Setting Up A Long Term Pantry
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| Blackberry Crumble made from blackberries in the backyard |
My approach in establishing a basic pantry revolves around acquiring key components. I have set up two tiers.
Tier One are shelf stable supplies geared towards long term storage. These are the minimum basics every vegetarian pantry should have at all times. With these Tier One items you can eat well and add things as they become available in difficult times or based on growing season.
Tier Two includes fresh produce and refrigerated goods.
TIER ONE
Rice
Beans: Dried and Canned. Dried are the cheapest. Canned are the easiest to use.
Onions & Garlic: These can be bought as dried onions or fresh and stored in a dark space. Minced garlic is available in jars and is stored in the frig after opening.
Flour & Prepared pastas. Yes, include ramen, cheap and easy to add to.
Sugar
Vegetable Oil due to its high heating temp and neutral flavor
Canned Veg
Canned Tomatoes
Fruit: dried, canned, jarred, bottled
Salt, Pepper
Nuts and Nut butter
Old Fashioned Oats
Yeast and Leavening agents like baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar
Sugar: Options include granulated white, raw, brown. Buy only what you use.
TIER TWO
Margarine, Butter, Vegan Substitutes for these
Olive Oil and other oils you regularly use. Toasted sesame oil is on my must have list as is chili oil but both can be made at home using vegetable oil and spice and patience. Make it or buy it according to what works best for you.
Dairy or dairy substitutes. This includes coconut milk and powdered milk and milk substitutes. But only buy what you actually use.
Eggs: There are vegan egg substitute lists online worth looking at.
Fresh Fruit: In season / Abundant / On Sale
Fresh Veg: In season / Abundant / On Sale
Frozen Veg: check the price per ounce and opt for store brands. Compare to the prices of fresh.
Basic spices including bouillon cubes and stock. Check the ALDI and the WM Hispanic aisle for deals. Buy at international markets for even better savings.
Vinegar: For cleaning or eating. I have a stash of rice wine vinegar which ramps up ramen and oriental dishes. Apple Cider vinegar is a good tang to add to dishes and bread.
Lemon Juice: This is amazing for sauces and soups and drinks and even for cleaning and a natural laundry scent and sun based (non) bleach. Always check the expiry dates because lemon juices goes off before the expiry date!
Ketchup, Mustard, Mayonnaise and other condiments you enjoy.
Crackers & Snacks: Years ago I discovered a single candy was the only dessert I needed when craving something. Mixing nuts and granola and baking chips has also proven a quick fix. Consider fruit or adding honey to fruit as a dessert substitute. Add jam or honey to bread as a dessert.
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| Local Honey, Potatoes, Vidalia Onions, Garlic, Carrots, and Collards. These greens were from the store but collards are extremely easy to grow. When the leaves are gleaned bottom up from the stalk and the flowers snipped to prevent the plant from seeding, I've had plants last two years. Collards grown in cold snaps were sweeter and milder than summer crops grown in the hottest of Georgia summers. |
OUR FAMILY AS VEGETARIANS AND NOTES ON COOKING
Too many times when people discover we are vegetarians we're asked, But what do you eat? We are from a traditional American WASP background and sort of understand the question coming from the meat and potatoes crowd. But we know there is a world of food out there so we've incorporated a global taste into our diet due to our vegetarian lifestyle.
Embracing a global approach may be a little less affordable due to the idiotic tariff war but reconsidering your diet will provide more opportunities. Consider mirepoix, a base component of French cooking: onions, celery, and carrots cooked in a fat. It serves as the base of stock, stews, soups, and sauces. Tossing in tomato purée creates pinçage. Understanding the base flavors of other cultural cuisines will turn a dish in a new direction.
In Spain and Portugal, this base, Sofrito, sees garlic and peppers added in. In Italian cuisine it's battuto when onions, carrot and celery are blended. Using olive oil and tossing in a leek or garlic and the base is called soffritto. Polish bases may have celery root and parsley root. Russians will add a beet. Toss in a green bell pepper and Cuban and Cajun Creole comes to mind. Smoked peppers are used in Hungarian and Puerto Rican dishes. But it's the varied mix of spice and fat and veg that takes a base into a new cultural cuisine. Consider the pairings that define cultural tastes: okra and Creole, tomato and Italian, Thyme and feta for Greek. Similar recipes bases are taken into new directions by what follows the starting ingredients. When experimenting, changing one base element can change the flavor profile and alter a dish. Replacing the vegetables or beans creates a new recipe.
