Keeping a well-stocked pantry can be one of the key elements in making your life easier. Not only will you always have necessary ingredients for your favorite meals, you will also be able to eliminate any non-essentials with these simple tips:
- Keep a list
As soon as you run out of a specific product that you use commonly, you should add it to your list. If you’re scrolling through recipes, and you find one you like, add the ingredients to your shopping list immediately. Buying too much or too few pantry ingredients, as well as winging it once you’re in the shop is not an effective way of stocking a pantry. You can get simple list-keeping apps on your phone, and one of them is Wunderlist. This application allows you to create multiple list, if you plan on shopping at multiple stores, as well as share the lists with your partner, roommate, or whoever you wish. You can also arrange the list according to the store layout, and you can tick away items you bought.
- Stick to the list
Once you’ve created the shopping list, triple checked if you need to add anything more, make sure you stick to the list religiously. This might actually be the most important tip when it comes to stocking your pantry, as well as saving a ton of money while shopping. Make sure that those store isles don’t distract you; if you’re on a diet, or there’s no chocolate on your list – just simply don’t buy chocolate. You can make some rules for yourself, such as I’m allowed one spontaneous buy per month, and stick to that rule. Treat yourself with something special, but don’t make a daily habit out of it.
- Separate your shopping into categories
Even though most of us despise going to the supermarket, it is an essential part of our life. Most of us are forced to do it once a week, if we plan on keeping the pantry well-stocked. Your shopping should be separated into categories; most people use two. The first category is bulk shopping, which occurs once a month. This includes things like pasta, flour, canned items, and similar things that have a long shelf life. The other category is your weekly shopping, which includes perishables, such as fruit, vegetables, milk, etc.
- Put the shopping in the pantry
All of your shopping should be put away, as soon as you get home from the store. You should also try to keep things such as pasta, rice, cereal, etc. in a pantry container, rather than in their original packaging, as this can make cooking a ton easier later on.
- Pay attention to how you stock your fridge
The first major thing is to find a suitable fridge for you. Some can be too small, some too deep, all depending on the size of your household and your needs. Most fridges have about 30% of their surface used, while the rest stays empty. This can be a good thing, as you can stock your items in a visible, easy to reach way. Make sure you’re not over-buying, and you only buy the amount of perishable food that your household can consume before it goes bad.
Source: https://www.mindbodygreen.com