I remembered my question!!

[dcjlkplus3]

For those of you that try and stock up/ keep a fully stocked pantry... how do you go about it?

 

We get paid 2x a month and when we get our tax refund I will do some major stocking up, but I want to be able to maintain it. Should I just have 1 grocery list for the montha and reuse the same list every month as a base (and just get produce, etc as needed)?

[simka2]

I purchase from Azure Standard once a month. The major pantry items we just cannot pass on are rice, beans, chick peas, split peas, flour, biscuit mix, and raisins. I also purchase a large amount of fruits, vegetables and frozen berries.

 

ooops: oats!

Edited February 5, 2012 by simka2

[Slipper]

It depends on how you cook. We have special diets, so I always budget money to order a few cases of items a month (I rotate between flours, pasta and mixes).

 

I would absolutely pick a few recipes that are pantry heavy items and stock up on those things. For me, it's white bean chili and taco soup. I purchase enough canned goods to make each of those four times. I also buy spaghetti sauce by the case or at least tomato sauce to make my own. We use a lot of rice, so I buy lots of that.

 

My biggest problem is that I try to purchase pantry items based on others' lists and end up with things I won't use, like powdered milk. I rarely cook with milk and we don't drink it, but it's on every list I see, so I buy it! :tongue_smilie:

 

I keep a standard list of what I need to check on and try to buy one ahead when I see the need on payday. For example, laundry detergent, dog food, dish det, shampoo, etc.

[angela in ohio]

I used a tax refund long ago to get us started. I figured out what I needed to have in the pantry to make a good variety of meals for about 6 weeks. That became my standard. When we got paid, I would figure out what I needed to replace to get back up to there.

 

I started with the grocery story. Then with the time I was saving, I had time to start finding better ways to stock: a yearly honey buy from a beekeeper, a food co-op, a yearly maple syrup buy, picking berries and freezing them yearly, buying a side of beef, etc.

 

Our eating habits have changed (improved) over the years, and I have simplified. I used to stock all sorts of different boxes and cans for meals, but then I started learning to cook from scratch and my pantry transitioned to more bulk simple ingredients.

 

I buy produce about twice a week and dairy weekly.

[chepyl]

We have 3-4 casseroles, chicken enchiladas, Tortilla soup, spaghetti, and breakfast for dinner items on hand at almost all times. The casseoles are all the same base with a different meay, sauce or other thing added. I always have enough to make at least 3 of these meals.

 

I keep canned soup, MAC and cheese, and pasta roni boxes. Sardines, crackers, rice, and canned chicken are also on hand.

 

We live on frozen chicken breasts. I keep at least 10 pounds in the deep freeze. We also keep a few frozen dinners: lasagna, chicken Picasa, and pizza. Currently we have frozen meatballs, Brisket, and ground beef, and salmon in the freezer as well.

 

We buy produce, milk, and juice once every week or two. (We also have an extra fridge now.) We can easily go through more than a gallon of milk a week with three cereal eaters.

 

We cook from scratch a lot, but we like to have variety and quick meal options for crazy days.

 

I make a menu with 10 dinners including a few of our staple meals and buy what I need to have 10 dinners every week. Why 10? In case I don't make it to the store on shopping day, and so we have choice. There is nothing worse than Saturday night with one option and it does not sound appealing! You either end up going out, or last minute shopping. For the next week, uncooked meals are added.to the next weeks menu again.

 

I want to get into shopping once a month and precooking meals for the freezer....I have two books of recipies and freezing instructions....just have not done it yet.

[Cindyg]

It's easy to over do it and buy more than you'll use in a lifetime. So go slow.

 

I just watch for "stock up sales" at my grocery store and at Walgreens. When I go in, I cherry pick the sales items.

 

But I have had to learn to limit myself. Even if I could get toothbrushes for 25 cents, really, how many more do we need?

[Kathleen in LV]

It's easy to over do it and buy more than you'll use in a lifetime. So go slow.

 

I just watch for "stock up sales" at my grocery store and at Walgreens. When I go in, I cherry pick the sales items.

 

But I have had to learn to limit myself. Even if I could get toothbrushes for 25 cents, really, how many more do we need?

 

:iagree:

 

 

There are some staple items that go on sale (I mean, a really good sale price, not a token sale) infrequently, so when they do, I buy a lot. (And try to find coupons online to go with the great sale.) When I do this, I make sure to check expiration dates. I often find that items on the back of the shelf will have a later expiration date. Also, if you're stocking up on canned goods, be careful to check for small dents, which can cause them to go bad sooner.

 

I also agree with the post about Azure Standard -- the prices are great for certain bulk items, and even the best grocery store sale doesn't come close.

[Desert Rat]

There is a cycle to what goes on sale. I buy what I need for that time frame (or double if it's only 3 months). For example, I know that spaghetti sauce goes on sale every 3 months. I save coupons and buy during the sale. I buy enough for my family to use in 3-6 months. I always check expiration dates to make sure they are longer than 6 months. I know we use 2-3 jars a month. So, I buy 9-18.

I always make sure to rotate my stock. I never buy more than a 6 month supply of any food product. I will stock up on paper products, cleaners, etc.

Any food that is going to expire within a few weeks either gets used or taken to a food pantry.

[Deb in NZ]

I buy extra to stock the pantry / freezer when things I use go on sale. I know the things we use regularly (canned tomatoes, rice, flour, sugar, flour tortillas, etc.) & I always try to have 1-2 months supply on hand. When I open our last bottle of a sauce (ketchup, BBQ, etc.) I put it on the list & buy 2-3 when it is next on sale. Making & using a menu helps to highlight what foods you use regularly. I made up a 11 week menu just before New Years. It has made shopping & cooking so-o-o much easier & I am not tempted to order pizza---but ds#2 did tell me I need to put pizza on the menu more often :tongue_smilie: When things go on sale I skim my menu, check the pantry, & buy 1-2 more than I need. This means when I make that recipe again I will have most of the ingredients on hand (& prices don't often go down, more often they go up.) I have used our summer holidays to stock the freezer with easy meals simply by cooking double (one to cook & one for the freezer.) One week ground beef was on sale so I made 3 meatloaves for the freezer, 2 lasagnes for the freezer, & 2 shepherds pies for the freezer as well as a shepherds pie for dinner that night. It took me about 3 hours & I had 7 meals in the freezer & dinner on the table. Dinner when I use my frozen bounty will only take me minutes as I only need to take a frozen dinner out the night before & thaw it in the fridge (optional), then cook it in the oven for an hour. No mess or work for me. :D A well stocked pantry is a blessing.