Reorganizing my pantry by expiration date
When things that are staples in my pantry are on sale, I tend to stock up. It is not unusual for me to buy 10 cans of beef broth or cream of mushroom soup all at once when it is a really good deal. The only problem is, sometimes things will slip through the cracks at home, and I’ll find that, for example, the white cake mix I knew I still had, well, it had expired a year ago. I do rotate things when I bring them in so that what I just brought home goes behind what was already there but sometimes that just wasn’t enough.
Having to throw out food stuffs I’d paid good money for drives me crazy. So I started, once a month, going through everything in my pantry, and moving anything that expires in the next 30-60 days to my “use it or lose it” shelf. I set aside one specific eye-level shelf in my pantry closet to put any near-expiration date goods. Then I use that shelf as inspiration when I am meal planning or I just can’t decide what to have for a snack or quick meal. I have found a nice fun side benefit of this practice is that sometimes an interesting mix of things are on that shelf together that gives me new ideas for meals. Cornbread mix, red beans and rice, and canned whole tomatoes… what would you make?
It has also, as intended, really cut down on finding long-expired things hiding in the back of my cupboards. However I will admit, that white cake mix? I found it today on my baking shelf and it had expired in July 2006. The baking shelf wasn’t part of my “use it or lose it” shelf. But it is now!
~J
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August 2nd, 2007 at 8:48 am
Wow, do I ever need to organize my pantry. Your idea for a use it or lose it shelf is brilliant!
October 1st, 2007 at 9:06 am
Just read your blog for the first time. Have you read ‘The Tightwad Gazette’ (there are actually 3 books). Very inspirational for budgeting and thousands of useful suggestions. Author is Amy Dacyczyn. Amy and her husband raised 6 children on $30,000 a year and managed to buy a large New England farmhouse in the process…in the 1990s.
Diane Temple
October 3rd, 2007 at 12:16 pm
You know, it is on my “get this and read it” list but I never get to it. I’ll have to make it a priority. Thanks for visiting!