The name of this Frugal Friday post is straight out of the Tightwad Gazette, II and is updated in the Tightwad Gazette III. The lesson is "to save the most money and time when buying food, you should shop to replenish your pantry, not to make specific meals". In the Tightwad Gazette III there is a list of what the author keeps in her pantry. I have also seen Pantry Lists on other blogs. My plan is to read several of these pantry lists and include the things I would use in my pantry.
One point that I'd like to make is that you don't have to have a special room or closet for your pantry. You can make a pantry anywhere that you can put up some shelves or use a closet or even under a bed! I have made my pantry in a corner of the laundry room in an old pie safe that was on the way to the landfill, but was rescued many years ago. This is a picture of the outside of it. As you can see there are baskets on top and underneath is a wicker picnic basket, plastic bin and beside it is a potato and onion storage box. It is full of buy one get one free potatoes and waiting for the sweet potatoes that are being harvested around here this time of year. In the picnic basket I sometimes "hide" items I don't want my family to find and go through too fast! LOL. The plastic bin is great for produce items, etc. There are also hooks on a shelf on an adjacent wall that has a recycle bag for plastic grocery bags. I am planning on making some cloth bags to hang on some of the other hooks to store food items.
My pantry had gotten bare and so I started working on restocking it in preparation for fall and winter at lunch yesterday and these are the things I've gotten so far:
4 cans of mixed vegetables
2 cans of cut green beans with whole potatoes
4 cans of cut green beans
2 cans of cheddar cheese soup
2 cans of light red kidney beans
3 2lb bags of rice
2 cans of spaghetti sauce
1 can of sweet peas
1 large can of Folgers Coffee
That's a pretty good start, don't you think! Next week I plan to stock up items other than canned goods, such as flour, sugar, teabags, etc.
This is a picture of the inside of the pie safe with some of the products I purchased already stored there. There still room in there and definitely in the baskets, etc.
All of the national brand items were purchased on sale and/or with a coupon. Some of the store brand items are tried and true favorites. I'm not brand loyal. But, if a store brand isn't of good quality, I definitely won't buy it just because its cheaper. I have experimented with some store brands and have found some good ones.
Please visit www.biblicalwomanhood.com/blog.htm. for more Frugal Friday ideas!
10 comments:
Pantry stocking has been on my mind, I just starting writing a post about it on my blog but am not finished yet!
I LOVE your cabinet! I have never heard that quote from the Tightwad Gazzette. That is great! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for letting us see your pantry and storage area. It looks a lot like mine, but way better organized. I've been thinking of pantry stocking too. (as well as freezer stocking!)
This looks great! I'm slowly working my way to building my pantry. It'll take some time, but it's really worthwhile.
I like your cabinet. The size is deceiving as it holds much more than you'd first think. Come on by my blog, and check out the 2nd or 3rd posting down, where is shares how you can stock more pantry items for little money. Thanks for sharing.
I love your pantry cabinet! I would actually pay good money for a cabinet like that! You are very lucky to have rescued it from the landfil. I tend to rescue my antiques from auctions, and get them for a very small amount of money. My dresser (which I use for linen storage) was passed down to me from my mother. I was in an antique store and saw it for over $1200! And I use it to store tableclothes and toilet paper!!!
My pantry is almost stocked for winter. Once the weather gets cold I love to get started on stocking up (we get cold early in Northern Wisconsin).
I really like the series you are doing on the pantry. We live in the country so I was always raised to have extra food on hand especially during the winter months.
I love your cabinet! It is so pretty and functional. I can't believe someone almost threw that away. Did you have to do any refinshing work on it or anything?
I am looking forward to seeing your progress on your stocked pantry. Thanks for sharing the great ideas and pictures.
Melinda
I love your pantry! It is beautiful and functional! (oh, and sooooo neat and tidy!!!!)I'm enjoying your pantry posts. I love to have a well stocked pantry, and over the years my pantry has been in strange places.. like under the bed :)
Have a great weekend!
Love,
Joy
What a cute pantry! Mine is just an old linen closet in the hall...but you are right, you can find space just about anywhere for storing food.
I'm like you...I try to combine sales and coupons. Knowing prices is your best bet. Then you know if you're getting a good buy on something. One good thing to do for stockpiling is shopping after holiday sales. I'm not Jewish, but I always hit the Kosher aisle after holidays like Passover. You can get some great buys! (Especially on things like vanilla, which is really expensive full price.)
And I love that quote from Tightwad Gazette. I'm going to keep it in mind from now on!
I love your cabinet it so nice. I love the neat and organized way it looks. I started to pantry stock a month ago. I still spend the same but it is because I am constantly stocking. But I know that by next month I will be able to skip a shopping trip or more. But the key is to keep stocked up, right? I don't know. Good luck.
Chrissy
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