Post 937 leads me to ask -- how do you keep track of what food you have on hand so you don't

M

miainmd

Well-known member
buy too much of the same or have things expire on you?

We have a stand alone freezer and I've become better about writing down what I have so I don't buy more chicken when I have 40 breasts in the freezer, etc. but I am awful about the pantry. If I were more organized, I would inventory the pantry. Do people do that?

 
I keep a running list.....

for things I have used up that need to be restocked. It becomes the shopping list for the next trip to the store.
After years of cooking, the pantry is a pretty stable stockpile, so just replacing that which has been used keeps it going.

 
Dry erase boards on the fridge/freezer...>>>

work for me... Plus, I slap a post-it note on anything that goes into the freezer, so I can glance and see what's there without having to unwrap it.

I keep a copy of these lists on the computer, too, which is where I write up menus for the week...

It's sort of a nerdy system, but it helps with planning and saves me from spending money on impulse shopping....Well, most of the time. smileys/wink.gif

 
I put on my shopping list as I use it....

But I normally have more than 3-4 of an item so it's more of a mental note until I am down to 1-2 then I add it. I am a stock-up person. Buy when items are on sale or I find somewhere at a great price, and stock up. I rarely run out of things I use often this way.

I admit I need to do a thorough reorganization of my pantry, though! Maybe when spring hits I'll get that done!

 
I have 3 systems...

(tongue-in-cheek, that is...)

Leftovers (meat or very perishable) - post-it note on the outside of refrigerator

Cupboards - when I can't find things without kneeling on the floor (food is mostly all in lower cupboards), the "wierd things" or stuff I haven't used in a while are delegated to the basement pantry

Freezer - open up and hope things don't fall out before I shut the door! (Needless to say, it needs a good cleaning out)

 
About once a year (around now, in the retail business) we run low on money and >

it's time to economize. That includes using up all the frozen stuff and canned goods that have been piling up. Eventually we get to the back of the freezer/cupboard and either salvage or toss whatever's been hiding there since last time.

It's not much of a system, but it's the only one I have. (For what it's worth, I do clean the refrigerator more than once a year.)

 
Sorry, I hit the button too soon. What I meant to say was that....

once in a while I decide not to buy one more main course ingredient without exhausing my freezer. It works! I eat those frozen meals I have made and make soup out of other things. I must confess I am not so good on the canned goods and give them to the mailman who collects canned food periodically.

 
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