Food Preps For The Financially Challenged

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Maximize Your Pantry from My Family Prepared

The following article is one of the best I've found for fitting a lot of food storage into a small space.The article comes from the web site: My Family Prepared, and was written by Michelle.



Maximize Your Pantry

After a discussion with some neighbors about 'where I put all of my food storage' I have had quiet a few requests for friends to come and view my pantry.  It is apparently hard to believe that I can really fit that much in there.

So... this post is all about
how to maximize the space in your pantry
(according to me).

This is my kitchen:

I would say my corner pantry is the average size for those in their first home.

As you can see, cabinet space is limited, so I squeeze as much into my pantry as possible.

First, there are 3 major rules that I keep in mind:
1) Same Sized Containers
2) Everything in Boxes
3) Hidden, but accessible

Having things in the same sized containers allows you to store more.  You can easily stack up/down, side/side, front/back better if everything is the same shape and size.

When everything is kept in boxes you are able to maneuver a large amount of items at one time.  It also helps to prevent dents/damage, and keeps everything tidy and uniform, which makes proper rotation easier.

Hidden but accessible refers to the fact that not everything has to be at a fingertips grasp.  There are things in my pantry that I only use every 6 months - so I make sure those items are put in the very back, and on the bottom, if possible.

This will all make more sense as you read on.

We will be moving from the bottom up.

Most pantry floors are seriously overlooked.

I like to use poly buckets on the bottom - they are sturdy enough to allow me to stack things on top of them, and I can fit enough to have a large variety of different foods.  Everything I have in a poly bucket I have in a smaller container that is easily accessible for everyday use.  That way, the only time I have to access them is to refill my container.
 
Be sure to put the items you use the LEAST amount in the back.

I can fit a total of 12 poly buckets in my pantry, but I have a 3 drawer unit that takes up the space of 2.

 

Remember to fill  in all of the gaps if possible.  I have a gallon of vinegar in the very back corner, with an extra tub of shortening on top.

Tall skinny items can be placed in between the buckets (pictured: cooking spray, 5 lbs. honey).

 

I also have 2 gallons of oil that can fit on the floor as well.

And I can still access everything at this point.

The other thing to note is that my poly buckets are all the same height.  Buckets can be 2" taller and 2" shorter than the ones I have.  Like I said before, the same size allows me to stack more things on top.

On all of my poly buckets I store my bottled goods.  Leaving them in the box prevents breakage, and allows easy maneuvering.

 There is the perfect amount of space to fit 7 dozen quarts.

 

 That gallon of vinegar is stacked on top of the oil.  Behind that, Parmesan cheese is stacked on top of the cooking spray.

**If you don't can or don't have bottles, use this space for other heavy objects like bottled water, appliances  or canned goods (stacked 3 high).

On top of my quart jars I stack my 1/2 pint jars and other small canned goods.

Again, everything is in a box so I can easily move it around or pull it out to restock.

 

In front of all of those, I can fit a dozen pint sized jars, as well as a basket of onions and a basket of potatoes (I'll get to that picture later).

So just to recap.  On the floor alone I can fit:

- 10 poly buckets = 250+ lbs. of food

- 2 gallons of vinegar

- 2 gallons of oil

- 20 lbs. of honey

- 5 lbs. shortening

- 5 cans of cooking spray

- 5 cans Parmesan cheese

- 7 dozen quart jars (84 bottles)

- up to 3 dozen 1/2 pint jars (36 bottles)

- 3 dozen smaller canned goods (36 cans)

- 1 dozen pint jars

- 25 lbs. of potatoes

- 10 lbs. onions

- 3 drawer unit that stores all of my: jello and pudding mixes, seasoning packets, bags, drink mixes, towels/aprons, and any other miscellaneous items.

And if it seems like it is impossible to get to anything you are totally wrong.  Because everything is in a box, it takes be around 10 seconds to get to everything - unless it is the very back corner bucket, and in that case it takes me 1 minute.  The time is well worth the amount of food you can put in there.

