Stocking Up

article 8 in 'Stretching Your Dollars' series

The buzz word these days seems to be stockpile!
I really don't like using stockpile too much though.
Conjures up an image of a person frantically gathering piles & piles of stuff
due to some impending doom.
The term stocking up tends to more accurately represent my way of shopping.
When the deals are great ... AND I have coupons, that's the time I buy several of
those particular items.
OR, in the case of realllly great deals + coupons, often times, I am getting items
for FREE!
Yep, that's when my pantry shelves overflow.


That was actually my strategy a few months back ... & I am pleased to say,
it worked masterfully!
While I enjoy couponing to save money {not because I'm addicted/bored/like scissors},
I do get tired of it!
While I don't mind going to the grocery, I get tired of that too!
During the summer, our regular routine goes out the window ...
so, I thought this would be a good time to stock up during May & June,
then take a couple months off!
With July being our most busy month, not having to take the time to make
out a big grocery list & match the coupons to the sales saved me lots of time
{& brain power! ... yes, couponing requires both thinking & planning!}


So, as shocking as this may seem to those of you that know I'm a couponer,
I have not used a single coupon for about 7 weeks!
I was able to pull that off by stocking up on plenty of meat, staples, snacks,
paper & hygiene products.
That way, I'd only have to make quick trips to the grocery for fresh fruit & veggies,
bread, & milk.

Here are some of the items I stocked up on:

pork chops $1.47/lb.
ground chuck $1.88/lb.
b/s chicken tenders $1.77/lb.
spaghetti sauce $1 per jar
pasta 24 boxes FREE
canned veggies .39 can
Campbell's chicken noodle soup .25 can

Carnation evaporated milk .29 can

these were scratch 'n dent cans from the markdown cart

6 bags tortilla chips .49 bag



Fiber One bars $1.50 box
goldfish crackers 8-10 bags FREE
6 boxes Triscuits FREE
mayonnaise (32 oz) $1.29
ranch dressing ~ 6-8 bottles FREE
toilet paper 5/12 double roll pks. $2.50
warehouse box of foam plates (640 plates for $9.99)

Now, this is where it gets pretty impressive, if I say so myself ;)
I was stocked pretty well in the hygiene products already when Marsh decided to
have a triple coupon event.
'Bless them' is all I've got to say!
I totally scooped up in the health & beauty department, getting LOTS of items
totally for FREE!
Here's a sneak peek pic of the products, but be sure & stop back tomorrow!
I'll be posting a video telling you all about these deals!

 

Seasonal Savings

                                             $$ Tip #1 in Stretching Your Dollar Series $$


I love the sales that come along during the various seasons of the year.
There's no better time to stock up the pantry
... & rack up the savings in the process!

It's almost Memorial Day ...
& Memorial weekend = COOKOUTS!

Grocery stores will have nice deals on hot dogs, hamburger meat, buns, chips, soda, potato chips, watermelon & condiments.
Add any available coupons to these great deals & get FREE or cheap food!

Most of these items will be on sale throughout the summer, but you may not see prices this low until closer to the 4th of July {& again at Labor Day weekend}.

Here are a few other seasonal savings to look for throughout the year:

Back-to-School  -- best prices of the year on peanut butter, jelly, drink boxes, cereal, lunch meat, cheese slices, yogurt, pre-packaged snacks, school/office supplies

Easter  -- ham, eggs, candy, rolls

Thanksgiving/Christmas  -- turkey, ham, butter, baking supplies, spices, broth, foil,
baking pans

Of course, after the major holidays, you can find super clearance deals on chocolate {candy}, seasonal decor, clothing, toys, etc.
These often sell out quickly, so be on the lookout within a day or 2 after the actual holiday.

I stopped in at Aldi today for pinto beans & found an unbelievable seasonal deal!
Take a look at this video to see what I got for .15!!

Wanna read more on how to get the best deal on everything you buy?
 Click here for a month-by-month guide.

A Well-Organized Pantry, Part 2 of 3

If you'd like to read part 1, you can find it here.

For part 2, I'd like to begin with looking at a
WELL-STOCKED PANTRY.

What's in a well-stocked pantry, you may ask?

