Frugal Sunday - A Well Stocked Pantry

Today's article is about having a well stocked pantry. Hmmm, it seems as though most of my recent article finds have been about food and eating! But, since food and eating seems to cost more and more these days, I think this is a timely article. Enjoy!

A Well Stocked Pantry
By: Patty Getz

A Well stock Pantry contains….

Have you ever wondered how some people keep their food bills down so low? Have you tried to learn their secrets, only to find that your store does not double coupons, or you just don’t have the time to clip coupons for foods you don’t really eat anyway. One of the best principles of grocery budget management aside from coupons is a well stocked Pantry. Having a well stocked pantry allows you to slide during lean times between grocery trips but more important even than that, it allows you to hold out for the really good sales, to add to your pantry. This principle can save you more money than just about anything. So what is a well stocked pantry? A lot of that depends on your eating style. I am going to share a basic pantry list with you, but for your own list, take the one I provided; cross out the things you don’t use, and add in the things you use most, to the list. This list will help assist you in stocking your pantry, and give you some idea of what to look for in the sale papers each week. Once you have it stocked then it is a simple matter of keeping it stocked by catching the sales each week.
Here is my well stocked pantry list.

Dry BulkGoods

•Flour(white, wholewheat, and bread)
•Sugar(white, brown and powdered)
•Cornmeal
•Dried beans (kidney, black, split peas white navy, garbanzo)
•Oatmeal
•Pasta
•Rice
•Soups (cream of chicken, cream of mushroom)
•salt
•baking soda
•baking powder
•Yeast
•Vanilla
•Maple syrup
•shortening
•spices
•dry milk
•dry eggs
•cocoa
•Vinegar
•Olive oil
•Canola oil
•Canned veggies (green beans, corn, tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste)
•Home canned veggies(variety)
•Canned beans
•Canned Fruit(pears, peaches, applesauce, pineapple)
•Canned Meats
•Mac and cheese
•Peanut butter
•Ketchup, mustard
•Crackers
•Topramen noodles
•Popcorn
•Pretzels
•Coffee
•Tea
•Raisins
•Nuts (peanuts, walnuts, almonds)
•Grains-barley, wheat
•Cereal
•cake mixes

What I keep regularly stocked in the Freezer

•Butter
•Cheese
•Milk
•Hamburger
•Chicken
•Juices
•Lunchmeat

For the Bathroom

•Toilet paper
•Toothpaste
•Shampoo and conditioner
•Deodorant
•Soap
•Mouthwash

This list is by no means complete and may not match your list, that is ok, this is just a list to get you started. All of these things can be bought on sale, and picked up a bit at a time. Many of these items on this list are on here, because I can pick them up for super cheap on sale, like cereal and cake mixes. Pay close attention to the sales in your area, and add in your favorite loss leaders. I hope this helps you get a start on your pantry, and shows you how much you can save by shopping this way.

Article by:

Patty Getz is Is a Sahmom with a mission to educate families, on the alternatives, to high debt, fast food, and fast living. She is the Owner of www.totallyfrugal.com and the author of several articles on Frugal living,cooking, and Simple Living.


This article is available for reprint with author's resource box intact and all links live and clickable. Copyright is reserved by author.