Savings Tip – Open Up The Pantry
If you are looking to gain substantial margin in your budget, try this tip: Open up the pantry!
Seriously, you probably have a month’s worth of canned and dry goods in there. Yes, you will have to purchase the perishables like milk, bread, and veggies, but you could probably get by on 30% or less of your typical monthly grocery spending this month!
Here are some tips to maximize the use of your pantry inventory:
- Pull everything out and place on the dining room table
- Put meals together based on this total overview of your inventory
- Write down the meals on paper so you don’t forget the ideas you have
I love these types of meals! Is there anything better than chicken chow mein? Or spaghetti? Or sardines and saltines? Or made-from-scratch biscuits and gravy?
For many families, doing this for just one month will save $200 or more!
QUESTION: Have you ever done anything like this? If so, what was the strangest meal you ever put together with the items you “discovered” in your pantry?
There are even more ways to save in the pantry. I see lots of name brand foods in this picture. Using the ‘store brand’ will save quite a bit of money. Many people would be surprised to learn that many store brands are made by the name brand companies with a different label. If you’re curious, ask the manager. I asked about some store brand canned vegetables and was told they were made by Del Monte.
Just last night I made a meal out of things in the refrigerator that needed to be used soon, a pie crust, ham, and eggs that were on sale at a great price. We had ham and cheese quiche.
My daughter used to call this “mish-mash.” One person eats chicken chow-mein, another spaghetti. A meal without having to go to the store. And it made the kids more self-reliant.
I have recently discovered Aldi as a grocery store…. big savings. Their bottled water at $2.50 a case is the cheapest anywhere.