But what about baking which is touted as chemistry, a wrong balance can flatten a cake or the right temps can enhance a soufflé. Yes, that is true but I have found some great base recipes that allow additions and substitutions. My upside down fruit tart cake is wonderful even if a little messy at times but the flavor is always great and the cake consistent. The NYT overnight no-knead bread recipe led me to Jenny Jones quick version for hot bread in less than three hours.
From there I have created stuffed rolls, sandwich bread, sticky buns, biga, boules, loaves, and rolls. With additions like basil, seeds, onions, garlic, olives, peppers, oats, nuts, fruit, sweets, and spices and more, the base recipe with Jones' hot water trick and extra yeast provides endless options. But more, these successes led me to experiment with the baking chemistry set and equations with success. I grew to understand the feel of a dough, how to shape a dough, and when to add in ingredients, or just let it sit. Yes I also rely on recipes but with confidence.
I highly recommend borrowing cookbooks from your library. And if you are vegetarians like us, do not ignore cookbooks which include meat recipes. If you are a convert to vegetarianism or veganism, you may find yourself craving those old comfort foods. These meat recipes will guide you to a close enough version you may be sated and make new memories.
Understanding how to cook, create base flavors, and what substitutions can be used, and when to add them is a key component to becoming a creative, versatile cook. I recommend The Joy Of Cooking as a good guide to understanding the background of cooking and options to explore and consider.
After a while recipes become a guideline and act as inspiration. When I want to create a dish which is traditionally meat based I look at numerous recipes to understand the base, find spices, and consider ingredients. Sometimes I have to refer to vegetarian cookbooks which contain spices and other added flavor options to ensure the recipe meets my expectations. It wasn't until this past year I bought Liquid Smoke flavoring when I decided to create my own substitute for Morningstar flavored vegetarian crumbles. Why? I saw it recommended on several vegetarian sites for similar recipes. It was through trial and error that I created a recipe that worked the way I wanted for stroganoff and a taco recipe at half the price of prepared store bought over processed vegan fare.
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| Black Bean Soup or rather chili given the seasoning. I use an InstantPot pressure cooker function for this one hour meal made from dry, unsoaked beans. First stage, pressure cook the beans solo. Second stage, add in the seasoning (seen above) and pressure cook a while longer. Easy peasy, just slice and dice and measure. The pot does the rest. |
ESTABLISH GOOD HABITS TO USE YOUR STOCKPILE
I have established a routine for refilling my pantry and larder. When I shop, everything that comes into the house is put into this routine rotation. I do this with everything. For the canned, bottled, and otherwise packaged, grocery day means putting up supplies where they belong.
The important thing to remember about creating a cache of food is to use it. The goal is to set up a surplus, add to it as you can, use it, and replenish with the things you know you use and like. Remember to buy things in sizes you can store and will readily finish when opened. Buy sizes that you can store. I asked for a 32oz bottle of ketchup and my son came back with a larger size because it was a better deal. It didn't fit it our frig door. Instead, we kept it laying sideways using valuable frig space otherwise designated for leftovers. Explaining your reasons to others in your household will prevent mix ups like this. This also emphasizes that you need to work within your home's limitations.
When purchasing, check the dates. Some stores like Publix have a reputation for selling short date items on sale. Too many times I have found expired goods on their shelves. You want to get things with the longest shelf life. Publix, IMO, is not competitively priced and I rarely shop there anymore. I will leave it to you to explore the world of sell by dates and expiration dates and safely using food past its best by dates.
When storing, rotate your inventory. Newest items furthest at hand. Latest expiry date items at the back. Check the dates of what's going into the pantry against what's in the pantry. Don't buy 6 jars of mayo that expire in 9 months unless you know you will use all of them. You can add another jar to your supply three months down the road.
Pay attention to what you use and how often. Base restocking on this pattern. We use Coleman's prepared mustard several times weekly so we buy 6 packs online. When I'm down to my last two, I reorder. Now with the stupid tariffs, I don't know if we'll be able to continue buying this UK product. We're a five mayo every 9 months family. We keep one in the frig open, four in the larder. When one moves out of the larder, I put one on the long term shopping list and wait for it to go on sale before restocking. By that time, I may need two but I've waited and saved.
