Why in the world does it matter if I keep an organized pantry? There are many different reasons that you want to learn how to organize your pantry.
Learning how to organize your pantry is very easy. Don’t worry about all those shows you watched about color coordinating your pantry. That doesn’t matter. What matters is that you learn how to organize your pantry…and make it work for you. Make it easy and sustainable.
So, you are wondering why it matters if I organize my pantry? Organizing your pantry has a lot of benefits.
- Saves Money
- Saves Time
- Reduces Stress
- Encourages Eating at Home
How does organizing my pantry save me money? Easy. Less food waste.
Once you get your pantry organized, you will have a better idea of what you need to buy at the store. Studies show that families throw out a lot of what they buy. Check out this study about how much food families waste each year. It’s insane.
You will learn to keep a list and only buy what you need when you need it. No more expired foods.
Next, having an organized pantry will save you time. Once you get organized, you will learn to keep a list of what you need. This will make grocery shopping much easier.
This will also make meal planning so much easier. You will have everything you need to make a quick meal. Getting the kid’s school lunches together will take minutes.
An organized pantry will reduce your stress. You won’t be wondering what you have on hand for dinner. Once you get the pantry organized you will know what you have. No more worrying about getting the right ingredients. You will learn to make the pantry work for you and your family.
Having an organized pantry will encourage you to eat at home. Eating at home is much better for you and your family. Eating out not only cost too much money, it is not healthy. Keeping the pantry stocked and ready for easy meals is great for your whole family.
Now how do I get started in an organized pantry? Does this seem overwhelming?
It’s really not. By following a few steps you will have an organized pantry in no time. You will wonder why you didn’t do this sooner.
Remove Everything
The first thing you want to do is remove everything from your pantry. This is the first step in how to organize your pantry.
Some people think that they can skip this step….Don’t!!!
This will give you the opportunity to start fresh. You want to be able to clean your space and get it ready for the next steps.
Throw out Old/Expired Foods
The next step in how to organize your pantry is by throwing out old and expired food. Check all the dates on your food. You’d be surprised how much food people lose to expiration dates.
This is also a good time to get rid of food that you will never use. I recommend donating any food you don’t want to a nearby shelter or food pantry.
Sort/ Categorize
Next you are going to start creating categories. Some examples are:
- Dry Goods
- Baking Items
- Canned Goods
- Spices
- Kids snacks
- Drinks
- Dressing and Condiments
- Candy and Treats
You want to create categories that work for you and your family
Buy Containers
You are going to buy containers. This is the next step in how to organize your pantry.
You want to make this work for you. Some people love to decant everything into airtight containers. Some people are fine with keeping things contained in the original packaging.
I like to decant as much as possible because it will keep food fresher…longer. I only recommend decanting if you are willing to keep up with this system.
I always make sure to attach instructions and expiration dates to each container.
You don’t have to spend a fortune. Buy what works for you. Items that work great in a pantry are:
- Clear containers
- Baskets
- Tiered Shelving
- Lazy Susans
- Racks
Again, buy what will work for you. Remember you will need to maintain this space.
I highly recommend labels. Keeping things labeled will keep the whole family accountable. They will know where a food item belongs.
Organize by Meals
Another great way to organize your pantry is by meals. You could have a shelve devoted to breakfast items…. or have baskets devoted to all your kid’s lunch items. This will make getting ready for school in the morning quick and easy.
Organizing by meal with make it easier to meal plan. Be sure to check out my post about meal planning. There are so many benefits to meal planning, that an organized pantry will help with.
Work Smarter
This step is important. Make sure that the pantry you create works for you. Don’t spend hours creating a pantry that you can’t maintain.
This pantry is supposed to help you save time and money. If you can’t maintain this space, then it doesn’t work for you. Make your organization easy and simple.
Try and keep older items up front. Use those items first. Make sure to check expiration dates periodically. This will help you maintain fresh items. Less food waste. Saves you money.
Use All the Space
Everybody has space in their pantry that seems useless. I want to make it useful. Use those top shelves for back stock. I keep a stool in my pantry so I can access those top shelves when I need to.
Use the floor to hold all your heavy items….water, sodas, juices. We all buy things in bulk. Make sure when you buy items that you have space for it at home.
Maintain
The whole point of having an organized pantry is to help you out. You have to be able to maintain the space.
Keep a grocery list in the pantry. Install a chalkboard or whiteboard on the wall. Write down things when you run out. Keep an ongoing grocery list.
This will save you time when you get ready for the grocery store. You will know exactly what you need and don’t need.
Maintaining can be hard for some people. Make this space work for you and your family. If one of your organization systems is not working for you, then make a change.
I want this system to help you….not be a burden
I hope this helps you learn how to organize your pantry….and why it’s important.
Give it a try, let me know what works for you and your family. I am always making changes to my pantry to better help me save time and money.
