As I continued to grow my stockpile with all the great deals to be had at my local Bi-Lo and Publix, I found my pantry overflowing and in dire need of organization. Since I could not find a place for the items I had purchased, I decided to rearrange and reorganize my pantry.

Overflowing, disorganized pantry

When I begin an organization project, I follow the same basic system. I work top to bottom and from one side to the other. In this case, I opened my pantry and started on the top shelf.  I removed all the items on the shelf. I then decided how much space was needed for those items, and then I neatly placed those items on the shelf. The top shelf of my panty houses all the extra spices, flour, cake mixes, frostings, brownie mixes, powdered sugar, brown sugar, and other baking needs.

I used this opportunity to rid my pantry of expired foods. On the second shelf, I found expired salad dressing, and later on the floor, I discovered expired juices. These items were removed from my house and disposed of.

Since I was removing all the items, one shelf at a time, I organized the products when returning them to the pantry. I chose to place the newest item (the expiration date is the farthest away from the dates of similar items) at the end of the line for those products. This way, I was placing the older items purchased in front of the newer items. Then when I need a jar of mustard, I will reach in the pantry and select the first mustard I find.

After completing the organization for the top 4 shelves, I came to the floor of my pantry. I again removed all the items. While I was sorting the items into like categories, my 15-month-old went exploring. She found a nice hiding place in the pantry where I was working. She enjoyed sitting and watching Mommy work.

Learning how to organize

All the items had been removed from the shelves, sorted into similar piles, and placed back neatly in the pantry. The finished project allows me access to the product quickly which helps me use my time wisely. I love knowing what I have in the pantry and what I am missing. I kept a grocery list handy while I organized, and I wrote down items we had used and needed to replace.

Completed organized pantry

What happens when your pantry needs to be organized, but you cannot work on this project for an hour? Try organizing one shelf at a time. Just like organizing the bookshelf, you can complete this task by using your time wisely. You will also save money, energy and time as you will know what you currently have, get what you need easily, and quickly get your products in hand. Wow . . .  multitasking, you can organize and get your grocery list started. What are you waiting for? You can complete another project. Just take it one step at a time. Happy organizing!