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| Vegan chicken noodle soup using soy chicken. It's the seasoning that makes it chicken noodle not the soy which just provides protein and absorbs the flavor of the spice and veg. |
STORING WHAT YOU HAVE
I have set up several locations to store our food and household supplies. In the kitchen I have designated zones according to use. The food in the kitchen is what will be eaten first. The other storage areas are based on use and available space. Laundry surplus is kept in the laundry; bathroom supplies are in the bathrooms.
In the kitchen I have two walls of shelves and a walk in pantry. One step in. Another step onto a step stool. Just enough room to turn around. It's not a huge pantry but the space is nearly maxed out with layers of shelves in a U-shape. These are my everyday items I use immediately. There is, out of necessity due to limited space, a number of items constituting a stockpile. I keep most of my dried beans here. There are canning jars I use for getting a cup or two of dried beans for a soup. Then there are four pound bags of the same beans stored at floor level. I use these bags to refill the jars I draw upon. Those larger bags are kept on the lower shelves. But mostly there are 4-12 cans or bottles of everyday things placed on the shelves. I have hooks on the walls to hang bags containing tortilla chips or pretzels. It's my go-to pantry.
But in the kitchen I have spaces dedicated to the work zone. My oils and baking goods are on the oven wall. I have a separate bread shelf dedicated to store bought bread, not frozen. It holds toast and sandwich bread and tortilla excess. But it also has the nut butters which are there for toast or on sandwich bread. The kitchen island is host to a basket of use this produce first, usually the scarred potato in the bag or onion sprouting too soon. Nearby is the covered cake platter for freshly made buns, breads, or cookies when available. Under the kitchen island is always 75 pounds of bread flour and 40 pounds of basmati rice. It's where it fits, so that's where it lives.
And then there's the husband cabinet. Never let anyone tell you that a husband can be fully house trained. There is always something, some little thing that he can not be convinced about the wisdom of, despite the pleas and pleases, no reason can be used to sway his opinion. And so the Lance cabinet has been created. I hate this cabinet because it defies my standards of sense and sensibility. It has Thermoses which he refuses to have properly washed. Yuck! It has bagged items tossed in willy-nilly. It often has a bag or three of cookies and whatever snack treat is his current favorite. (We buy Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Pretzels a half dozen bags at a time just for him!) There is a container (a small concession to me) with old packets of Chinese mustard, now browning, and whatever packets he finds in the break room at work. He brings them home so as to not be wasted. Those ketchup packets are a nearly a year old now. I keep ketchup on hand! It's his stash of stuff and I hate it but he loves it. It's about creating a system that works for you and your family. Sometimes that family is messy or stubborn or a midnight-snacker so make concessions for the people you love and that you're stuck with for better or worse.
Another cabinet I call the larder is located in an out-of-the-way area but indoors. Storing food outside is not recommended. I recall the time I accidentally left an unopened soda can in the car and it exploded when the temps rose. Freezing temps are just as bad on cans and jars. This larder is my go-to overflow backup pantry. It is long term storage, the emergency food, which is used and replenished regularly. I also use it to accommodate how I use my everyday food usually found open in the kitchen or going into the week's recipes. I only need one open jar of mayo so why waste space in the kitchen pantry when I need canned tomatoes more often?
This larder has the extra canned diced tomatoes too, all 36 cans. But I only need a few each week so eight fit on the shelf on the pantry next to eight Rotels and other varieties of prepared tomatoes: paste, pureed, diced, seasoned, etc. in groups of four. The dozens of surplus tomato varieties are in the larder. When my kitchen pantry is low I replenish from the larder and add the replacements to the long term shopping list.
That twenty pound bag of pinto beans, partially open and distributed into a manageable jar in the kitchen pantry, the remains of that huge bag are in this larder. I use one open bottle of vegetable oil and olive oil and keep it in the cabinet next to the stove. The back up bottles are in the larder. As for the other oils I rarely use (mustard, chili, sesame) I own one at a time. Until they are at 15% full I don't put it on the shopping list. The goal of stocking up is to have what you need and use it, not let it go to waste. The larder in the back is for the extras of things I will need and use in the next few months or so. Some of those things back there may be labelled expiring two years from now but my goal is to keep a 4-6 month supply on hand. I based this time frame on the space we have.
