How To Stock A Pantry
If you are looking to save money, a great way to do this is to buy non-perishable products when they are at a sale price and have them saved in your pantry for when you need them. This is a great option if you are looking to store items with a long shelf life, which are normally expensive outside the sale window.
There is no need to blow your weekly shopping budget on items to start a pantry, leaving you without money for your weekly shopping.
Go slow
A pantry needs time to grow and develop over the course of weeks and months. Only then, will you have a great pantry that you will have accumulated and you will not only have noticed this increase in your food store, but also it won’t have caused a problem in your budget.
Check out the sales leaflets in your area; don’t plan to drive miles just to save a few pence on a grocery item, just to have added wear and tear on your car, as well as fuel costs, to the equation. Most stores will put out a flyer showing the items that they are going to be reducing; this is a tactic to get you to go into the store and to buy all your items there. This is called a loss leader and is set at a great price to draw in the customer. But if you plan your shopping correctly, you can take advantage of the reduced prices and reduce the overall costs of certain items.
Why have a pantry
A pantry is a great source of items that you can store long-term; this allows you to have the staple items available at a fraction of the true costs. It is a great way to have a variety of options for meal choices and can reduce the overall cost of your groceries.
For me this is a great way to get the best deals during the month, and to save money because I know I have got them and they will last. But I never go above my budget to buy products for my pantry, if there is no money left in the budget, the pantry goes without. I will not break my budget for any saving. I have a budget for a reason, and this is to stay within a set amount of money and no more. If I have spare money at the end of the week, then I save this money for when there is a great deal on an item that I purchase frequently.
Setting up a pantry takes time and commitment; it is going to be a consideration for the future. Every week you will need to consider what items to purchase to add to your pantry, but don’t be afraid to use it as well. If you need to use something from your pantry, note this down and when it is reduced you will be able to continue replenishing and growing your pantry to new levels.
