Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
The most expensive way to buy groceries for your family is going to the store often and buying what you need. This gives you no negotiating power and you're stuck paying whatever the retailer will sell the product to you for. Instead, I regularly teach that buying only the best deals (using sale plus coupon combinations) will help you move ahead financially. When you're able to buy groceries for pennies on the dollar, it makes sense to stock up on these items. This creates a safety net for your family.
It will take a little bit of effort to build a large safety net for your family ““ but a stocked pantry can pay your family many hundreds of dollars a month in food savings. Managing the pantry really doesn't take much effort ““ but it is important that you don't let some traps undo all your hard work. There are entire volumes written on the subject ““ but I'd like to boil down pantry management into five of the most valuable tips for ensuring that you pantry continues to pay you throughout the year and in the years to come.
1. Rethink food “storage” versus food “staging.” I'm not a fan of hoarding for the sake of collecting items. Even though there are many products I have more than a year's supply of, my goal is to ensure that my family could eat from our pantry for six months ““ not including fresh produce and milk. When I look through our pantry, I don't see a museum of products. I see a staging area for consumption ““ either through personal use ““ or through donations. Product comes in and product is going out. I don't like to see food hanging around for too long. This mindset is helpful in setting your own pantry management rules.
2. Don't throw out good food! When a “best if used by” date passes on a product, this does not mean that the product is no longer safe for consumption. It simply means that the quality may not be at its peak. The USDA states that date stamps have very little to do with food safety. They are primarily an indication to the retailer on inventory control. You may be unnecessarily throwing out hundreds of dollars of food each year due to misunderstanding date stamps on food. I highly recommend you familiarize yourself with StillTasty.com. You will learn that many products are good for dates far beyond the date stamped on the product.
3. Use expiration dates for product rotation. Many SavingsAngel members use a Sharpie marker and will write the “best if used by” date on the product ““ so this date is easier to read. Even though the product may not need to be consumed by the date stamped, it will let you know which item to use next “First in, first out” is a common mantra for food storage aficionados. If you have six jars of peanut butter in your pantry, a prominent date will make it easier to see which jar you should use next ““ rather than trying to find the fine print in what could be a dimly lit spot. Of, course, placing the “next to use” item in the front of the shelf is helpful as well. It takes a few seconds to note the date ““ but it will save you time and potentially money down the road.
4. Protect your pantry from pests. It's worth researching this tip a bit more when you get a chance. Exposed food can attract pests and pests can potentially ruin many hundreds of dollars worth of food. No food package should be left open. This includes opened cereal boxes, pancake mix, flour, sugar, and pasta. Flipping down the cardboard lid or rolling down a paper or plastic bag is not sufficient. Please seal these foods in a re-sealable bag ““ or plastic container. Although plastic bags can still be eaten through, you will know if a pest has accessed the food and if you need to take further action. Not only will you be better protected from pests, your food will remain fresher for a longer period of time.
Some other quick tips on this subject include:
– Keep your pantry area clean. Vacuum up all food spills.
– Discard anything that has been accessed by a pest ““ and check for any spills, torn or open packages, to limit the food supply to the pest. A small invader does not need much to survive on.
– Clean old containers before filling them with fresh food.
– Keep your pantry dry and cool.
– Entomology (insect) experts will tell you that good sanitation will eliminate pantry pests and prevent further infestation without the need to introduce harsh chemicals in most cases.
– If you use pest control chemicals or traps, be careful to not directly expose your food to these chemicals.
5. Declutter and check dates on a regular basis. Develop a schedule that allows you to check through your pantry to look for products that you are not using as much of as you thought. Bring a couple boxes or bags with you and build a donation pile. This is actually fun activity that I enjoy doing with my kids ““ as we look for things that we can donate to a family that may be out of work or a local nonprofit or church pantry. I love teaching them the blessings of getting great deals so we can help fill the cups of others. With some smart coupon use, and stocking up under the right conditions, you'll be able to give more than you ever have to the people and organizations you believe in.
The easiest way to cut your grocery bill in half is through using manufacturers coupons combined with the best sales at local West Michigan stores. Normally, this takes a lot of work to create a winning shopping list for your family. Each week, SavingsAngel.com combines over 2,000 products on sale at local grocery and drug stores with their enormous database of manufacturer coupons ““ which are found in Sunday's Grand Rapids Press and throughout the Internet. This combination results in access to over 300 products each week for 50% off or better. Here are a few examples of deals that are available until Saturday at midnight. Please look in Tuesday's Grand Rapids Press each week for tips on how you can easily start cutting your grocery bill!
