Did you know having an organized pantry will save you space, time and money?
Yep, it’s true. Getting your pantry organized before all the holiday baking and family get-togethers is going to put you ahead of the game.
Space saving pantry ideas:
If you are going to be baking and cooking during the next couple months you’re probably going to need extra space in your pantry for additional baking and cooking ingredients. There 6 six things I recommend to my organizing clients:
- Move packaged dry goods into clear, airtight, rectangular containers. In addition to saving space, these containers keep my family’s snacks fresh longer (saving money already).
- Remove packaged snacks (i.e, granola bars and fruit snacks) from boxes and put inside small bins. In addition to saving space, you’ll be able to see how much you have.
- If you have the height, use stackable bins with lids. These are my favorite! They have handles so getting them off of the top shelf is much easier. We use them to store our coffee back stock.
- Store round bottles and jars on lazy Susan turntables. I use them in the awkward corners of my pantry so that nothing gets lost in the corners.
- Use wire baskets to store loose items (i.e, onions, potatoes and seasoning packets).
- Start buying fresh or frozen vegetables. Canned foods are sometimes the biggest culprit of pantry clutter, and have less nutritional value than the alternatives.
Save time and quickly find what you need:
Cluttered pantries cause frustration, and frustration can snowball into other negative effects; like an otherwise easy dinner prep turning into an annoying ordeal. When you can find your ingredients quickly, you may have just saved yourself a 20 minute trip to the grocery store. Family dinnertime should be the part of the day you look forward to the most not the part of the day you dread because it’s just another chore.
Save money by shopping your pantry first:
Look at what you actually have on hand before you make a grocery list and head to the store. Buying extra food doesn’t sound like a big deal, unless it becomes a habit and you start accumulating food-clutter.
An overstuffed pantry makes it difficult to see what you really have on hand. Eventually, when you do find the hidden cans, bags or boxes of food you may have to throw them out because they have expired. That’s wasting money.
Yes, you should throw out expired food. No need to take chances.
Make it a weekly habit.
Friday evening, the pantry will look different than it did Monday morning. This is an area of the home that is constantly changing because we are always eating our food and buying new food.
Make it a habit to pay attention to your current stockpile and straighten up the pantry on a weekly basis. Taking a few minutes to straighten and rearrange will only make life more pleasant as you are baking those holiday cookies or preparing for a big family gathering.
If you are ready to start Loving Your Home, join the Club!