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| Drying curry leaves in a basket with potatoes, onion, and garlic arranged for a photo-- definitely not stored this way. |
ESTABLISH A GROCERY DAY ROUTINE
For a while, Monday was grocery day. It was the day to eat up the old stuff first. Everyone knew it was french-fries and soup day. We eat lots of potatoes. With the family names of Green(e) and Ash(e), is that any surprise? Monday was the day 5-10 pounds of potatoes came into the house and the old ones had to be used up, so I oven bake french-fries on grocery day. It's also soup day because new produce meant it was time to sort through the fresh produce and use up the aging and the ugly and wilted in a soup and a salad or a wrap. Ah, the multitude of food waste you can hide by frying it up, chopping and wrapping it up, or just putting it into a soup. Another tradition I had when all my children were at home was the leftovers meal which also works well the day before grocery day. We set out everything that needed to be eaten from the frig and tossed in produce that had been lingering in the frig.
Another Grocery Day Habit is sorting through the new as vigorously as the old. Like others I want to grocery shop as seldom as possible. I check the frig to see what I have but sometimes I know I'll need more of something already in the frig. When the groceries come in, I sort and rotate what's in the frig and add the new but the old has to be dealt with first. Wilting things are used immediately. Some things like the peppers can be chopped into cook ready sizes and frozen. Even if it is only partially off I'll part the produce out into use now or freeze. It is so convenient to add frozen chopped bell peppers to a pizza or into a pot of beans.
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| While the carrots dry, it's time to work the dough |
Prep your produce. Remove produce from plastic bags to prolong the life of your produce and veg. If something needs to ripen quickly, seal it in a paper bag instead of plastic. I buy 5 pound bags of carrots. I lay them out on a cloth for several hours and let them dry. The plastic bags promote rot and those sprinkler systems in the store produce sections often get water into the bags. After drying, I sort. I remove the leafy tops and ends that look rotten or compromised. These can be composted or used for making a vegetable stock if not rotten. Cutting off the bad parts doesn't affect the quality of the carrots; it serves to prolong their frig life. As for leftover carrots in the frig, I try to use them in a soup or roast them. They also freeze well if parboiled first and dunked in cold water. Just let them dry off before freezing.
I sort my potatoes and put them in my dark pantry in a basket. When I check the potatoes I set aside any with flaws or rot. Rot can be cut off a potato so these end up as soup or french-fries or roasted on grocery day. I also sort my potatoes according to size. Small ones are used for chopping into soups or hot salads or samosas. The largest are baked. Mid sized potatoes are used as needed. Potatoes can replace cream in soups and thickens soup too. Use sparingly though. My potato basket not only has the smallest at the front and largest bakers in the back, it also has the occasional scarred potato sitting atop the others to remind me to use that one first.
Onions are a strange lot that go off at odd times. I sort the basket each time I get a new bag of onions to restock. When I find an onion in the offing either sprouting green or softening I pull it out and place it on my kitchen prep table. I have a special basket for these things which must be used immediately. Given how much I make from scratch this basket is usually emptied a day or two after Grocery Day.
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| When I buy fingerling chilis I put them it a basket to dry, tossing them every day of two until dry. I store them in an old glass spaghetti jar with a canning lid screw band. I replace the flat metal seal lid with a circular swath of fabric. This allows the chilis to breathe and stay dry. |
TIME TO LOOK AT YOUR FRESH PRODUCE
Produce and fruit only last for so long. Like many others I don't have a root cellar and I haven't taken up canning yet. Storing the basic things we need takes up a lot of space. I plan for four people, despite only three living here currently. When our daughter visits, I usually send her home with a bag of groceries.
But it's the fresh fruit and produce that makes a complete diet tasty. Canned, dried, and bottled are available but I opt for the fresh whenever it's available. There are vegetable staples that I think should be keep on hand: onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, peas (frozen). I prefer fresh so I don't stock them. The second tier of fresh veg includes seasonal and some other staples. Greenery like lettuce, spinach, broccoli, parsley, green onions, and cilantro rotate in and out. Bell peppers and sandwich and salad additions also come and go based on prices and seasonal selection. A few of these things can be frozen when the wilt starts or the multi-pack had a few too many. Vegetables cook up nicely with beans and rice too.
Fruit, is always pricey, even in season. I focus on using the fruit first as fresh, then as baked goods. Bananas bought in bulk can be peeled and chopped and frozen for a nice treat. Apples bake up better than they taste sometimes. Blueberries are more versatile than softer berries like black berries but many can be cooked into upside down cakes and pancakes, used for fruit topping and yogurt parfaits, and also tarts and muffins and scones.
