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JodieLyn
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| Posted: March 19 2007 at 2:00pm | IP Logged
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I grew up with this.. my grandmother grew a good garden plus raising animals for the freezer.. so I grew up with the idea of stocking up for the year in pantry and freezer.
Now, I don't have a garden (still making the attempt but it's complicated with dh's schedule) and we don't raise our own meat.. and dh hasn't had any luck getting out hunting either.
But because I grew up with it.. it's rather easy for me to go by what I "feel".. like oh look this is on sale.. I should get about 4 of them.. why? who knows.. but it feels like the right amount for that item. 
So if anything is unclear or you need more suggestions for a particular situation or item.. ask away.. and I (and hopefully others) can try and help. 
How to start will greatly depend on how much you know about how you use things and how much money you have that can be used for start up.
If you can come up with a general list of things you use and about how much you buy for a set time period.. you can get going better.
The biggest thing is to buy what you'll use and don't buy so much that you won't use it and it'll go bad (hard to do with some pantry items of course)
Using a pantry system will save you money because instead of buying, for instance, BBQ sauce when you need it.. you buy it on sale and have it when you need it. So most items in your pantry should be purchased on sale.
I've got it down for stocking up for about a year in some items less in others.. I have a small closet/large cupboard in the garage plus food storage buckets.. I have a small upright freezer, a smaller second fridge in the garage with the upper freezer in it.. and the large side by side in the house.
If you don't have much leeway in your budget.. slow and steady is the way to go.. pick things you know you buy often to stock up on.. and buy those when they're on sale.. how many items and how much of each will depend on how much "extra" money you have.. you will spend more at first because you're buying more.. but then the next time you're at the store.. and you don't need to buy that item.. you'll have additional funds to buy other items on sale. Always stock up on the most frequently used items first.. unless of course there's a once in a lifetime type sale 
If you have a larger chunk of money to start with. I get a chunk at the end of summer, after dh has gotten overtime pay.. which is the classic time for stocking up.. though I've learned over the years things like chocolate chips go on the best sale of the year just before Christmas... Then you can look at buying in bulk right off.. one of our local grocery stores has a case goods sale in the early fall and I get apple juice, canned tomatoes, canned mushrooms, mac and cheese (one of my few processed quick and easy foods), tomato sauce, etc. I've also moved to using whole wheat flour.. and the cheapest way for me to do this is to buy wheat in bulk and grind it myself.. I had to put out the money for the grinder but after that I've been saving a good deal of money and getting much better flour. So anyway, because of where I live and the shipping costs.. I found the cheapest way to get whole grains was to order them, and to keep the shipping costs down.. the cheapest way is to bump over the 500# mark.. so I only order once a year.. and fill in the order with things that I don't necessarily save money on.. but don't cost me any more (like sugar) because the difference in cost is worth it.
Things that I don't buy in bulk for the year.. mayonaisse for instance.. it goes on sale fairly frequently, so the big thing is to just not run out. So when there's one left in the pantry, it goes on my list to buy *IF* on sale.. it's not a critical item yet.. but doing this gives me time to wait for a sale.
Now I have a real problem around here with things like lists growing legs and walking off So since usually my email program is kept open, I just keep an email draft called "grocery list" and can either copy it by hand or print it off before going shopping.
Because of my dh's schedule.. he's a wildland firefighter, he works a lot of overtime in the summer and can be laid off in the winter.. I do my stocking up in the summer and fall with the plan to be able to mostly live off the pantry from Christmas until Easter.. give or take.
I make our jams and jellies (getting ready for that to start up soon) so we should be real low on that about this time of year and that's fine.. soon as we can get strawberries for a reasonable price I'll be making jam.
I do the same with stocking up on meat.. if you have the freezer space.. save up money and do a bulk purchase.. depending on what type you use.. you may be able to get a better quality of meat by buying a side of beef (or a mixed quarter) than buying packages at the store. But on the other hand.. just buying from the store on sale and freezing it makes a big difference in what it ends up costing you.
This is may pantry list.. some items I've started listing how many I buy per year.. but I'm by no means done with that.. so this is still a work in progress.