It's not so much what's in it, such as items or brands,
but more about how 'well-stocked' it is.

my overstuffed pantry

The concept is this:
If you keep your pantry stocked with the items you regularly use, you will have more than enough to regularly put together dinners & desserts with ease.
Not only that, your grocery bill will decrease!
It's not because you are buying less, it's because you are paying less.
When you don't keep a stocked pantry, you have to pay  the current shelf price for the needed supplies rather than simply refreshing your existing supply when items go on sale.

Every well-stocked pantry won't look exactly alike, but here are the basics in my pantry:

CANNED:
fruit {pineapple, peaches, mandarin oranges, fruit cocktail, fruit pie filling, applesauce}
veggies {green beans, carrots, whole-kernel corn, creamed corn, mixed veg, peas, mushrooms}
beans {pork 'n beans, chili, kidney, red, black, pinto, white northern}
soups {various: chicken noodle, tomato, ravioli - also cream of chicken, mushroom & celery}
tomatoes {diced, chili-ready, rotel, stewed, sauce, paste}
meat {tuna, salmon, vienna sausages}
milk {evaporated & sweetened condensed}
other {broth, green chilies, black olives}

PASTA/GRAINS:
elbow mac, thin spaghetti, angel hair, lasagna noodles
{or whatever variety I'm in the mood for}
ramen noodles, bread crumbs, popcorn
white & brown rice, old-fashioned oats, instant oatmeal packets, grits, cereal

NUTS:
pecans, peanuts, almonds, walnuts

BAKING SUPPLIES:
flour, corn meal, biscuit mix, sugar, artificial sweetener, brown sugar,
baking powder/soda, yeast, cornstarch, cocoa, jello & pudding mix
chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, cupcake liners, box cake/brownie mix, tub icing

OILS:
canola, EVOO {extra-virgin olive oil}, coconut oil, shortening, cooking spray

SAUCES & SYRUPS:
spaghetti, alfredo, enchilada, salsa, Louisiana hot sauce, A1, Heinz 57, teriyaki, soy, worcestershire, BBQ, horseradish, mustard, mayo, Miracle Whip, ketchup, various salad dressings {ranch, honey mustard, italian}, maple syrup, corn syrup, molasses, honey

OTHER:
juices, white vinegar, soda, drink mix {Crystal Light}, tea, coffee, Nesquik, hot chocolate
hazelnut spread, marshmallows, marshmallow cream, peanut butter, jelly, pancake mix
pickles, pickle relish, green olives, croutons, stuffing mix
various crackers {saltines, butter, graham}, potato & tortilla chips, cookies, granola bars
tortillas, taco shells, taco seasoning, brown gravy packets
bread, bagels, buns

With these items always on hand, it's a rare occasion for me to be out of the usual necessary ingredients for any number of dishes.
It's also especially handy when we have unexpected guests ... or we're invited to an impromptu pitch-in game night or get-together.
Instead of scrambling around with no idea of what to prepare, I can go to the pantry & get cookin'.

Here are a couple of my stand-by favorites:

Peach Cobbler
1   30 oz. can sliced peaches in syrup
Pour into 9x13 baking pan.

In mixing bowl, stir together:
1 c. self-rising flour, 1 c. sugar, 1 c. milk, 1 tsp. vanilla

Pour over peaches evenly.
Dot with 2 pats of butter, divided here & there.
Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until top is golden brown.




I didn't have a pic of my own peach cobbler to add, so this one is from Easy Southern Cooking.  It looks just like mine.


Dump Cake
1 yellow butter cake mix
1 can cherry pie filling
1 lg can crushed pineapple, drained
1 c. butter, melted
1 c. pecans, optional

Layer ingredients in order listed in a 9x13 pan.  Bake at 325 for 1 hour.

photo taken from dumpcake.com

A Well-Organized Pantry - Part 1 of 3

I am all about efficiency! 
If there's a way to do something, anything more efficiently, I want to discover how to do it!
I like things organized & have found that to be KEY in leading a less-stressful life!

My kitchen ... well, my whole house, actually ... but especially, my kitchen has been set up with this as the driving force.
Which cabinet to house dishes, cookware, glasses, etc. was a deliberate decision,  to aid in smoothly running a BUSY kitchen.
Taking time to set things up properly {& to maintain them} has been a huge time saver!

