Stocking Up When Prices are Low

Yesterday I went to Aldi to get some of my produce for the week. They typically have great prices on produce and dairy. While I was there I came across some Kerrygold cheese that we usually splurge on once in awhile. At the grocery store I usually pay over $6 for a package. Aldis price was $2.99! I quickly called my husband to see how many packages he wanted me to buy.

The expiration date was good until next year and if need be, you can always store cheese in the freezer. The sign under the cheese read "for a limited time only". I ended up picking up 12 packages. Since this is a fancier cheese (at least for us anyway) and we don't eat it near as often I am guessing this should last us about 6 months. I was very happy to stock up on this cheese at over 50% less than what I would normally pay. It isn't such a splurge at this price!

Buying items when they are at their lowest price is a great way to build up your pantry. Watch for sales on staples that you use. When you find them at their lowest price, stock up. This post is linked to the Frugal Tuesday Tip hosted here at Learning the Frugal Life.

Stocking Up on Baking Supplies

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During the holidays is the best time to stock up on baking supplies. Right now you can find rock bottom prices on most baking items. Try and remember that not only will you need these items around the holidays but you will also need them for the months ahead. If possible try and stock up now while the prices are low. I have seen 5lb bags of flour anywhere from $.88-$.99 the last couple weeks. Usually flour is over $2 a bag. Store the bags of flour in plastic bins or buckets for safe keeping.

Sugars have also been on sale. This week I also stocked up on some free spices and cheap butter. Chocolate chips have been on sale lately, match those up with a coupon and you get a pretty sweet deal. My pantry shelves are full of baking supplies that will last me the next few months. The best thing is that I paid a fraction of what it would cost if I had bought all those items at full price.

A Well-Stocked Pantry - Pantry Staples

This is my pantry. Part of it. A well-stocked pantry provides all the makings for a good meal. With the right ingredients you can quickly create a variety of meals. Keeping these items in stock also means avoiding extra trips to the grocery store, saving you both time and money.

Everyone's pantry in different, although I think there are a few basic items you should try and always have on hand. Here they are.

Baking supplies-
Flour (buying these items in bulk will also save you money)
Sugar-raw, granulated, brown and powdered
Baking Soda
Baking Powder
Yeast
Salt
Chocolate Chips
Corn Meal
Corn Starch
Oil-olive and canola
Powdered Milk
Vinegar
Honey

Condiments-
Ketchup
Mustard
BBQ Sauce
Dressings
Mayonnaise
Syrup
Peanut Butter
Jellies

Homemade/Store Bought Canned Goods/Packaged Items-
Beans
Corn
Broth and/or Stock
Canned Tomatoes, Past and Sauce
Fruit
Soups
Salsa
Spaghetti Sauce
Rice-brown and white
A variety of Pastas
Cereals

Spices/Seasonings
Basil
Salt
Pepper
Cinnamon
Chili Powder
Basil
Garlic
Onion Powder or Salt
Soy Sauce
Vanilla
Worcestershire Sauce

Miscellaneous Items (this is my list, you may or may not consider these for your pantry)
Cereals
Granola Bars (from Father-in-Law)
Crackers (from Father-in-Law)
Pretzels
Oatmeal
Pizza Sauce
Nuts-almonds, cashews, peanuts, pistachios

Non-Food Items
Shampoo
Body Wash
Deodorant
Toothpaste
Toilet Paper
Dishwasher Soap
Hand Soap
Dish Soap

Remember to try and stock your pantry with items that you have bought at rock bottom prices. When something is on sale or you get it for a really great price, try and buy enough to last you until the next sale.

What's in your pantry? This post is linked up to the Frugal Tuesday Tip hosted here at Learning the Frugal Life.

How to Keep a Well Stocked Pantry

Having a well stocked pantry is very important to me. I really appreciate the fact that when we need something I usually can go down to my pantry and find it there. Once you start having a well stocked pantry you won't have to pay full price for items when you need them. Need sugar? Instead of going out and paying full price for a bag, you can get some out of your pantry where you have a nice stockpile of sugar that you paid less than half for.

