[Homesteadingfamily] Re: Building a pantry reserve

You can do it! Just take one thing at at time and watch it grow! the
closet will make a perfect place...and dont' forget under beds and
furniture,too! Good luck! ~deb
--- In Homesteadingfamily@yahoogroups.com, Jennifer Llane
<jenniferllane@...> wrote:
>
> Oh, I wish we could have chickens!
>
> This is the perfect time for this advice. We're going shopping this
weekend.
> I have a great place in mind for our pantry. Our hall closet. It's
pretty big.
> And we have a spare shelf downstairs. That's at least a great start.
> Now, I just have to clean the closet. Which I had planned on doing
this weekend
> anyway. lol
> I'm excited to start this venture. Thank you for all the help.
>
> Jen
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Deb debsbread@...
> To: Homesteadingfamily@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Fri, November 12, 2010 3:05:20 PM
> Subject: [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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