Using resources wisely (time, money, food) is one area of my life that is important to me. Keeping a well-stocked pantry is one important tool toward this goal. Pantry staples, specifically geared towards your family is helpful for good kitchen management.
Robert Waldroup, creator of the Better Times website, says that low and moderate income families should be encouraged to keep some of their household savings in the form of food. It is good advice and one of the tools we use here at the Frugal Workshop.
Labor Day marks the end of summer for many of us and it is during this time of year when my pantry supplies are at their lowest.
Now that summer is coming to an end I needed to inventory what pantry supplies I had on hand. My inventory is low, but I will not be grocery shopping again until at least the middle of the month.
Having an inventory of what I have in my pantry helps me a great deal by knowing what foods I actually have on hand and then using that knowledge in planning meals using those foods, which stretches my resources further.
By inventorying what I have on hand I can see several different meals I can make that I hadn't thought of making before I inventoried my supplies. That will help me save money by using up our inventory.
I continue this practice all month long, creating meals from my inventory, scouring cookbooks and Internet resources, to find ways to create meals out of what I have on hand.
If you've been a regular reader of mine you can see this is a low inventory for me, but we will build up our pantry as we usually do by shopping the sales and clearance items and will build it back up throughout the coming months.
I can see lots of chili's & soups - Mexican and Italian dishes as well. Maybe that is what I see - because they are the things I really like. Lot's of goodies can be made with what you have. Happy stocking!
You are so organized. And you reminded me that I should check what I have in the pantry and use things before they expire. I think I still have several canned items bought for the last hurricane season. I'm going to put this on my next week's to-do list. Thank you Belinda. 😊
I looked at amazement at the contents of your freezer. My freezer has much more bulging with food and it is only a small freezer over the refrigerator! UGH, I need more room. I need to give some things away to a friend who will help me get it organized.
That's a great idea, Linda to help your friend out. We use up what we store in our freezer and we too only have the one above our refrigerator. It's definitely less full than usual.
I'm low on frozen veggies. Waiting for a good sale to come around on those, and I may have to break down and buy some lentils at full price soon. I haven't seen a good sale on those in ages, and I'm EXTREMELY low on those. I keep looking, but I never see a price lower than 1.25/lb, which is a lot higher than it used to be around here. Bummer!
I've noticed the same thing, Stephanie, that dried beans are over $1 a pound now. It is a bummer. I am low on frozen vegetables too and need to pick up some the next time I go grocery shopping. For now, canned will do though.
Belinda, you do the best you can with whatever you have. Your organized pantry with cans of free baked beans (Right?) and the remainder listed will suffice.
Yes, we have plenty of free beans on hand, Anna. And we will o just fine until we go back to the grocery store. I will get creative in the kitchen for sure. :)
I am replenishing my store cupboard as i have been using what i have but it does not work for me as i usually find i have run out of something important and it costs more in the long run xxx
I'm slowly starting to see some blank spots in my pantry supplies, too. I'm trying to play around with the substitution game....going what do I have that will work in place of that....lol. I am continuing to buy our regular groceries for the refrigerator items and my family's carry out meals, but I'm relying much more heavily on canned, frozen, and boxed for the majority of what we are eating. I feel like it is a weird balancing act. I want to always have things stocked, but I know they have to be eaten too or it defeats the purpose.
Now that we are beginning to get sorted at our new house, re doing the stockpile is pretty much the next thing on the list. Your post has steeled my resolve to get some shelves up for this purpose too.
Our freezer is so full right now it hardly closes. In part that's because of the rhubarb, raspberries, peas and apple-pie filling we got from our garden, and the fish and game people gave us. But it's also because my partner stocks up on meats when they're at low (for Alaska) prices, or when he finds it in the manager's special bin. We keep a list of what we have on the bulletin board next to the freezer.
The goal now is to use up the meat before buying any more. I'd like extra room in the freezer so when turkeys go on sale in November we can put an extra one away. At some point we'll cook it and then can it in quart jars, for a shelf-stable protein that can be turned into easy meals.
The raspberries and rhubarb will get used up throughout the winter, as compote for my homemade yogurt and as bowls of frozen berries with sugar. He's got his granddaughters hooked on the stuff (in a good way).
I can see lots of chili's & soups - Mexican and Italian dishes as well. Maybe that is what I see - because they are the things I really like.
ReplyDeleteLot's of goodies can be made with what you have.
Happy stocking!
Thank you for all the suggestions, Cheryl. I appreciate it. :)
DeleteYou are so organized. And you reminded me that I should check what I have in the pantry and use things before they expire. I think I still have several canned items bought for the last hurricane season. I'm going to put this on my next week's to-do list.
ReplyDeleteThank you Belinda. 😊
You're welcome. Nil. Thank you. I definitely had some things I needed to use up too. :)
DeleteI looked at amazement at the contents of your freezer. My freezer has much more bulging with food and it is only a small freezer over the refrigerator! UGH, I need more room. I need to give some things away to a friend who will help me get it organized.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea, Linda to help your friend out. We use up what we store in our freezer and we too only have the one above our refrigerator. It's definitely less full than usual.
DeleteI'm low on frozen veggies. Waiting for a good sale to come around on those, and I may have to break down and buy some lentils at full price soon. I haven't seen a good sale on those in ages, and I'm EXTREMELY low on those. I keep looking, but I never see a price lower than 1.25/lb, which is a lot higher than it used to be around here. Bummer!
ReplyDeleteI've noticed the same thing, Stephanie, that dried beans are over $1 a pound now. It is a bummer. I am low on frozen vegetables too and need to pick up some the next time I go grocery shopping. For now, canned will do though.
DeleteBelinda, you do the best you can with whatever you have. Your organized pantry with cans of free baked beans (Right?) and the remainder listed will suffice.
DeleteYes, we have plenty of free beans on hand, Anna. And we will o just fine until we go back to the grocery store. I will get creative in the kitchen for sure. :)
DeleteI am replenishing my store cupboard as i have been using what i have but it does not work for me as i usually find i have run out of something important and it costs more in the long run xxx
ReplyDeleteI know it can be tough at times. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know.
DeleteI'm slowly starting to see some blank spots in my pantry supplies, too. I'm trying to play around with the substitution game....going what do I have that will work in place of that....lol. I am continuing to buy our regular groceries for the refrigerator items and my family's carry out meals, but I'm relying much more heavily on canned, frozen, and boxed for the majority of what we are eating. I feel like it is a weird balancing act. I want to always have things stocked, but I know they have to be eaten too or it defeats the purpose.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Shara. Use what you have is our mantra too.
DeleteNow that we are beginning to get sorted at our new house, re doing the stockpile is pretty much the next thing on the list. Your post has steeled my resolve to get some shelves up for this purpose too.
ReplyDeleteOur freezer is so full right now it hardly closes. In part that's because of the rhubarb, raspberries, peas and apple-pie filling we got from our garden, and the fish and game people gave us. But it's also because my partner stocks up on meats when they're at low (for Alaska) prices, or when he finds it in the manager's special bin. We keep a list of what we have on the bulletin board next to the freezer.
ReplyDeleteThe goal now is to use up the meat before buying any more. I'd like extra room in the freezer so when turkeys go on sale in November we can put an extra one away. At some point we'll cook it and then can it in quart jars, for a shelf-stable protein that can be turned into easy meals.
The raspberries and rhubarb will get used up throughout the winter, as compote for my homemade yogurt and as bowls of frozen berries with sugar. He's got his granddaughters hooked on the stuff (in a good way).