Hi everyone! I wanted to share with you how I stay organized and save money in my kitchen! I can't say that I have always been organized... actually I'm still working on being an organized person! It's a working progress! My passion is cooking... my love is in the kitchen and this is where I focus a lot of my time.. so it makes sense that I would start organizing my life there! When I became a stay at home mom, I really needed to sit down and focus on how I can save my family money. The one thing that everyone has control over is their food budget! It's normally the first place that everyone seems to cut back on when finances are stretched thin. You don't need to coupon for hours upon end to save money and be frugal! So you may be wondering what I do that helps me save money on my groceries. I keep a freezer and a pantry inventory! Do you do that? If not, you seriously need to consider it! How many of you know exactly what you threw in that deep freeze months ago? Or how about that freezer attached to your fridge that is packed with goodies and you literally have to play tetris to try to fit another box or freezer bag in? Can I get a show of hands?! Please tell me I'm not the only one who does this and prays nothing falls out! Ha ha!
Once a month I take the time to go through my freezers and my pantry and write down what I have. You may want to start by buying a notebook to keep track in. This is a good way to know exactly what you have and what you may be running out of. You may also find yourself writing a separate list with what you need to stock up on at the grocery store. That's ok! I do a lot of freezer meal prepping and its good for me to go through and know what we still have available to us. When I see what ingredients we have on hand, I can go through and see what meals I can make with the ingredients that I have. This will save you money! You won't have to worry about buying duplicate items at the store because you will be using what you already have on hand! You will be surprised how effective this is. I usually go grocery shopping every two weeks. Prior to going to the grocery store I meal plan. I write out breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners to get us through two weeks. Knowing what I have already on hand, helps me create my upcoming meal plans for the weeks to come. Creating an inventory will also prevent you from wasting food. Wasting food= money wasted! It's a good way to cycle through what you have and your food won't get freezer burnt. When reviewing your pantry items, you may realize you have a lot in your pantry... or you may be saying to yourself.. I have nothing!! This is the time to prepare to stock your pantry! Here is a few items that I like to have on hand at all times:
Chicken/ beef broth
Various spices such as: Salt, Pepper, onion powder, garlic salt, garlic powder, paprika, chili, cumin, oregano, parsley, cinnamon, thyme, rosemary, ginger, nutmeg, seasoned salt, cayenne pepper. Believe me, I have plenty more but these are my most common go to spices!
Black beans, Kidney beans, pinto beans canned or dry! Dry beans can actually be cheaper when purchased in bulk. It does however take more prep time.. so if you are a busy mom you may not want to keep this on hand. Completely up to you!
Tomato sauces
Tomato paste
Diced tomatoes
Pastas
Mac & Cheese (for the kiddos)
Olive oil, Vegetable oils
Peanut Butter
Jellies
Apple cider vinegar, Red wine vinegar, White vinegar, white wine vinegar, rice vinegar (I like to have a selection)
Oatmeal
Flour
White sugar, brown sugar, Powdered sugar
Yeast
Baking powder
Baking soda
Various chocolate chips
Cocoa Powder
This just gives you an idea! It's not everything, I know I keep more.. but my brain doesn't want to function right now. This is a good start! Some of these items is a good foundation for a meal...pasta sauces, pizza sauces, chili, soups, brownies, pizza crusts, cookies, oatmeal bakes..etc.
Hope this helps you get organized in your kitchen and helps you stay on track!
Once a month I take the time to go through my freezers and my pantry and write down what I have. You may want to start by buying a notebook to keep track in. This is a good way to know exactly what you have and what you may be running out of. You may also find yourself writing a separate list with what you need to stock up on at the grocery store. That's ok! I do a lot of freezer meal prepping and its good for me to go through and know what we still have available to us. When I see what ingredients we have on hand, I can go through and see what meals I can make with the ingredients that I have. This will save you money! You won't have to worry about buying duplicate items at the store because you will be using what you already have on hand! You will be surprised how effective this is. I usually go grocery shopping every two weeks. Prior to going to the grocery store I meal plan. I write out breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners to get us through two weeks. Knowing what I have already on hand, helps me create my upcoming meal plans for the weeks to come. Creating an inventory will also prevent you from wasting food. Wasting food= money wasted! It's a good way to cycle through what you have and your food won't get freezer burnt. When reviewing your pantry items, you may realize you have a lot in your pantry... or you may be saying to yourself.. I have nothing!! This is the time to prepare to stock your pantry! Here is a few items that I like to have on hand at all times:
Chicken/ beef broth
Various spices such as: Salt, Pepper, onion powder, garlic salt, garlic powder, paprika, chili, cumin, oregano, parsley, cinnamon, thyme, rosemary, ginger, nutmeg, seasoned salt, cayenne pepper. Believe me, I have plenty more but these are my most common go to spices!
Black beans, Kidney beans, pinto beans canned or dry! Dry beans can actually be cheaper when purchased in bulk. It does however take more prep time.. so if you are a busy mom you may not want to keep this on hand. Completely up to you!
Tomato sauces
Tomato paste
Diced tomatoes
Pastas
Mac & Cheese (for the kiddos)
Olive oil, Vegetable oils
Peanut Butter
Jellies
Apple cider vinegar, Red wine vinegar, White vinegar, white wine vinegar, rice vinegar (I like to have a selection)
Oatmeal
Flour
White sugar, brown sugar, Powdered sugar
Yeast
Baking powder
Baking soda
Various chocolate chips
Cocoa Powder
This just gives you an idea! It's not everything, I know I keep more.. but my brain doesn't want to function right now. This is a good start! Some of these items is a good foundation for a meal...pasta sauces, pizza sauces, chili, soups, brownies, pizza crusts, cookies, oatmeal bakes..etc.
Hope this helps you get organized in your kitchen and helps you stay on track!
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