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Why I’ll Always Keep a Full Pantry Now

April 20, 2020 By MelissaB Leave a Comment

My husband and I had a feeling the virus would cause a shut down (though we had no idea that things would get as intense as they currently are). So, starting in early February, we slowly added items to our pantry as we could afford them. Yet, I remember the sense of panic I felt when I went into a grocery store one Thursday in March and saw empty shelves. Even though our pantry wasn’t stocked enough for not going to the store, it was likely more stocked than other people’s, but I still panicked. What if I can’t feed my family! Thanks to this experience, there are several reasons why I’ll always keep a full pantry now.

Our Pantry Experience

Throughout our marriage, my husband and I have tried to keep a fairly decent pantry. I just find it reassuring to know that if something happens, we have enough food for about two weeks. However, I never wanted to keep more than that because I felt it was wastefully, and in my mind, I always thought, when would we ever need that much food? After all, we don’t live in an area prone to any natural disasters. But I was wrong.

Why I’ll Always Keep a Full Pantry Now

Sure, we are living in unprecedented times, but that just goes to prove that anything can happen. I have learned this lesson, and I’m confident many other Americans have, too.

Why It’s Important to Keep a Full Pantry

There are several reasons why I’ll always keep a full pantry now.

Emergency Fund Money Can’t Buy

We all know that it’s wise to have at minimum a $1,000 emergency fund, but ideally an emergency fund of three to six months of living expenses. However, a full pantry can also serve as its own emergency fund.

During the initial days of the virus, even if you went to the grocery store, there wasn’t much food available. The shelves were empty. (This is probably the first time for many of us to see the stores like this.) Even though people had money to buy groceries, there simply weren’t groceries available to buy!

Why I'll Always Keep a Full Pantry Now — Photo by Richard Burlton on Unsplash

Although our pantry wasn’t as stocked as it should be, I was very thankful that we had our own food emergency fund that got us through the first couple of weeks when groceries were in short supply.

Stock Up at the Lowest Prices

When we’re not in times of crisis as we are now, having a full pantry allows you to stock up on groceries at the lowest prices. Since our family has a number of food intolerances, we can’t eat the way typical Americans do. We have to buy specialized foods that don’t contain a lot of preservatives, chemicals, gluten, or dairy.

I was able to keep our grocery bill lower by stocking up on our favorite items whenever they went on sale. I would buy enough for the next six to eight weeks, which would be enough to last until the next sale.

Now that the virus is here, I’m no longer going to the grocery store but instead relying on pick up. I can’t bargain hunt at several different stores for our favorite items now that those foods are running low in our pantry.

I’ve immediately noticed a several hundred dollar a month spike in our grocery bill. This isn’t because we’re buying so much more but because my pantry is no longer stocked with items I bought on sale. Instead, I have to buy them at full price.

Easier Meal Planning

A full pantry makes meal planning so much easier! You can typically make a week or two worth of meals just with items that you already have in your house. There’s no need to run to the store for an item or two that you’re missing to complete the recipe. If you really can’t make one particular recipe without a certain ingredient, you have enough food to give you flexibility to choose a different recipe that you do have all the ingredients for.

Likewise, if you live in an area prone to winter storms or other challenging weather, it’s nice to have food available until you can get to the store again.

How to Avoid Waste in Your Pantry

I’ve explained why I’ll always keep a full pantry now, but with a full pantry comes responsibility. If you don’t carefully build and use your pantry items, you could end up just wasting money by letting items go unused before their expiration dates. Here’s how to care for your pantry so nothing goes to waste.

Mark and Order by Expiration Dates

Whenever I bring items into my pantry, I take a Sharpie pen and mark the expiration date in large print on the front and side of the item. Then, I put the items on the shelf based on expiration date. The oldest items come to the front, and the newest items go to the back.

Every month or so, I routinely check to see if any of the items need to be used up in the next month or two. If so, I put them in a separate area of my pantry and focus on finding recipes for those items.

Only Buy Food You’ll Actually Eat

Most importantly, when building your pantry, only buy foods that you actually like. I know a lot of people keep Spam and canned vegetables in their pantry because they both last a long time and are shelf stable. But there is no Spam or canned veggies in my pantry because no one in my family likes them.

I only buy foods that I know we will like and eat. That’s the biggest secret to avoiding waste.

Final Thoughts

I don’t know about all Americans, but the virus is one of the major reasons why I’ll always keep a full pantry now. This situation has proven to me how important a well-stocked pantry is. You truly never know what the future will bring.

I used to have a pantry challenge once or twice a year and try to completely eat down my pantry before buying new. However, I don’t think I’ll ever do that again. Having a well-stocked pantry all the time is much too important.

How Not to Overspend When Stocking Up for a Home Quarantine

March 30, 2020 By MelissaB Leave a Comment

Even if you’re rational, it’s hard not to panic when you go to the grocery store and see empty shelves. You may wonder how not to overspend when stocking up for a home quarantine. That sense of panic can fuel you to spend more than you normally do on groceries because you feel a desperation to just.get.food. But calm down, take a deep breath, and realize there is enough food in the supply chain. You will have food, but perhaps not the food you want.

How Not to Overspend When Stocking Up for a Home Quarantine

Take these steps to keep your budget in line, even during times of crisis.

Do a Pantry and Freezer Inventory

Before you go to the grocery store, take the time to do a complete pantry and freezer inventory. You may be surprised what you find in the depths of your freezer. I had more meat than I thought I did. I even a found a homemade pie crust in a ball that we had made two years ago. You bet that we’re still going to use that.