PER YEAR
pantry
16 apple cider 2 qt
24 tomato sauce 8oz
48 diced tomato 14.5
48 mushroom 4oz
24 sliced black olive 3.8oz
24 peanut butter 36 oz
3-6 olive oil 3 liter
24 hot chocolate 3 lb
75# dry beans - pinto
3# dry beans - sm. red
3# dry beans - navy
3# dry beans - black turtle
1# lentils
1# split peas
1# barley
n/a egg noodles
n/a macaroni
fun pasta for salads - shells, bow ties, rotelli
n/a lasagna noodles
n/a speghetti
n/a fettecini
n/a angel hair
48 mac n cheese 7.25 oz
25# + brown rice
n/a flour (has been all purpose, considering working on getting WW instead and maybe even a mill and whole wheat)
100# wheat - red
100# wheat - white
150# wheat - soft
90# sugar, white
40# sugar, brown
40# sugar, pwd
2# cocoa pwd
12 mayonaise
6 mustard
6 ketchup
6 relish
6 bbq sauce
125# oatmeal
4 boxes cream of wheat
jam - oodles of homemade jam
4 lemon juice
12 salsa
yeast (in fridge)
baking pwd
baking soda
corn starch
cider vinegar
white wine vinegar
red wine vinegar
honey
molasses
dk corn syrup
lt corn syrup
shortening
chicken bullion/base real and false
beef bullion/base real and false
vanilla
(other flavorings - lemon, almond, mint etc but can do without)
spice cupboard
(depending on the spice I keep different amounts on hand, and buy more at different levels of "getting low" depending on amount used and how often used)
salt
basil
cumin
garlic pwd
onion pwd
caraway seed
nutmeg, ground
cloves whole
cloves ground
allspice, ground
black pepper, whole
black pepper, ground
oregano
sage
parsley
chili pwd
marjaram
italian seasoning mix
thyme
rosemary
bay leaf
curry pwd
cream of tartar
red pepper flakes
chile pepper (cayenne or other)
poppyseeds
dry mustard
paprika
sesame seed
dill weed
pickling spice
cinnamon, ground
cinnamon, sticks
freezer
shredded cheese
butter
chicken (prefer boneless skinless breasts)
hamburger -
meatballs
hamburger patties
meatloaf
turkey (cut in half by butcher)
ham (cut in half by butcher - buy a whole ham - usually shank-half price.. have butcher cut in half and you get a butt half at the shank price)
whatever cheap beef cut into strips
pork loin roast
beef 7 bone roast
pork country style ribs
broccoli
green beans
corn
stir fry mix
green chile
sweet red peppers, chopped
green bell peppers, chopped
onion, chopped
sweet onion, chopped
ginger root
bread
homemade bread crumbs
extras
chocolate chips
raisins
chopped dates
otter pops
saltine crackers
popcorn
paper and cleaning products
toilet paper
paper towels
napkins
feminine necessities
shampoo
conditioner
deoderant
toothpaste
laundry soap
dish soap
bar soap
shower soap
diapers
wipes
parishables
milk
eggs
salad dressing
sour cream
carrots
potatoes (stock up for winter storage.. buy as used in summer)
onions
things I try and keep but aren't critical
lettuce
cabbage
some sort of fruit
and then sometimes additional salad things
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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MacBeth
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| Posted: March 19 2007 at 2:20pm | IP Logged
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Jodie!  Thanks for the amazing list!
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MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
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Maryan
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| Posted: March 19 2007 at 2:26pm | IP Logged
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Me too -- great list. Thanks!
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Maryan
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: March 19 2007 at 2:27pm | IP Logged
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Wow Jodie! Thanks for taking the time to type all that. I'm going to take some time looking at what I can do to improve my own pantry system. I know I need to increase quantities as we run out of things far more quickly than we used to. I think that's due to groceries being more expensive and my kids getting bigger and eating more. Thanks for starting this new thread.
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Becky
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: March 19 2007 at 2:49pm | IP Logged
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Jodie,
When you first did your pantry list, did you base it on recipes that you make often, or do you choose your recipes based on what's in your pantry? Kind of a silly question I know. As I think about it, I started our pantry back when I only had 2 children and they were little. Now they are big and I have 2 more plus another on the way. It's time for a pantry overhaul! Looking at your list and thinking about how much my kids can eat is a little overwhelming!
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Cay Gibson
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| Posted: March 19 2007 at 4:00pm | IP Logged
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 Oh, thank you, Jodie. This is awesome.
Just what the baker and butcher ordered.
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
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mom to 5
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: March 19 2007 at 4:11pm | IP Logged
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Becky, I didn't sit down and figure it out.. I rather "wing it".. but I bought things I'd use rather than buying things and figuring out how to use them.. so I guess that would be using your recipes to start you list from.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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Natalia
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| Posted: March 19 2007 at 5:30pm | IP Logged
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Thanks Jodie! This is helpful. After reading your list I went online to search for a printable list. I found these:pantry inventory
stocking your pantry printable list
Thanks so much Jodie. i am amazed that you can stock up for a year!