Stock your pantry with items that you find at rock bottom prices. If you find peanut butter on sale for $1, instead of buying 1 jar buy 6. I try and buy enough to last me about 3-4 months sometimes longer if it is a super great deal. Usually another rock bottom sale will come up on that item within that time frame.

It takes time to stock a pantry. As items go on sale buy multiples to add to your shelves. Take advantage of loss leaders. Loss leaders are items that stores sell at or below the wholesale price. Stores advertise these products that bring them next to zero profit hoping that they will bring you into their store and get you to buy a few impulse purchases. The store is willing to take a loss on these discounted items because they plan to recoup their loss through higher sales and increases traffic. Loss Leaders are usually advertised on the front and back pages of the ad. You might also see large colorful signs in the store.

Another way to stock your pantry is to buy in bulk. Usually buying in bulk can save you money. I shop at Sam's club and can get most of my baking items in bulk and save a ton of money in doing so. For 2 lbs of yeast I pay just under $5. A 4 oz jar at the store costs over $3! Other items I buy in bulk are pretzels, crackers, popcorn, spices and cooking oils.

Home canning is a great way to stock your pantry. Put up the surplus of fruits and vegetables from your garden. Shop at Farmer's Markets and produce auctions and take advantage of produce while it is in season and preserve enough to last you the entire year. Shopping for produce when it is in season guarantees that you will not only get the best flavor you will also get the best price.

I will give you suggestions for items to have in your pantry in an upcoming post. This post is linked to the Frugal Tuesday Tip hosted here at Learning the Frugal Life.

Stocking Up on Baking Supplies

Tis the season to stock up on those baking supplies. Right now during the holiday season is the best time to buy baking supplies for the year. Most stores are offering flour, sugar, butter, etc. at rock bottom prices. I have seen flour for $.99 for 5lbs a lot the last couple weeks. If you have the room, stock up now while the prices are low.

Buying in Bulk

Buying in bulk can save you money. It can also cost you money if your not careful. Here are some tricks to consider when buying items in bulk.

1. Visit a bulk item store such as Sam's or Costco with someone who already has a membership first before investing your own money into a membership. Take a tour of the store so you know what they have to offer.

2. Make a list of what you would like to buy. List things that you use daily and can be stored for a long period of time. Only purchase items you know you will use. Don't buy 10lbs of carrots just because it's a great deal if your the only one in the house that eats them.

3. BRING YOUR CALCULATOR! (This was my life saver on my trip.) Know your price per unit. Before going to the bulk store visit your local grocery store. Check out what the price per unit is for your most often bought items, ie flour, sugar, spices, peanut butter, canned goods, toilet paper. Make a price book if you don't have one. Bring this with you to compare and see if you really are getting a good deal.

4. Make sure you have room to store all your bulk items. Clear off some shelves or make room under a bed. You will probably also need to clear out some extra space in your freezer or maybe invest in a freezer chest.

5. Take into consideration the cost of your membership. Make sure you are saving enough money to cover you membership costs and still making it worth your while to shop.

Buying in bulk can save you time, gas, and money if done right. Hopefully it allows you to make a few less trips to the store each week. It can be a large investment up front but in the long run it may leave you with a little extra cash at the end of the month.

Stay tuned to see what I bought on my first trip to the bulk store!

For more frugal ideas, visit Frugal Friday at Life as Mom.

Pantry Cleanup

Here is my tackle for the day. I really need to clean out my pantry and do some organizing. Since Summer break has started we have not kept good inventory of what is in the pantry or freezer. The last few trips to the store have not been added to the sheets and the last few meals have not been subtracted.

I am hoping today (if I can ever make time) that I can go through everything, organize and retype the sheets. Then I will have to retrain the family to mark the sheets when they take something out or add something to the stash!

If you want to know more about my system you can read about it here. The bottom 2 articles talk about my inventory sheets and how I organize my stockpile.

