Organizing the Pantry
January is the perfect time to get a fresh, clean start to a new year. The first place to remove clutter is your pantry. Let’s face it we’re all guilty of pantry neglect.
We find cans of food that expired 2 and even 3 years ago. Cleaning out your pantry is not all about de-cluttering your kitchen, but it can also help keep your budget in the black. When cleaning out your pantry take inventory on the items you have multiples of. You will see what you’re buying too much of, what you’re actually not using, and what items you can buy in bulk.
Start out by taking everything out of your pantry. When going through the items ask yourself - has this expired and am I going to use it? If it has expired just toss it in the garbage. Periodically take your garbage out so you don’t have a heavy bag of food to drag out at the end. If the product is good, but you’re not going to use it place it in a box to take to your local food bank. If you plan on using the product place it on your table or countertop. As you go through the food begin to sort them into categories. Once your pantry is completely cleaned out wipe the shelves down starting at the top. When restocking your pantry think of the best place for each category of foods.
Do you have kids? Make a lower shelf the kid’s shelf were they can have easy access to foods they can eat. Follow the first in first out rule. Place the foods with the approaching expiration dates in the front and the newer items in the back.
Now that your pantry is all neat and tidy all you need to do is maintain it. Every week do a quick look through before making your grocery list. Once a month try to reorganize your foods and check expirations date. Then every year do a complete clean out. Having an organized pantry is the first step to an organized and happy house.
Published 12/28/11