Now on to the bottom shelf: Canned goods.

I use a plethora of boxes to keep them organized.  Leaving the front lip in place ensures that they don't get knocked off the shelf, but I remove the back lip so I can stack them all the way to the wall.

 

You can easily fit 7 boxes, which leaves exactly enough space in 2 different locations to fit 1 row of cans:

This will allow you to have one row for every type of canned good (25 rows).

This also helps rotate through properly.  Every time I need something, I take it from the front.  Whenever I am restocking, I put it in the back.

With a single layer, you can fit about 11 dozen cans (132), depending on the size of cans you purchase.

However, each time I restock I will double layer, so realistically I always have about 150 cans.  I don't dare to double stack everything for fear of the shelf breaking, but there are always a couple rows that are.  (And my shelves are not bowing at all).

Now that those are in I can fit those pint jars, potatoes and onions I was talking about earlier:

On to the next shelf: PASTA and SNACKS.
I love Barilla pasta, and it just so happens to come in a box, which is convenient for stacking and also refrains the noodles from breaking.
Same idea with the canned goods, I keep them in a box with rows (easy rotation), and each row is a different variety:

I can accommodate 9 rows of pasta (various sizes) on one side of the shelf this way.
Without stacking anything on top of the rows, I fit about 65 boxes/bags of noodles.  When I have Raman I usually stack those in their box on top of the other varieties.

**Egg noodles don't come in boxes, so I have those bags lined up inside of a shoebox (in the back corner).  Shoe boxes are the perfect size for bagged pasta.   

On the other half of that shelf I keep all of our snack items:

 Crackers (and other boxed items) are stacked straight against the wall and then side to side in front.
I have storage containers that stack for various types of nuts, candy, and cookies.
Multivitamins line up against the wall.  Everything is placed this way to make for better rotation - the oldest stuff goes in front so we end up eating it first.

The shelf above that is for Breakfast Items:
If you line the back wall and stack on top (not shown in pic, but just like the crackers), I can fit 12 boxes of cereal.  I also have 2 one gallon containers that fit other cereals like granola.
On the other side I can stack 6 boxes of instant oatmeal, with syrup and dehydrated hash browns in front of them.

In the back corner of that shelf I stack from floor to ceiling my cake boxes(7-8) and stuffing mixes (5).  Take from the top, restock from the bottom - again, it is all about rotating.
In front of those I stack boxes of hot chocolate mixes, hard taco shells, and any other boxed item.
To the side; spaghetti sauce.

The other half of that shelf is for spices.
I like to use the big Costco sized containers.  You can fit 20 of them into an old Raman noodle box.
I write the contents' name on the top of the lid so I can easily find what I am looking for.
 I also put things like Panko, Bread crumbs, cornflake crumbs, dehydrated onions and bell peppers in older containers to keep everything the same size.  I can fit about 36 of these of the shelf.

The top shelf is where I keep all of my #10 cans.
I reuse my old cans for things like chocolate chips, marshmallows, brown and powdered sugars, popcorn kernels, misc. grains, etc.

I have two rows that are double stacked, which means I can fit 20 #10 cans.

In the top back corner I have a box that I keep all of my 'backup' and replacement items.

This consists mostly of condiments:

Next to that are more containers of things like oats, specialty rice, and pretty much anything else that doesn't have a home:

As well as my crock pot and popcorn maker, which are hidden by garbage bags and chips most of the time.

And thats it!

Most shelves have plenty of room in front for various items like potato chips, peanut butter, honey, and other things that we go through.

Point being, having a small home is no excuse for not having food storage.

With your pantry alone, I believe you can store a 1-3 month supply of everything, with some items even up to a year supply.