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| Homemade fig bread seasoned with fennel and cardamom. Fragrant and delicate and slightly sweet. |
SHOPPING LISTS & INTERNATIONAL MARKETS
Shop with a list. Plan what you need. Wait for things to go on sale when you can. I have multiple shopping lists.
The first list is immediate, meaning go as soon as you can. This is rarely used. Generally only prescriptions and the reminder to top off the gas tank is on this list. Yes, always keep your gas tank above half full. But even these lists are rarely same day demands, just do it on errand day. No one likes leaving work to stand on line for something before finally getting home after 10 or 12 hours away just for the job. But sometimes Lance forgets his prescription refills and given his constant blood work and adjustments, we can't always have auto refill on Rx.
The second list is the running list. These are the things we feel we need within the next week or so. Mostly this is produce and fruit, the fresh stuff that makes the dry goods and canned stuff an acceptable part of the diet, the fillers for soups and fresh made. Milk and butter and margarine are included every few weeks. Eggs make it on the list once every month and a half.
The third list is the long term, try to find a sale, list. Shopping online has never made this easier. I have two lists for my WalMart pick up. One is the list that is added to all week long, the second list. The third list is the save for later list on the WM site. Even if you are not buying from WM this is a great way to compare prices. You can access it on your phone or print a copy for shopping. When I shop the Aldi sales, I always have the Compared to WM prices on my Aldi list. I include price per ounce on this too. Aldi usually beats canned produce by 0.01 to 0.05 a can and Aldi's odd brand cereal always beats WM's GV cereals by the ounce nearly every time. There are just fewer varieties.
I used to shop at Aldi more often because it's a more pleasant experience. A smaller store makes it easier to get what you need. WM discovered this convenience and created WM Marketplace mini stores. But at Aldi there's never any overhead music or announcements or ads blaring. The lines are barebones and generally quick. As my debilitating arthritis has set in and my immune response flare ups occur more often, it's seldom I visit unless the sales are too good and it's errand day anyway. Last week tofu was 1.29 for 14 oz, 40% cheaper than WM, so I arranged a trip to stock up on half a dozen tofu, bulk unsalted nuts (always salted elsewhere), compared spice prices, restocked some canned goods from the long term list, bought their huge cereals, and found eggs and milk much cheaper than WM offered. I was fortunate Lance was there to help out.
The fourth list is our Atlanta list. We love the international markets and try to shop there at least twice a year. If you thought the Hispanic section at the grocery was the cheapest for spices then you haven't gone to an Indian grocery store! I can buy 8 oz of sesame seeds for less than a 2oz size at WM. Even better, they have varieties you can not get locally: brown, white, black, toasted sesame seeds. Plus they have spices not offered at the chain stores. Korean, Chinese, and SE Asian markets are all over Atlanta and they cater to the wonderful immigrant communities that have helped make Atlanta a true international city. If you are within driving distance of a large metropolitan city, buying groceries at international and large farmer's markets is worth the trip.
Another advantage of going to international markets is the variety of produce and pastries and breads and cheeses. Stores like Buford International Farmer's Market divide the store into world regions. We get Dutch licorice, Slavic candies and cookies, Ukrainian Sunflower Halva with blueberries, Turkish Ajvar, Ramen from different regions, homemade kimchi, fresh German pastries, Greek Baklava, and hot Russian stuffed savories at this one store. The Indian / SE Asian stores have a greater variety of teas than anywhere else and scented soaps at rock bottom prices. Their spices are sold in sizes from 2 ounces to 20 pounds, including raw, unsalted, nuts. The vegetables and fruits are wonderful, the bagged snacks are addictive, and there are so many frozen prepared meals to take home in the cooler.
Best of all are the hot bars at many of these grocery stores. They have sambar and lentil donuts and chutneys, Korean kimchi pancakes, seaweed platters, vegetarian sushi, steamed buns, samosas, and more, all freshly made for the international communities wanting a taste of home. The ingredients are listed so I can pick and choose according to our vegetarian diet and my allergies. We used to go to a wonderful Indian buffet but when the price hit the $30 mark, we opted to graze as we visited the stores. Seaweed and kimchi cabbage rolls at Buford. Splitting a sweet bean bun or veg bao bun at the Korean and Chinese groceries. A muffin or a warm batard from the Dekalb Farmer's Market. Fresh Indian pakoras at Cherian's hot bar. International markets are great places to stock up on supplies and get a quick meal, tapas style.
