Stockpiling.

It’s a good thing. Isn’t it?

We should all do it shouldn’t we?

If we want to save big money on food.

Hmmm …

Well, yes, maybe.

IF we’re super organised.

IF we keep an inventory. Up to date.

IF we have Pinterest worthy pantry storage. And keep it immaculately in order.

IF we make shopping lists.  AND only buy what we need.

IF we have a price book. AND genuinely know a good offer when we see one.

If NOT.

If – like most people – we’re a bit rubbish at ALL of the above.

It’s probably COSTING us money.

Because the reality IS we buy loads of random stuff. We don’t need. That’s not a bargain. And end up throwing half of it away after clogging up our pantry shelves with it for several years.

So today we’re getting honest about our “stockpile” of tins and cans … and letting stuff go.

If you’re following along with my quick daily declutter, read on. BUT if you’re new do hop back and read how just 10 things can help you declutter easily.

Just 10 Things  – Tins & Cans

As always we’ll stick to the just 10 things rules:

• Take 5 minutes or so, 15 minutes max
• Focus on tins & cans in our pantry or food cupboard
• Open our eyes to expired food, soon to expire food AND food we’ll never get round to eating before it does expire
• And without yanking stuff out – just push it to the side to root to the back
• Spot any we’re ready to let go

In particular look out for …

1. Baked beans & pasta
2. Soup
3. Tomatoes
4. Vegetables
5. Beans & pulses
6. Fish & meat
7. Sodas
8. Fruit
9. Ready meals
10. Desserts & puddings

THEN if it’s expired ditch it. Obviously.

Yes we’ve failed.

But it doesn’t help to beat ourselves up.

Or tell ourselves we’ll be super organised going forward.

We won’t be.

We need to make it EASY.

And that means LESS.

So donate cans you know you’ll never eat to a food bank.

PLUS any bulk buys that are a major hassle to store.

And making it too hard to know what you’ve got.

Put the soon to expire stuff on use it or lose it shelf.

Or basket. Where you can’t miss them.

And eat these first.

With less on the shelves it’s easier to see what we need to buy.

And you know what?

Shock horror!!

Some weeks that may very well be NOTHING.

Because we could easily survive the week cooking what we’ve already got.

And you know what else?

Buying only what we need IS truly the best way to save money on food.

Give it a go.

But for an extra nudge read on.

 

A Little Nudge

 

We’re all meant to “meal plan” these days, aren’t we?

It’s meant to save us money, time, waste.

And delight our families daily with delicious food.

Well … just like stockpiling, it would.

IF we actually did it.

BUT we don’t mostly. Most of us.

BECAUSE we’re busy and tired. AND it’s dull.

AND just way more complicated than it needs to be.

The real answer IS simple.

It’s called meal looping.

It’s what your grandma did.

And it works like this:

• List 14 quick, vaguely healthy, meals you can cook from memory and your family will eat
• If you can’t think of 14 think of 7
• If any have fancy ingredients make do without
• Write re-usable shopping list
• Only buy what you don’t have
• Loop through list
• BUT only cook new meal if NO leftovers in fridge
• At end of list go back to beginning
• Start again!!!

Seriously it’s that simple.

It worked for grandma and it works for us.

It saves time. It saves money. It saves waste.

AND it creates lots of lovely space in our kitchens.

Give it a go.