With that said, here is everything I can fit into my pantry:

- 10 poly buckets = 250+ lbs. of food

- 2 gallons of vinegar

- 2 gallons of oil

- 20 lbs. of honey

- 5 lbs. shortening

- 5 cans of cooking spray

- 5 cans Parmesan cheese

- 7 dozen quart jars (84 bottles)

- 1 dozen pint jars

- up to 3 dozen 1/2 pint jars (36 bottles)

- 3 dozen smaller canned goods (36 cans)

- 12 dozen regular canned goods (144 cans)

- 25 lbs. of potatoes

- 10 lbs. onions

- 65 bags/pounds of pasta
- 12 boxes snack items (crackers/fruit snacks)
- around 10 lbs. nuts/raisins/craisins
- potato chips
- 5 lbs. peanut butter/nutella
- 5 lbs. candy
- 12 boxes cereal
- 2 gallons granola
- 6 boxes instant oatmeal
- 1 gallon dehydrated hashbrowns
- 1/2 gallon maple syrup
- 10 lbs. spaghetti sauce
- 5 boxes stuffing mix
- 7 cake/brownie mixes
- ~10 misc. boxes (taco shells)
- 36 large spice containers
- 20 count of #10 cans
- Miscellaneous condiments
- 10 lbs. of misc. grains/food
- Appliances (crockpot and popcorn maker)
- Garbage bags, other random items

http://myfamilyprepared.blogspot.com

Keeping Your Job in a Bad Economy

My very first suggestion, for anyone seriously worried about job loss, is to check your attitude. By that I mean, are you a complainer, the office gossip, a feisty person who is difficult to get along with, or a backbiter? If so, you might want to remember that you work with people, people who can fire you because you don't get along well with your co-workers.

If your boss has to choose between firing two equally competent workers, one of them a negative person always causing trouble, and the other a person who gets along with everyone and speaks positively about the company, management, and his or her co-workers, which of the two do you think the boss is going to fire? The negative one that's who! 

So, get a grip on your attitude, your gossiping, complaining, and any negative talk about other people you work with or the company you work for, because it can seriously hurt your chances of holding onto your job.

Get yourself noticed, but in a good way. You want management to see that you work hard, do the job they hired you to do, and then some.

What you don't want is to get noticed for coming in late, taking extra long lunches or breaks, or for dressing in any way that is not appropriate for the job you do.

So cleanliness counts, both your clothes and you, and especially watch out for bad breath. No one likes to be around someone with bad breath. 

Ladies should avoid excessive or too blatant makeup, and everyone should wear their hair in ways that fit with their companies policies and image. This is not the time to dye your hair green or stick thirteen studs through your body. Keep those things for after work.

Take care of the basics-arrive on time or a bit early every day, don't take lunches or breaks that are longer than the time you are allotted, and stay off the phone for personal calls. This includes using your own cell phone while at work. People notice these things, and you could get reported to the boss. Just the thing you don't want.

Add to your skills and your value to the company you work for whenever you can. Take courses in whatever is being offered that will make you more valuable at work. This depends on the kind of work you do of course, so whatever that is, you know the things that would help make you an employee that management can't do without.

Bring in business for your company even if that isn't your job, and make sure people know about it.

Look for areas in your company that need improvement and offer suggestions to fix them. Even if management doesn't use your ideas they will remember that you had them.

Network with all the valuable people in your company whenever possible. You don't need to become their best friend but hang around with them every chance you get. Some of their glory may rub off on you. Plus, you can learn from them. Maybe watching how the company "stars" operate can teach you how to do some shining of your own.

Take good care of yourself when you're not at work, get enough sleep, exercise, eat properly, and have some fun and relaxation on your days off. 

Be prepared in case you do get laid off, it can happen to anyone. You'll have a bit more peace of mind if you are prepared for any eventuality, including losing the job you are working so hard to hold on to.

Keep your resume updated, and be aware of what is happening in your field. Don't, however, actually job hunt while you are at work in your current job. That could lead to getting you fired if your boss hears about it.

Start a savings program immediately. Try to save several months income if you can, because it could take months to get another job and you'll feel a lot easier in your mind with a bit of a cushion behind you.

This might be a good time to take on a part-time or weekend job, doing anything you can find that interests you. If you do lose your main job, at least you'd still have the income from your part-time job. Having a side hustle or secondary income just makes sense during times like this.

