Organizing to Save Money (Merrick)

I'm one of those crazies that loves to organize. We always get a good laugh when my husband unloads the dishwasher and he has to ask where half of the dishes go since I've rearranged everything so many times. But things stay so much cleaner and I'm much more likely to put things back where they belong when everything has a place.

Case in point -- I reorganized the bottom shelf of my pantry a few months ago:




I purchased all the containers at Walmart for $2-3, and the used a label maker to label each of the items. Now let me tell you a little bit about why I love this, why it works for me, and why it stays clean:

First, I love having everything uniform and in the correct place. It makes my heart go pitter patter every time I open the pantry and see everything so neat and organized. And because it's such a simple system, everything gets put back every time so it stays look this awesome ALWAYS.

Second, I love having them in clear containers AND labeled so I can look in and see exactly what I have and easily grab what I need.

Third, the containers are pretty good quality (rubbermaid) and have screw on tops that are airtight so my food will not go bad. Some of the other options were cuter, but were more expensive and didn't have airtight lids.

And fourth, having all the food in clear containers allows me to see when I'm running low on an item. Before I did this, that bottom shelf was stacked with bags of flour, brown sugar, coconut, etc, and many times I would re-purchase an item because it was buried underneath something and I thought I was out.

So not only does having an organized pantry look awesome, it also saves money because you can keep track of what you have.

Trolling the Aisles of Your Super Market

Maybe coupon shopping just isn't your bag.  Maybe you hate even the idea of paging through the newspaper ads and cutting out coupons, or worse yet, printing out coupons online and using your valuable paper and ink!  If this is you, here is an easy way to still pick up some great deals at your grocery store without the scissors or newsprint stained fingers.

Each week during your weekly shopping trip, take an extra 10 minutes and slowly walk down a couple of aisles looking for those lovely $1.00 sale tags -- or 2/$1.00 is even better!  My personal favorites to comb on a regular basis are the personal hygiene and cleaning supplies aisles. You'll be amazed at often your favorite deodorant, toothpaste or window cleaning spray are on sale for only $1.00 (which is typically much less than half the regular price).

If I didn't walk down these aisle WHEN I DON'T NEED these items, I would end up paying full price just a few weeks later -- when I'm desperate.   We've all been there before!

My second little piece of advice is to buy 12 of these items when they are on sale for $1.00.  Instantly you have a year's supply of this product.  Easy Peasy.

Remember, the most expensive item is the one you HAVE to buy right now.  I think it's a cosmic law that nothing is ever on sale at that moment.

Speaking of Food Storage (Merrick)

Look what I found...this is really helpful if you're looking to stock up on food storage.

You can switch out things that you won't eat, and you can buy items every other week, or once a month instead of every week, or you can buy the items in smaller increments. But this gives you a good idea of how much food you should have, and what types of food you should have (obviously this doesn't include water).

Like I mentioned in my previous post, buying small amounts each week, or every few weeks doesn't cost you much more on your grocery bill, but helps you slowly build up your supply of food.

Two Years of Food Storage

This is a list of food storage items to pick up at the store every week for one year. At the end of one year, you will have food storage for 2 people for 2 years!

Week 1: 6 lbs salt
Week 2: 5 cans cream of chicken soup
Week 3: 20 lbs sugar
Week 4: 8 cans tomato soup
Week 5: 50 lbs wheat
Week 6: 6 lbs macaroni
Week 7: 20 lbs sugar
Week 8: 8 cans tuna
Week 9: 61 lbs yeast
Week 10: 50 lbs wheat
Week 11: 8 cans tomato soup
Week 12: 20 lbs sugar
Week 13: 10 lbs powdered sugar
Week 14: 7 boxes macaroni and cheese
Week 15: 50 lbs wheat
Week 16: 5 cans cream of chicken soup
Week 17: 1 bottle 500 multivitamins
Week 18: 10 lbs powdered milk
Week 19: 5 cans cream of mushroom soup
Week 20: 50 lbs wheat
Week 21: 8 cans tomato soup
Week 22: 20 lbs sugar
Week 23: 8 cans tuna
Week 24: 6 lbs shortening
Week 25: 5 lbs honey
Week 26: 50 lbs wheat
Week 27: 10 lbs powdered milk
Week 28: 20 lbs sugar
Week 29: 5 lbs peanut butter
Week 30: 50 lbs wheat
Week 31: 7 boxes macaroni and cheese
Week 32: 10 lbs powdered milk
Week 33: 1 bottle 500 asprin or tylenol
Week 34: 5 cans cream of chicken soup
Week 35: 50 lbs of wheat
Week 36: 7 boxes macaroni and cheese
Week 37: 6 lbs of salt
Week 38: 20 lbs sugar
Week 39: 8 cans tomato soup
Week 40: 50 lbs of wheat
Week 41: 5 cans cream of chicken soup
Week 42: 20 lbs sugar
Week 43: 1 bottle 500 multivitamins
Week 44: 8 cans tuna
Week 45: 50 lbs wheat
Week 46: 6 lbs macaroni
Week 47: 20 lbs sugar
Week 48: 5 cans cream of mushroom soup
Week 49: 5 lbs of honey
Week 50: 20 lbs sugar
Week 51: 8 cans tomato soup
Week 52: 50 lbs wheat

Food Storage (Merrick)

When we did our 100th Post Giveaway, someone commented about food storage, and it got me thinking. I grew up in a home where my dad was a huge food storage guy. We drank powdered milk, made wheat bread from canned wheat, and froze large quantities of fruit from the trees in our garden. But growing up this way isn't the only reason I'm an advocate of food storage; here are a few other reasons:

1. Having food storage can decrease your weekly purchases at the store. Food storage doesn't have to be, and shouldn't be, only lentil beans and potato pearls -- it should be things that you want to eat and will eat. It's the "overbuyer" concept. When I make up my weekly menu, I go through my list of ingredients and see what I need and what I already have. If I purchased extra canned tomatoes or cream of chicken soup when they were on sale a few weeks back, that is one less thing I have to buy this week. Or if my budget is tight on a particular week, I can look in my pantry and build my menu around pasta or canned green chilies that I already have. If you're a couponer, use those coupons or wait for the big sales, and stock up on items you know you will use. Then when you go to make your grocery list, you will already have half of the ingredients.
2. In this economy with frequent layoffs and salary decreases, it's nice to have a food cushion. I know several people who have lost their jobs and have been able to live very cheaply because they can live off their food storage for a few weeks or months.
3. With all of the earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters that have hit so many people recently, there is no doubt in my mind that a little extra food in your pantry is a good thing, just in case you can't get to the grocery store for a few days.

Now obviously the nature of this blog is saving money, and building food storage costs money. But as I mentioned above, wait for the sales (especially caselot sales), use coupons, or just buy two cans of beans instead of one each week, and soon you'll be on your way to a nice supply of food without breaking the bank.