I have checked another task off of the to do list and I couldn’t be happier! My pantry is small but mighty. It holds everything I need and much of what I don’t. The pantry is also one of those areas that it’s easy to put off because generally they have doors so you don’t have to look at the mess all day.
My pantry suffers from having a structure but I tend to get to a point where I have too much and start piling stuff on top of one another.
BEFORE
You can see that I already have boxes and bins in use and you can also see that some items are resting and leaning on one another. Sometimes things were used and it was too hard to put them back, so I didn’t. Exhibit 1-the box of cake flour on the floor. There wasn’t really room for it in the baking bin so I didn’t even try!
I don’t typically shop at Costco because I really don’t have room for massive sized boxes but sometimes stuff that I eat (like cereal) is on a really good sale at Safeway and I can’t resist. This is why there are 2 boxes leaning on each other and other food items as well.
I also hang my aprons on a hook in the pantry and this works for me. What does not work are the soft sided bins-they are too hard to pull out when I need to reach items in the rear of the containers.
IN PROGRESS
When I finished the removal of all of the items, I needed to take a serious break!
I knew I was going to use bins again but I also wanted to decant some items from their boxes into jars as it tends to take up less space. I also did not want to purchase a bunch of items as that can get pricey. I did not buy any jars-I just used what I had on hand. The only thing that I did purchase new and recently is 3 rectangle bins for $1 each from the Dollar Tree. Many of the other containers are also from the Dollar Tree but I’ve had them for years.
I am laying out what I have to get a sense where things will go. I did of course go through each item and throw out anything expired or that I clearly was not longer going to eat. I found a gelatin that expired in 2011!! Even though I don’t clean out my pantry on any regular schedule, I have done it enough that I didn’t have a ton of expired foods!
AFTER
When all was said and done, I got everything back into the pantry that needed to be there and everything has a spot. I was even able to create a bin to house extras of some of the items that I decanted into jars.
I can see everything, nothing is hidden and I even have some open space. I put that white bucket on a shelf riser so I created even more space if needed.
The only thing I have left to do is to make labels for the jars and bins. That, of course, is the fun part of the project.
One of my reasons for wanting to organize the pantry is so that I can better meal plan. I can use what I have, not buy duplicates and food won’t go to waste.
Another successful organizing project completed! My plan is to edit the pantry quarterly (have to write it down) so that it doesn’t get to be a big jumbled mess again!
Do you use your pantry to help meal plan or does it strictly store food items? Share in the comments!