Making Do With What You Already Have

The ultimate in green living is to use up what you already have rather than buying new "stuff" all the time. Often, just by taking a closer look at what you already own, you can find ways to recycle it, or reuse it in some ingenious new fashion. 

Stop treating everything you use or own as disposable. We are the first humans on the planet to ever do this. For hundreds of generations before us people reused or recycled everything that they had until there was no further wear in it, or use for it. 

We are becoming painfully aware of how this throw it away attitude, and then packing our landfills with perfectly good items, things that can and should be recycled, has led us to the brink of ecological disaster. Not to mention how incredibly insensitive this throw-away attitude is to the remaining people on the planet who are not so blessed with material goods as we have been.

Seek out old-time ways, ideas, recipes, crafts, and recycling ideas and learn how to make do by following in the footsteps of the people who went through hard times before us. 
The people who lived through the great depression and World War 11 have a lot to teach us about making do. 

Back then, times were hard, goods and foods were rationed, and money and jobs were scarce or nonexistent for many. They left records, journals, cookbooks, and diaries about how they did it. This information can be found on the internet, in books and magazines, and in the minds and memories of the old-timers who lived through it, and who are still around. Pick their brains, read their cookbooks and journals, etc. Learn all you can from the past.

Get creative. Learn to look at everything you own without preconceived notions of its use, value, or possibilities for reusing or recycling.
When you need something, instead of going to the store and buying it, see if you might already have something that could be used or adapted for the thing you need.

Do things for yourself instead of paying someone else to do them for you. Cut your own grass, change the oil in your car, cut your kids hair, or your own. These things aren't rocket science. You can do far more for yourself than you currently do.

Learn to grow your own food, can and otherwise preserve the food you grow, and then learn to cook most, if not all, of the foods you eat from scratch. 
In the past, people made do with the ingredients they could grow, raise, or hunt or fish for. Neighbors worked together, and shared the food they had with each other. 

Cook from scratch, at home, with foods you keep in your pantry. Omit expensive ingredients, pick berries and share garden tools, canning supplies, etc. with family members, friends and neighbors. 
Stock your kitchen pantry with home grown and home canned food, as much as possible. Stock it with what food you can afford, enough to last for several months, just like our ancestors did. Many a family has been saved from hunger by a huge pantry. 

Simple but filling foods are healthier and usually cheaper, so avoid all the prepared and fast foods that take so much of your hard-earned money and give so little nourishment in return. 
It really isn't that hard, or time consuming, to prepare meals from scratch and it's a vital aspect in the making do lifestyle that can really pay off in savings and in health.

Try new things. Learn simple skills to make it do, like sewing by hand or machine and, again, cooking from scratch.

Don't throw perfectly good things in the trash. Pass them on or donate to charity, if you just can't find any use for them yourself.Stop wasting food. Use it all up. Throwing food away is just like throwing money away.

Finding a Side Hustle: Discovering Ways to Earn Extra Money

Finding and Keeping Survival Jobs

A survival job is any job you take, often on a temporary or part-time basis, that is not in your field or pays considerably less than you're used to. A survival job, while not a perfect solution, pays the bills, helps you avoid financial disaster, and allows you to hold your head up until you find the better paying job you were trained for.

Adjust your attitude. Arrogance or misplaced ego or pride has no place in any job search. Employers know if you think you're above doing any job and consequently will not hire you. Remember any job is worthy, and your goal is not to make this your permanent position but rather to survive financially until you can get a better job.

Prepare for the survival job hunt just like you would for any other job. Dress well, be well groomed, update your resume, and slant it to the job you're applying for. Show up on time for interviews, and research the companies you're applying to so you know what they are looking for.

Once you get a survival job, work hard, work smart, show up on time, and sign up for any training programs that will make you more employable. Never talk the job, or your employers or fellow workers down to anyone, anywhere.

