Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Without constant attention, my kitchen, meal planning, coupons, and grocery shopping trips began spiraling downward. Yikes!

Now that life is getting back to my normal, which is still very busy but manageable, I am pressing the reset button.

If you have wanted to start saving on your grocery bill – using coupons or not, then tag along with me in this 6-part series on Start Saving from Scratch.

Part 1: Organizing the Food Supply

The best way to save money, energy, and time when feeding my family is to make meals with the food we have in the house. However, with numerous individuals helping in the kitchen recently, I’m not really sure what items I have. To start saving from scratch, I take an inventory while organizing my food supply areas.

Pantry

The time it will take to organize your pantry depends on the size of your stockpile. If you purchase multiple items at discounted prices, then you probably have lots of items in your pantry.

When I organize my pantry, it takes about 30 minutes to an hour. I have designated specific shelves for different items. This arrangement saves time and energy when retrieving a desired product.

While I organize my pantry, I jot down items that need replenishing on my grocery list and make notes of any meal ideas on my menu plan.

Freezer

My side-by-side refrigerator/freezer houses frequently used items. Organizing my inside freezer takes less than 15 minutes. This short time frame is nice because my outside freezer needs another deep clean complete with defrosting.

Organizing my well-stocked freezer takes somewhere between 1 and 2 hours. However, knowing what freezer cooking options I have available saves our family money, energy, and time.

Refrigerator

The easiest of the three spaces for me is organizing the refrigerator. Routinely having a leftover night keeps our refrigerator cleaned out. Spending less than 15 minutes, I can take a quick inventory while organizing my refrigerator.

To start saving from scratch organize your food supply. With the food supply areas organized and an inventory of what is on-hand, you are ready for part 2 – coming next week. To be continued . . . Happy organizing!

Question: Which food supply area takes you longer to organize: pantry, freezer, or refrigerator?