Likewise, you may have more in your pantry than you think. Plus, taking all of the items out and inventorying them can help you feel less desperate. You DO have food in the house.

See what recipes you can create from what you have on hand. Likely you can come up with many meals than you thought. Don’t forget to use sites like Supercook, a site where you can put in the ingredients you have on hand, and the site produces recipes using those ingredients.

Be Flexible with Food Choices

When you do get to the grocery store or place your order for pick up, don’t be surprised if many of the items you want to buy are unavailable or limited. I’ve placed two orders for pick up now and both times the store couldn’t completely fulfill my order. For instance, the first trip, there were no eggs available. The second trip, we were allowed to buy two dozen—for our family of five.

How Not to Overspend When Preparing for a Home Quarantine — Photo by Semi O on Unsplash

Clearly we won’t be eating eggs for breakfast every day, and that’s okay. Instead, we’ve branched into other breakfast foods that we typically don’t eat like homemade muffins, oatmeal, and even sometimes leftover soup from the previous night’s dinner. Be willing to be as flexible as possible with what you eat and when during this time, and you will be able to keep your budget in check.

Allocate Money from Other Budget Categories

If you still have your regular income coming in and you find that you are overspending in your groceries category, one way you can resolve this is to take money from a different category. For instance, we overspent this month on groceries. I can’t shop many stores for the clearance items as I used to do, so our spending increased. However, we put $140 in our gas category every two weeks, and now, being self-quarantined, we don’t need that money. I simply funnel it to our groceries category.

Of course, if you’re currently unemployed, you’ll want to use as little money as possible for groceries so you’ll be able to meet your other financial responsibilities.

Final Thoughts

We’re living in strange times the likes of which our country hasn’t seen in over 100 years, not since the time of the Spanish Flu. However, rest assured that you can still get the groceries you need without seriously overspending. Just plan ahead with your purchases and be resigned to the fact that you won’t be able to eat the way you can when we’re not under quarantine.

Healthy Foods to Buy When Broke

March 23, 2020 By MelissaB Leave a Comment

You’ve cut down on your electricity use, you’ve called all of your credit card companies to reduce your interest rates, you’ve stopped going out with friends. You’ve cut every where you can cut, but money is still tight. Next, you take a look at your grocery money. Luckily, there are many ways to cut corners and still eat good, nutritious food. Consider these healthy foods to buy when broke:

Healthy Foods to Buy When Broke

You’ll want to buy food that costs relatively little but packs a nutritional punch and also fills you up. People tend to go for carbs because they’re the cheapest, but if you’re mostly eating carbs and not rounding out your meal with protein and vegetables, you will feel hungry and you won’t be eating nutritiously. Due to this, it’s great to use a Vitamin C supplement because it is cheap and provides health benefits.

Frugal Protein Sources

There are several inexpensive protein sources.

Eggs

Eggs are cheap, typically running 10 to 20 cents per egg. In addition, they’re versatile and can be used for many different meals. Better yet, each egg has 6 grams of protein, helping to satiate you.

Dry Beans

Dry beans typically cost $1 a pound and can be used in a wide variety of ways. A staple in many cultures, dry beans contain typically 6 to 8 grams of protein per half cup cooked serving. They also supply potassium and many other vitamins and minerals.

Peanut Butter

Healthy Foods to Eat When Broke — Photo by Olia Nayda on Unsplash

Peanut butter is routinely $2 to $4 per jar, and per 2 tablespoon serving, it has 8 grams of protein. It’s also packed with potassium and fiber. Plus, it tastes great!

Cheap, Nutritious Vegetables

Greens

Most greens are cheap. Usually the cheapest one is kale. Kale is full of fiber and packed with Vitamin C and K. You can use it in any recipe as a replacement for spinach.

Spinach is a bit more pricey to buy fresh, but if you buy it frozen, you’re likely to find it for $1 to $2. Keep in mind, frozen spinach is already cooked, and cooked spinach is much more dense than fresh. Frozen is the way to go when your budget is tight.

Carrots

Healthy Foods to Buy When Broke — Photo by Harshal S. Hirve on Unsplash

Carrots are full of beta-carotene, and you can usually buy them for less than $1 a pound. Eat them raw, in soups, or spiralize them in place of noodles.

Cabbage

Cabbage is one of the most frugal vegetables in the store, typically selling for .39 to .99 cents a pound. Like kale, it’s full of Vitamins K and C and fiber.

Healthy Starches

Rice

Brown rice typically costs around $1 to $2 a pound, but one pound can make many servings. It can be served with almost any meal, and it has a healthy serving of fiber and B vitamins.

Potatoes

Potatoes are typically a frugal choice as they run .50 to $1 a pound. While Russet potatoes are full of Vitamins B & C (if you eat them with the skin on), sweet potatoes are even more beneficial. Like carrots, they are packed with beta-carotene and other vitamins, and they are full of fiber. We love them roasted in the oven.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal contains many vitamins and fiber and tends to fill people up more than other grains. It makes a perfect hot breakfast, or you can mix one part oats, one part milk, and a dash of maple syrup for a breakfast muesli. Just refrigerate overnight and seve cold in the morning.

Final Thoughts

If you’re on a tight budget or looking to cut costs, rest assured that these healthy foods to buy when broke are nutritious and will keep you satiated and satisfied.