~ from my home to yours, living the Working Pantry lifestyle ~ surviving today's economy ~ a can-do spirit and attitude ~

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

This is Why! part 8


Previous entries can be found HERE.


In this final entry for this series, I’m going to share miscellaneous ways I stock my pantry.  These things don’t really fit into any of the other categories we’ve talked about so I just combined them all into this one.

80.      I started out small.  When my husband and I first got married many years ago, I didn’t have a well-stocked pantry … I didn’t even have a pantry … and on top of that we were poor college students with little to no money to work with.  But over time, using the principles I saw my mama use, little by little we began to accumulate a small amount of pantry items.  We had to start at the beginning and work our way up to a well-stocked pantry.

81.       I start with the basics … the foundation/building blocks of a pantry such as butter, flours, milks, etc.  (Everyone’s ‘basics’ will look different.)  This is the foundation of my pantry and is what I focus on stocking first.

82.      I stock comfort foods.  Comfort food for me begins with chocolate so I watch the after holiday sales … Christmas, Valentine, Easter, and Halloween.  When I find chocolate candy on sale for half price or less I stock up. Them I vacuum seal it in jars until needed in baking or as a comfort food.  (Yes, even on a low-carb lifestyle there are times when nothing but chocolate will do!)

83.     I don’t give up.  Many times there has been a lack of money to help stock our pantry but where there is a will there is a way and I’ve been known to get pretty creative with what I’ve had to work with.

84.      I set goals for my pantry.  I take keeping a well-stocked pantry very seriously and make it a priority.

85.     I only stock what my family will eat.  While there is nothing wrong with trying new things, make sure someone in your family will eat it before you add it to your pantry.  Otherwise it’s just something that’s going to sit in your pantry taking up valuable space that could be used to stock something your family will eat.

86.     I stock a variety of foods.  Variety is very important when you’re eating exclusively out of your pantry.

87.     I also stock a variety of spices.  Spices can turn a mediocre dish into a dish that everyone looks forward to.

88.     I never turn down ‘free’ food.  If someone offers to bless me from their abundance, I say ‘thank you,’ and bring it home and preserve it.

89.     I take advantage of ‘free samples.’  I accept all free samples whether we use them or not.  If we won’t use it, I find someone else to bless with it.

90.     I read and research to keep up-to-date on new ways to keep my pantry stocked.

91.     I keep my pantry rotated making sure not to let anything in it expire or ruin.

92.     I write the date purchased on store bought items and the date preserved on home-preserved items before I add them to my pantry and use the oldest first.

93.     I consider water to a part of my pantry and stock accordingly.

94.     I stock homemade convenience foods such as freezer meals that are ready to thaw and cook.

95.     I build up my pantry by knowing what’s in it.  Knowing what’s in my pantry will keep me from adding too much of an item.

96.     I build up my pantry by not wasting what I’ve worked so hard to put in it.

97.    I work on building up my pantry all year long not just when the ‘garden’ is ready to harvest.

98.    I take care of my pantry items by keeping storage conditions suitable to each item.

99.    I use and accept the knowledge that this is my ‘job’ and one way I can contribute economically to our household budget.

100.    Last, but certainly not least, I use a positive can-do attitude to help me keep a well-stocked pantry.

 There you have it, 100 ways I build up and stock my pantry.

I hope this series has been helpful and shown you why everyone should have a well-stocked pantry as well as given you information that you can use to build your own.
Yes, you can have a well-stocked pantry!

Your comments are what will make this series more helpful so please share your wisdom.

To see how I incorporate all these ways in my daily life, join me at A Working Pantry.
Patsi 

Sharing 42 years' experience of frugal, prudent living and pantry building 

A Working Pantry

My second blog:  From This Heart of Mine 

She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27 

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