and shelves.
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: Create A Working List Of Basic Items. Writing down what you have in your pantry and keeping track of the items as you buy and use them seems like work. Well, it is, at first, but once you start using it, you'll save time and money just knowing what you already have in the pantry. Using a column and row type paper, list your most often used items and the number you have in the pantry. Then as you use them, cross one off, and as you buy them add what you buy. This method is very easy once you get the hang of it.
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.
In a perfect world we know what we have in our pantry and only buy food when we need it and it's always at a sale price. Since we don't live in that dream world, we all end up with food lost in the far recesses of the cupboard or pantry shelves. Once your pantry items are inventoried, categorized, and listed, your grocery shopping trips should never again yield a gross of unneeded, duplicated, and overpriced surprises.
When I got home and started to put my groceries in the pantry, I noticed a reoccurring theme. There it was. Duplicate items purchased today at full price instead of the reduced price that I had paid before. I hadn't remembered that I already had some items that I needed, so bought them again. I sure didn't need to spend the money on those things again. And I sure didn't need to pay full price for them when I can always find a sale. What a tremendous waste of money.
So, starting today, I'm implementing a plan to organize and itemize my pantry so I never buy duplicates again at full price. To make it work for me, I'm going to set up 4 steps to follow. Here we go.
Step 1: Remove Everything From The Pantry. This will take a little time, so pick a day when you can dig in. Have a strong cup of tea or coffee, and begin. Pull all the food items, canned and dry, and check each one to see if they are damaged or expired. Throw out anything questionable. Now's your chance to wipe out the pantry and shelves.
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: Create A Working List Of Basic Items. Writing down what you have in your pantry and keeping track of the items as you buy and use them seems like work. Well, it is, at first, but once you start using it, you'll save time and money just knowing what you already have in the pantry. Using a column and row type paper, list your most often used items and the number you have in the pantry. Then as you use them, cross one off, and as you buy them add what you buy. This method is very easy once you get the hang of it.
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.
In a perfect world we know what we have in our pantry and only buy food when we need it and it's always at a sale price. Since we don't live in that dream world, we all end up with food lost in the far recesses of the cupboard or pantry shelves. Once your pantry items are inventoried, categorized, and listed, your grocery shopping trips should never again yield a gross of unneeded, duplicated, and overpriced surprises.
About the Author:
Nicole Dean is the mostly-sane mom and owner of ShowMomtheMoney.com - a fun and informative site to help moms achieve success working from home. She welcomes 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.
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