Apply for more than one survival job at a time if you can work two jobs at a time. Sometimes two survival jobs will be enough income to almost equal your old pay. 

• You'll be competing with many people, even for a survival job, these days so prepare for your job hunt as well as you would for any other job.
• Prepare a good resume and tweak it for each job.
• Dress well, have good grooming, and be prepared for any questions that might come up about why someone with your qualifications would want such a lowly job.
• Avoid getting depressed.
• Try not to work so many hours that you have no time to continue your job hunt for a better job in your field.

The Thrifty Cook Saves on Groceries

I love to cook and I enjoy being frugal and I've learned through the years that you don't have to spend a lot to make delicious meals.

How to Save Money on Groceries 17 Ways

Food is one of the few things in a family budget that a person can control. It's not a fixed expense like rent or car payments. Instead you determine how much you spend on food and how that grocery money is spent. There are ways you can learn to spend less on food each month.

1. Set up a food budget and determine to stick to it, no matter what. A good suggestion is to start by spending 20% less than you currently do on food.

2. Make a detailed grocery list of all you need to buy before you ever leave the house. Include all the items you normally buy, all the items you've run out of, and any items that you know you'll be needing soon.

3. Eat something before you go shopping. Studies have shown that grocery shoppers average between 10% to 25% more money spent on groceries when they shop hungry.

4. Make arrangements to leave the kids at home. Again studies show you'll spend more when you bring the kids with you to the supermarket

5. Clip coupons only for items you normally buy.

6. Join a food co-op with your friends, family, neighbors, or co-workers, and purchase some of your food that way. You can save a lot by buying in bulk, and with a food co-op the expense is shared.

7. Pick a quiet, less-busy, time of the week to do your grocery shopping. You'll be less stressed and have more time to search out bargains and compare prices.

8. Grow a garden. Use what you grow. Eat what you can freshly picked, and then can, dehydrate, or freeze the rest.

9. Shop less. This is an old trick but it's a very effective one. You aren't spending money if you aren't in the grocery store. Shop twice a month, or once a week, or even once a month if you can manage that.

10. Bring only the exact amount of cash with you that you plan to spend on groceries this week. Leave your checkbook, credit cards, and debit cards at home. Again, this is effective because you can't spend money you haven't brought with you.

11. Determine to buy most, or all, of your personal items at the dollar store rather than the supermarkets. It's much cheaper. Or, make your own. This applies to household cleaners too, either make your own natural cleaners, or buy them cheaply at the dollar store.

12. Buy bread at a bakery thrift store, and shop at a salvage grocery store for real bargains on food. Also check out ethnic grocery stores for bargains on produce and spices, as well as other foods. You can even check out the food at the dollar store, or places like Walgreen for bargains.

13. Cut down on or eliminate paper products, soda, and empty calorie foods, (especially chemically-laden and sugary breakfast cereals for children), as well as all prepared foods. Buy real food, and make your own meals. By the same token, cut down on meat, dairy, and milk. We eat more of these products than is healthy as a rule anyway.

14. Buy the generic, or house brand, whenever you can. You'll save a lot with this tip alone.

15. Buy bulk foods and stock up, so you'll always have plenty of good, wholesome food in your house. Eat more beans and legumes, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables. Eat ethnic more often, these dishes are often inexpensive, healthier for you, and delicious.

16, Use the smaller size grocery cart whenever you can. The temptation to add items to the bigger carts can be huge. Grocery stores know this and are making their carts bigger all the time, just to trick you into buying more every shopping trip. Keep your eyes firmly pointed away from the "impulse items" located near the checkouts. And watch the register when your groceries are being checked out for errors. Sale items especially are often rung up incorrectly. Produce is too, as the codes for each kind are different and clerks make mistakes every day.

17. Don't waste or throw away any of the foods you buy. Try to avoid running out of items between shopping trips, but if you do, learn to substitute for whatever you're out of instead of making an unplanned trip to the store where, chances are, you'll buy more than just the item you ran out of. By careful planning and substitution you can avoid blowing your food budget this way.