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| When you go to the international markets only a few times a year, you stock up. The Indian groceries have tons of small cookie packages for 0.59-0.99 each. The Swedish, English, Spanish, and |
GROCERY PICKUP & BUYING ONLINE
A note about WalMart pick up...We began using WM pickup when my son started a full time job (four 10 hour days/week). Wasting 12 hours a day dedicated to work and travel time, he is no longer keen on grocery shopping for me. Our WM is 15 minutes away, off a highway. It's convenient. Within 5 miles of the WM are ALDI, Publix, and Kroger. When I was able bodied I could peruse the ads and shop the sales and didn't mind the errands.
The pick up grocery experience has been very positive. At this time WM does not charge for pick up above $35. I suspect they will change this soon and raise the minimum purchase. The one time I tried WM delivery the items reeked of ciggies and I swore Never Again! We are not part of WM Plus so we don't pay a monthly/annual fee. Unlike some delivery services, the prices are what's listed in the store with one notable exception, they offer coupons online. I haven't used coupons in years outside Kroger in store coupons or digital downloads. WM online offers a few manufacturer coupons and, though weekly sales just don't happen anymore at WM, there is a rollback section online. You don't have access to short date clearance items but those have never been fresh enough or tasty enough for me. But seasonal and holiday items do show up. That's why my son got ready-to-bake cookie dough adorned with Easter chicks for a $1 clearance treat.
The pandemic shifted the way stores are stocked. Our Walmart reduced many non goods sections and shifted to food and medicine and cleaning products. Places like Office Depot saw new foot traffic as office items left mega-Target and Walmart shelves. Online sales of many non foods increased as availability at big box chains shifted shelf space. Post pandemic the markets tightened and availability was further reduced. Emphasis was placed on staples, the core items. At Christmas, Walmart routinely shifts its imports from foreign markets to gifts and reduces food items often labeled as international. Coconut milk was suddenly in short supply from November through February this year. Buying online is sometimes a viable option. Check the reviews, watch out for shipping fees, and always compare the price per ounce. Here in Georgia Amazon charges full taxes for food even though my state has a lower 4% food tax instead of the county 8% with SPLOST. That $1 package of food is 0.04 more when I buy it through Amazon.
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| From a farmers' market visit |
BUYING IN BULK
In the book The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need the author writes, “When you can save money by buying more than one of something, that’s a guaranteed return.” Buying food in bulk can be beneficial if you are committed to properly storing and using the food. But it should be when you can afford to do it.
Years ago a relative died and I received a $1000 gift which changed our buying habits. We had two little ones and I was a SAHM. Our reasoning was why buy a second car to go to work in and send the kids to daycare? Between the car expenses and daycare costs, what I would be bringing home wouldn't be worth the hassle. We lived modestly in a small 1,100 square foot 3/2 which we could afford on Lance's salary. His car was paid for and we had a relative nearby if I needed to take the children to an appointment. Two children are a handful so we'd both go to the grocery store together.
We were just getting by when my husband began to get headaches. Within months, my husband underwent brain surgery to remove a tumor. Afterwards, he endured six weeks of daily radiation. It was a difficult time. Despite a union job, with health insurance and some job protections, we were saddled with enormous medical expenses in excess of $30,000 over a two year period. At the time I did not know that he would be plagued with these tumors and his struggle to stay healthy remains an ongoing concern.
During that time a relative died and I received a gift of $1,000. Instead of spending the money on medical bills, I decided that we could use the money in better ways. We set some aside in our depleted savings accounts and we spent the remainder to establish a reserve. Instead of buying clothes or shoes which the children would grow out of, I used the money to buy things we couldn't normally buy, specifically large items in bulk. I looked over our shopping habits and discovered there were things that we could buy more cheaply in larger quantities.
With little ones, clean up was ongoing. At the time I used paper towels as my go to clean up. I have since switched to cloth rags. So I began to stock up on bulk paper towels, toilet paper, sanitary items, soap, and cleaning supplies. I also began to buy food in bulk. This started a cycle of buying that allowed me to add one bulk item a month and then bi-weekly as our income rose.
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| Roasted Garlic for fresh garlic loaf and garlic butter |
You may not be a vegetarian like our family but these guidelines for setting up a long term pantry and maintaining it hold true. Each family's needs are different. Every home is unique in where food can be stored and how much you can keep. Your may live in a rural area or an urban landscape so your opportunities may differ. But taking inventory, rotating your supplies, and using them are ideas that benefit everyone.