Natalia
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Cay Gibson
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| Posted: March 19 2007 at 5:44pm | IP Logged
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I can't get the links to work, Natalia. And I'm eager to see them. 
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: March 19 2007 at 5:55pm | IP Logged
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Here's the links corrected 
pantry inventory
stocking your pantry printable list
Natalia - I don't stock everything up for a year.. but a lot of the basics are.. wheat, oatmeal, rice, beans, sugar.. and canned goods and some other misc. stuff. But others aren't stocked up near so well.. and of course fresh stuff is a constant buying item.. and I'm even out of ketchup right now but the items that *I* personally don't use are the most difficult to stay up on.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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Tami
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| Posted: March 19 2007 at 6:06pm | IP Logged
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Wow, Jodie, what a list! Thank you for sharing this.
Now, to think about how to store it all....
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God bless,
Tami
When we are crushed like grapes, we cannot think of the wine we will become. (Nouwen)
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Cay Gibson
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| Posted: March 19 2007 at 6:08pm | IP Logged
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These are great printables!
Thank you, Jodie and Natalia.
I'm headed on a pantry notebooking kick.
Doing my own little detective work , I found this:
Organized Pantry: A Beginner Guide to Pantry Pride
I  this:
Building a Pantry on a Budget:
"Tithe" for the pantry: set aside a regular percentage of each week's grocery budget for pantry-building. Even a few dollars a week will start the process of stocking and maintaining pantry reserves.
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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Cay Gibson
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| Posted: March 19 2007 at 6:27pm | IP Logged
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I think I'll have to go through all these great lists and censor out the duplicates and what I don't use.
Saving Money in the Kitchen - Pantry List
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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CathinCoffeland
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| Posted: March 19 2007 at 6:41pm | IP Logged
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Its great but where do you store it all!?
I dont think my 800 sq footer could handle it !
maggie
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Martha
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| Posted: March 19 2007 at 6:49pm | IP Logged
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oh wow! Thanks ladies!
I've been buying groceries every 2 weeks (mostly anyhow, we do need that dairy farm for milk!) based on our menus, but even every 2 weeks is not enough. These kids eat to capacity and our current home is so small. There is just not a cranny or nook left to shove anything.
But the new house will have a pantry and a very large garage area.
CAY!
That tithe tip is the smartest best thing and so simple. I keep our budget, so I can just budget that right in with a note about what particuliar item it might need to go towards that month.
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Martha
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Martha
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Oh I should add that we have a monthly one for non-grocery items and it is a great help. I keep it on a magnet on the frig and when we use the last of any of those items, or get low enough to know we are going to need it - it gets marked. Once a month I go buy a month supply of whatever is marked. Works great. I keep note next to each item how many and what size is needed for a month. I also note what the ave. price of each is, this way I know when we need to start buying more or less and when something is really a good deal or not. I also have blanks on there for items we don't get enough to keep on the list, but need a heads up on.
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Martha
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: March 22 2007 at 4:24pm | IP Logged
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Can I bring up the pantry topic again? I'm wondering about what you pantry experts do for special events. I'm thinking Thanksgiving, Christmas or even birthdays. Do you plan for these events in your pantry planning, or are they considered "extra" in the food budget?
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Becky
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Cay Gibson
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Extra in the food budget.
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
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Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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Karen T
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| Posted: April 15 2007 at 2:23pm | IP Logged
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Jodie,
loved your list, but I have a couple questions on the bulk order grains, etc. Do you really use 40 # of powdered sugar in a year??
Where do you store your bulk grains to keep them fresh until grinding?
Karen T
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: April 15 2007 at 3:51pm | IP Logged
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Do I.. yeah.. I make most of the birthday cakes.. and sometimes allow it as topping on french toast (can't be worse than pancake syrup ).. plus the frosting for sugar cookies on the holidays.. I make cinnamon rolls with a frosting periodically.. sometimes other things.. I put a glaze on the hot cross buns.. and I think I make some candies with it at Christmastime as well.
I keep the grains in the food grade buckets and just keep them in the garage (used for storage and such, not cars). They're more tolerant of changes in temperature anyway because they're whole.. so it's not like trying to store flour. You can store whole grains with moisture absorbers and oxygen absorbers and it's good for something between 5 and 10 years. I use it up in about a year so I don't fuss with those.. we only have about 3 months of really warm temps and about 6-8 months total where I can't use the garage as a refrigerated storage unit
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Starting and Maintaining a Pantry
