Our pantry is one of those places that I continually have to organize, but nothing really seemed to stick. I think I finally made some of the right changes to keep it in some semblance of order as the contents constantly change.
One of the problems was that we weren't utilizing the door storage very well, as we had tea boxes and other random items in there, while having a lot of bottled condiments on a carousel which wasn't easily visible or accessible for those kind of items. I removed the tea boxes (finding that many were empty... an annoying habit that SOMEONE in my household is guilty of doing) and used the door space to house the bottled items. I divided them into categories such as sweeteners, cooking oils, and so on. I then labeled the shelves with Martha Stewart Home Office with Avery Adhesive metal book plate labels that you can purchase at Staples. The nice think about this type of labeling is that the labels slide in and out, so that you can change them when you rearrange. Although it's pretty obvious to they eye what one is looking at, the labels can be a helpful prompt to make sure things get put back where they belong to keep the order.
An item I highly recommend for pantry organization and food storage is OXO Pop containers. They are clear (so you can easily see the contents), come in many sizes stackable, and airtight. We received a starter set of various sizes as a wedding gift, and I've acquired more because they are so practical. They are a little on the pricey side, but they are a good deal if you can find them at Home Goods or TJ Maxx.
One of the things I recently found they are great for is cereal storage. It is helpful because you can see how much cereal is left (no more empty cereal boxes left in the pantry) and know when you need to purchase more. Also because they are airtight the cereal stays fresh (the same person who is guilty of leaving empty boxes is also guilty of not rolling the internal bag of cereal, making it quickly become stale). I also like the larger containers for flour and sugar, (and protein powder). The smaller containers are great for the variety of nuts and dried fruits we always have on hand for salads, cooking, and snacks.
I recently came upon an ingenious pairing for the OXO Pop containers with Martha Stewart Home Office with Avery chalkboard labels also available at Staples. These labels are not only attractive with their flourish die-cut design, but practical, as they are nonpermanent in that you can erase and change the label to match the contents as needed. And you can include the expiration date as well! I also used these labels on clear bins, which are good for wrangling things like beef jerky pouches, seasoning packets, and sprinkles.
Now that the pantry was organized, I was ready to go shopping which inspired me to organize my coupons. Yes, I use coupons, but I am not a crazy coupon lady by any means. The reasons why:
- I don't use many of the products the manufactures provide coupons for
- I have a certain degree of brand loyalty for certain products
- I don't have a stockpile and have no desire for my home to resemble a grocery store
- I don't dumpster dive for coupons
- I don't subscribe to the paper
- I don't need 500 candy bars
I do however use coupons somewhat regularly on the things I buy, and need, and I am able to save an average of 25% on my grocery bill, which really adds up. Some people are snobby about couponing, as if it's below them. Just because you have money doesn't mean you shouldn't save. Who doesn't like free stuff? Every time I save a few hundred dollars, it's like getting a pair of shoes for free!
Because I am not a crazy coupon lady, I don't need a jumbo binder that weighs 50 lbs. However my old system of envelopes divided by category wasn't working so well and if you can't find what you need you won't use it (before it expires). So again with items from Martha Stewarts Home Office with Avery line at Staples, I created a little coupon binder I could take shopping. One of the things I love about her line is that a lot of the accessories are robins egg blue, so it matches my office! I purchased a small robin's egg blue binder that can fit in my purse and some dividers, and clear pocket pages. I also added some filler paper in the front that is perfect for composing shopping lists. For me, I kept it simple (no subcategories) and divided them into grocery/food, household/cleaning, personal, pets, and other. Each category has a few pages of various size clear pocket pages, so I can flip through it and easily find the coupon that I need.
A few of my tips about couponing:
- Online shopping: did you know there is almost always a coupon code for most retail websites? You can just Google the name of the retailer and coupon code and see what comes up. Retail Me Not seems to have the most valid codes. Depending on the retailer you can sometime use up to 2 different codes on an order. You can usually save 15-30% and get free shipping, just by typing in the coupon code in the field at checkout.
- Bed Bath and Beyond: you know how they send out mailers constantly with 5 dollars off one item or 20% off one item coupons? You can use multiple coupons on one purchase, one coupon per item, AND although the coupons have expiration dates, they except expired coupons (and competitior coupons). So if you shop there, don't ever throw your BB&B coupons away! You can use them on the OXO Pop containers!
- Pavillions/Vons/Safeway: There Just for You program is great. They give you special offers on the things you frequently buy. I love berries, which are usually pretty expensive compared to other fruit, but because I buy them all the time they give them to me at prices like 77 cents a pound. Because I get good deals on them I continue to buy them, and they continue to give me the deals!
- Pets: If you sign up for Petco Pals rewards, you get coupons every month. Also many of the dog treats you buy have coupons inside the bag for those products, don't throw them out!
- Extreme Couponing tactic: I don't take it to that level, but I have figured out how people get the extreme savings, or even cash back on items. Basically you try to combine your coupons with sales and other promotions. For example: I had a sunday paper coupon for 1.00 off these mashed potatoes my husband likes. When I looked at the ads I saw they were on sale for 2.99 (regularly 3.99) with my club card. And when I went on the Just for You site I was able to load to my club card, a store coupon that was also for 1.00 off. So with my two coupons and the club card sale price I purchased the mashed potatoes for 1.00. A good deal, but I don't need 500 tubs of mashed potatoes... I was happy with the one.
- Keep your coupons (like your reusable grocery bags) in the trunk of your car. That way you can never go to the store and forget them.
