[Homesteadingfamily] Re: Building a pantry reserve

We have been stocking our pantry for years, with the method I described
on the post. I just started out with one things at at time...and now we
might spend $250/month...and times we don't even spend that much. When I
find anything on sale that we sue a lot of, I stock up. We have yet to
ever run out of something because of using this method! It may take a
littel time, but you will see it add up, all the while using out of it
to keep it rotated. It is amazing to see it build!
Yes, we do eat meats, but what we raise here. We raise our own beef and
chickens, for eggs and meat. And we have raised a Tamworth hog or two in
the past, but currently do not have any pigs. On occasion we will buy
Coleman hot dogs for our son, which are uncured, antibiotic free and all
beef. But, that is a rarity! If we find "uncured" meats, like these dogs
or bacon, we may buy some, but never any fresh meats..I know how they
are raised! LOL
To find places for a pantry, simply look around your home. A bedroom
that is unused? A large closet? A basement? Underneath beds, you can
store lots of boxes or flats of canned goods by simply sliding them
under there. Consolidate closet things and make room for boxes there. If
you have a sofa in the middle of the room, use a sofa table behind it
and drape a nice sheet or pretty cover over it, then stock it well
underneath that cover.
Garages won't make a good idea because of fumes from gas and heat, a
number one enemy of stored goods. If you have lots of cabinets in the
kitchen, consolidate things there and get rid of things that you don't
really use to make way for food. You can buy or get for free, 5 gallon
plastic pails and fill them with bags of rice, dried beans ans pasta.
Just label them so you know where everything is. I do not typically
store anything in the original paper box. Those may have bug eggs on the
glue, which, in the right temp, will consume what is in the box.
Take a look around your place..I am sure you can find some room to put
things discreetly and out of the way.~deb

