Search Results for: blog how to store your pantry meals

Inexpensive (and Easy) Summer Meals

For my family, summer is not all about cooking, unlike during the winter holidays. Instead, it is about spending time outdoors, going on summer adventures, visiting with friends and family, days at the park or pool, and nights on the grass watching a movie or music concert under the stars.  It is about inviting the neighbors over for a campfire and smores, catching lighting bugs, trying to get all of the ice cream drips before they run down your arm, and re-experiencing the feel of a light breeze coming off of the ocean. Still, we all have to eat, so … Continue reading →

Seven Ways to Save $1,000 for Your Emergency Fund

Dave Ramsey, financial guru who has helped so many families get out of debt, recommends that most of us start on the path to financial solvency by first saving up $1,000 toward an emergency fund. By having a solid emergency fund, we are less likely to go into debt, should the unexpected happen, such as the home furnace needing to be replaced, the car needing to be repaired, or the experience of a medical crisis. Saving that $1,000 is the first step of Ramsey’s overall get-out-of-debt plan. How can you save that much when there doesn’t seem to be any … Continue reading →

Organize the Pantry for Savings

I try to do a couple of money-saving projects each week around the house. Today, my project is to clean out and organize the pantry. Having a well-organized pantry reduces the amount of food waste, plus it sets me up to take advantage of any good sales and coupons, so I know what I should stock and how much of it to stock. Our store just had an amazing deal on pasta, which is why you can see so much of it on the bottom shelf. Yes, this is an actual photo of one of my two pantries, after it has … Continue reading →

Coupons for Market Pantry and Archer Farms

Frugal shoppers know that buying the generic brand is a great way to save money at the grocery store. The generic versions are often almost identical to the more expensive name brand products. Save even more money by shopping at Target and using coupons on their “generic” brands! Every grocery store has its own “house brand” of generic products. They often have the exact same ingredients as the more expensive name brand versions of the products. Target has two “house brands”: Market Pantry, and Archer Farms. Buying those should save you some money. Save more money by using Target coupons … Continue reading →

Extending the Life of Your Food

I really hate to throw out good food, but it happens so often. Leftovers get forgotten in the back of the fridge, produce is bought with good intentions and then not used in time or food is left out too long on the counter. One time, we had to toss a whole bag of frozen food because both my husband and I had thought each other put the food away. Sigh. Minimizing food waste is a good way to reduce the food budget. Here are some of the ways that my family now minimizes food waste. Having a Plan If … Continue reading →

The Basic Pantry List

What should you have in your pantry to be prepared? Having a number of basic items in your pantry can mean the difference between eating and not eating in the event that a disaster or hard time strike your family. These basic items can be combined into many different meals, so you should always have them on hand. Here are just some reasons why having an emergency pantry could come in handy. If you lose your employment and have to make do on a limited or absent income If there is a disruption in the supply chain that makes getting … Continue reading →

How to Cook from the Pantry

Cooking from the pantry can save you time and money. Don’t know what to cook for dinner tonight? Need some dinner ideas when you don’t want to go to the store? Have to stretch the budget for a few more days? Use the following advice and resources to help you cook from your own pantry. Taking an Inventory First, figure out what ingredients you have to work with. Sometimes it is helpful to start with the more substantial items such as the type of protein (chicken, beef, beans, eggs) and go from there. Eyeball your shelves, fridge and freeze and … Continue reading →

How Long Will Your Food Last

Storing food and stockpiling is a great idea for being prepared. One issue that can arise is how long is it before food expires? How long do canned goods last, and how long can you store your staples? I came across this dilemma just two days ago when I went through my pantry to rotate some food, having a plan to use up some older items in meals in order to add some new ones and keep everything fresh. I came across ajar of salsa. It contained no expiration date to guide me, and I hadn’t marked one on the … Continue reading →

Warehouse Store Stock Up Tips

Do you find that using a warehouse store means that your grocery bill is going up not down? It could be the way you are handling your bulk purchase buys, how you are stocking up on them and how you are using them. Here are some tips to help you get everything under control and use warehouse shopping to your advantage to save money. Freeze, Freeze, Freeze If you find yourself with a lot of waste in your food, you’ll need to take action to make sure that items don’t good bad before you can get to them. One way … Continue reading →

Stocking the Pantry on a Budget

Stocking your pantry with basic food can really pay off. Not only will it save you money, but it will leave you prepared in the case of some crisis that prevents you from purchasing food right away. Having a stockpile of food is always a good idea. We are currently in the process of trying to build our stockpile back up. We’ve had a number of things happen that have reduced our stockpile to very little, such as cooking from the pantry, losing storage space and giving away about half of our stash to a family that needed it more … Continue reading →