This post is linked to Talk about it Tuesday at The Lazy Organizer and Tackle it Tuesday at Five Minutes for Mom.

Utilizing Leftovers

During Thanksgiving I stocked up on turkeys at .69 a pound. I bought 3 turkeys. From one turkey I can plan at least 3 meals to feed my family of 6. If you have the freezer space you can easily cut down your food cost by stocking up when the price is right. Cooking in large amounts and then planning additional meals around whats left over can be helpful.

Most of the time buying in bulk can save you money. This is especially true when purchasing meat since there usually isn't very many coupons out there for meat. Buying a whole chicken will be cheaper then buying just chicken breast and you will be getting more meat. Here are a few suggestions for planning meals with leftovers.

Chicken
~1st Meal Oven roasted chicken dinner
~2nd Meal Chicken sandwiches, BBQ chicken or chicken noodle soup

Roast Beef
~1st Meal Crockpot Roast Beef dinner
~2nd Meal Cold roast beef sandwiches, BBQ sandwiches or French dips

Turkey
~1st Meal Roasted turkey dinner
~2nd Meal Turkey sandwiches, pot pies or tetrazinni

Ham
~1st Meal Sliced ham dinner
~2nd Meal Ham sandwiches, breakfast casserole, omelet or ham and potato soup

Meatloaf
~1st Meal Meatloaf dinner
~2nd Meal Meatloaf sandwiches or crumble up the loaf and add to spaghetti sauce or use for toppings on a homemade pizza

Stockpiling

For those of you interested, here is a picture of my stockpile and the inventory sheets that I have taped to the freezer. The sheets are in need of reprinting. Sorry if they are too hard to read. I love being able to go "shop" in my basement for items!

Stockpiling

The idea of stockpiling is to stock up on items that you already use when they are on sale and preferable at their rock bottom lowest prices. If you have a coupon to combine with that, that is an even sweeter deal. For example Fareway has bread on sale this week for .88 cents. I bought 10 loaves because typically I buy it at $1.38 per loaf. This is a savings of .50 per loaf or $5.00 for 10 loaves!

Managing your stock pile doesn't take alot of effort, but you will want to do this so that you don't waste any food. Here are some tips I use to manage my stockpile aka "the stash".

1. Take inventory of what you have. I have 3 sheets in a word document. They are labeled "Grocery-Freezer", Grocery-Food Items" and "Grocery-Non Food Items". On each sheet I have a list of categories. For example on my freezer inventory I have it broken down into beef, pork, chicken, frozen vegetables etc. Then under the beef category I break it down even further to 1 lb. hamburger packages, 2 lb hamburger packages, steaks, etc. I do this for each category. Next to each item I have the number that I have on hand. Every time someone takes something from the freezer they look at the sheet, cross off the number and write in the new number. Each month, or when the sheets get too difficult to read I update the Word document and reprint them. I have them taped to the top of our deep freezer with a pencil next to it.

2. Organize your stockpile. I have all my extra items in the basement. I have a huge shelving unit on one side of the wall. I have all the items in categories. One shelf is dedicated to baking supplies, one shelf to cereal, 2 shelves for canned goods, another holds all the toiletries. You get the idea. Having it organized will make it easier to find what you are looking for.

3. Watch expiration dates. This way you don't waste any food. Always put the newer food behind the older. Place items with closer expiration dates in the front. Most items are fine past their expiration date as long as they haven't been open. You can use your own judgment.

4. Revolve your meal plans around what you already have. This will save you alot of money. If you have alot of hamburger then plan your meal around hamburger. If you go out and purchase steak because it sounds good for dinner that night then you could be purchasing it at its highest price. The items that you already have on hand you know where bought at a low price. The best idea is to stock up on a variety of foods when they are at their lowest price.

If you can set aside a place for all your items, keep track of what you have on hand, watch your expiration dates and meal plan accordingly you can save yourself quite a bit of time and money. Also, if possible invest in a freezer. This has been the best thing for us. I wouldn't be able to stock up near as much food without it. If you can't invest in a new one, check Freecycle or Craigslist.