This will be part 1 of 3 focusing on THE PANTRY.
First, I will share tips on getting it organized.

Blog 2 will be on keeping it well-stocked & I will share some 'quick fix' recipes {what items to keep in your pantry so you can whip up something delectable at a moment's notice!}
In blog 3, we'll take a look at spices & how to incorporate them into your cooking.

photo: Country Living

To begin, I want to first establish that by using the term 'pantry', I'm not only referring to that wonderful little bonus room we all dream about having right in our kitchen!
While having one of those walk-in closet pantries is definitely a bonus, a pantry is really just the place that you store those necessary items that you use in your household.
Your pantry may be a designated cabinet or drawer ... or the extra storage space under the bathroom sink.

When we purchased our first home, we had limited cabinet space, but a decent-sized eat-in kitchen.
So, we purchased an tall oak cabinet with double doors & 4 spacious shelves & this became our pantry.
We toted that cabinet to our next 2 homes, keeping it in the garage because it didn't fit with the decor, but it still served it's purpose as the pantry.
Finally, our home now has a walk-in pantry in the kitchen ... a dream come true.

By sticking to these simply guidelines, whether your pantry is a shelf or a closet, it will be organized.

CREATE ZONES!
-Keep items that are frequently used in an easy-to-reach area. 
  I keep the coffee & filters where I can get those out first thing each morning.

-If you have children, keep their snacks low enough to reach {unless you need to do just the opposite to keep them out of the snacks;)}
If they help in packing or preparing lunches, keeping all these type items in one central place will be helpful.

-Keep 'like' foods in one area.
  By keeping all the cereal, poptarts, oatmeal, breakfast bars, etc. on the same shelf, the options are easily accessed. 
In addition, it's easier to see when items are gone & need to be restocked.

After designating these zones, you may want to label the shelves.

USE BASKETS!
I especially love to use baskets, boxes, bins & snap-top containers in my pantry!
I recently added a basket to store all my husband's boxes of tea.
At any given time, we have 8-10 various teas.
While I have an area on the shelf for the tea boxes, there are just too many to look through to find what you want.
The new basket now holds 8 boxes of tea & along with that, a new rule for the hubs.
Only buy a new box of tea when there's a place for it in the basket!

I also use baskets in my pantry to store:
-vitamins (there are 2 baskets for these ... another one of my hubs favorites!  He has lots of vitamins, herbal supplements, etc).
-envelope seasonings & gravy packets

I keep a box for all my baking supplies, such as: chocolate chips, pecans, walnuts, cupcake liners, food coloring, icing tubes & paraffin.
I keep boxed jello & pudding in this same box.

Another great way to store baking supplies is in canisters.
I have a 4-pc. set on my counter for flour, sugar, artificial sweetener packets, & the smallest one for matches.
In my pantry, I added 4 plastic, snap-top canisters for brown sugar, powdered sugar, cornmeal & the last for random small items.
The plastic ones are clear so I can see when I am getting low.

I have a snap-top box for storing novelty paper supplies.
I like seasonal napkins & paper products; so at the end of the season, I buy them, clearanced down to pennies & store them in this box.

Lastly, on my pantry floor, I have a large box to keep my 'overstock'.
I often stock up on certain items when they go on sale & I have coupons to match.
There's no use in putting 5 jars of grape jelly on the shelf, taking up needed space.
Instead, I put 1 jar on the shelf & the other 4 in the overstock box.
My brain tends to store random info, so I always know what items I have in my overstock box {& where I got them & how much I paid for them...lol}.
If you don't operate that same way, it may be good to keep a list of such items taped on the inside of your pantry or cabinet door.

I encourage you to spend some time this week organizing your pantry!
Your whole family will benefit from it ... & you'll be happier & more efficient in the kitchen.
All this is basic common sense, no rocket science involved, just a little time that will be well-spent.

Closing note:  I just had my hubs preview this blog. 
He says it's worth mentioning {tongue in cheek} that I'm a bit OCD ... *wink*

Stay tuned for part 2 ... A Well-Stocked Pantry & Quick Fix Recipes!