--- In Homesteadingfamily@yahoogroups.com, Jennifer Llane
<jenniferllane@...> wrote:
>
> This was very helpful.I just mentioned in another email that I'm new
to this so
> this was great. It makes a lot of sense.
>
> I do have a question. Where or how do you store everything? I'm
guessing
> shelves. I'm pretty sure I can figure out where to keep our pantry.
> So, your grocery bill now is $250.00 a month cause your pantry is
stocked?
> Do you eat meats at all? Just trying to calculate money for us.
>
> Thank you,
> Jen
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Deb debsbread@...
> To: Homesteadingfamily@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Fri, November 12, 2010 1:46:18 PM
> Subject: [Homesteadingfamily] Building a pantry reserve
>
>
> I have been asked by several members off list, how I got us to where
we are, to
> not have to go to a grocery store weekly or at a minimum of bi-weekly.
I go
> MONTHLY. And for my family of three with three large dogs and 5 cats,
our
> grocery budget is an amazing $250.00 per MONTH. We buy no fresh meats
or dairy
> except an occasional cheese from the grocery store. Produce is limited
to only
> what is not in our garden or fresh grown. We DO buy fresh organic
fruits that
> we do not produce here. I'll take this post to try to describe how I
do it....
>
> About 15 years ago, we began building our pantry of future stores. It
seemed
> when I was preparing a meal, I would always run out of an ingredient,
or someone
> would holler for toilet paper and it would be gone....no matter how
simple it
> was, I would ALWAYS be short on or out of something! I began to make a
list of
> what we used most frequently and taped it to the fridge for easy
reference and
> notes. Then, when I would make my trip to the grocery store,dollar
store or
> Walmart, I would take that list along. I began looking for anything on
that list
> that was really cheap or on sale. Then I would check for the
expiration date and
> buy as much of that longer life product as I could afford on that
trip. People
> would stare and laugh when I roll out a cart with 8-8pks of Bounty
towels @ $6
> each! LOLOL and would have only spent about $50, but have enough to
last us for
> the next year. I REALLY take advantage of good SALES.
>
> For example:
> I am running out of tomato paste frequently and do not commonly make
this. I
> found it on sale at ALDI'S for .33/can...it is running about 57 . at
the stores
> near us. So, I'll buy a flat of 24 can for about $8...and get two or
more if I
> have enough money. I now have tomato paste for the next several months
or a year
> or so, depending on my usage. When I notice I only have about 12 cans
left in
> the pantry, I began looking for the best price on that product
again...I do NOT
> wait until I run completely out before replenishing! Then you will be
right back
> where you started! LOL On a recent trip over to North Carolina to
visit an aging
> Aunt, we passed an ALDI'S on the way. We don't have one near us here
in NGA. So,
> I made a mental note that on the way home, I'd stop in and check on
their tomato
> paste prices that day. They were STILL .33 can! I stocked up once
more (it had
> been almost 2 years since the last time) and purchased 2 more flats of
24 cans
> each. Now, we are set with tomato paste for probably the next two
years. The
> expiration date is 12/2012. I am happy!
>
>
> The moral to this story:
> Begin by buying ONE item that you use a lot...as much as you can get
of that one
> item. Then do another item the same way. The more you do this you will
notice
> the pantry building of staple things which are used the most. Can be
flour,
> sugar, toothpaste, whatever!
>
> If you use say, one 6 oz tube of toothpaste per month for your
family,
> calculate how much you would need for the year (you may use more or
less than
> this) and when you find your brand on sale, buy enough to last for the
year.
> When you notice that you are down to the last two tubes, begin pricing
> toothpaste again and re-stock when you find the best price. You will
never run
> out and always get the best prices to boot!
>
>
> I took one product at a time...usually being the most used products.
Now, we
> have what I call "back stock" on almost everything that we use. We
never pay
> full price and I cannot remember the last time that we ran out of
anything and
> had to make a trip to the store because of that! LOLOL But, every time
I go to a
> store, I scan the end caps and sale papers to see if anything is a
good deal ,
> even if I have plenty on hand already, I will buy a few more of a
particular
> item if I have enough in my pocket to do it.
>
> To begin stocking a pantry like this, will save you hundreds of
dollars in other
> ways, too. You will not be in the car driving using gas on short
notice to "pick
> up this or that"...you will not run out when in the middle of a meal
prep or
> middle of the night...you will always get the best prices or sale
prices on all
> that you buy...you will not be tempted to "impulse shop" and spend
extra dollars
> on things that you really did not need. If I am not in the stores, I
cannot be
> tempted by the wonderful smells of a deli or "loss leaders" (items
put on
> really low sale prices usually on the aisle ends or "end caps" to get
you to
> stay in the store and keep sh opping to see if there are more like
this there).
> The stores know all the tricks to get you to spend, spend, spend! So,
if you are
> there less frequently, you will not be tempted.
>
> When we stock up on laundry detergent and products like bleach or
fabric
> softeners, dryer sheets, etc...we go to Sam's once per year or two. I
buy the
> largest boxes of SURF (the brand we use) which are usually 145-180
loads each
> for about $14, or about .10/load. I buy 10 of these boxes for approx
$140. Then
> I stock up on those gal + half containers. They come three jugs to a
box and we
> will by 4 of those boxes. Fabric sheets the same way...usually about
4-6 boxes.
> We spend right at $200 and never run out of any of those things! We
have laundry
> supplies for the next 2-3 years and do not have to run to the store
for any of
> this PLUS we beat any price increases that have happened because we
stocked up
> long ago!
>
> I realize that everyone does not have $200 to put on laundry
items...but I set
> it aside specifically for this purpose the year before I know that we
will be
> going for a re-stock. Never run out, never run to the store to be
tempted..works
> for me!
>
> All it takes to get going with this is a little pre-planning. The list
on the
> fridge allows me to jot down anything that I use a lot and want to
keep in my
> mind for my next trip out (I CANNOT rely on my memory!LOL),whenever
that may be.
> Always check the exp dates and look to the back of shelves instead of
right on
> the front of the row. All new stock is generally rotated from back to
front, so
> the freshest stuff will be found on the BACK of the shelves, pull your
products
> from there. One frequently used product and about $10 will get you
going into
> the mode. Make it a habit once you get started. In about one year, you
will have
> a most amazing pantry, have your years store at your fingertips and
save $$$$$
> in the long run! AND most important....NEVER, NEVER RUN OUT!
>
> I hope this helps someone. If you have questions, please ask! I can
tell you it
> DOES work...
> ~deb
>
>
>
>
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>

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