Stock the pantry....frugally!

As far back as I can remember, it seems I have always been frugal.  I am not suggesting that I purchase low-quality items; rather, I enjoy buying what I need and like, at a great price.  Sales + coupons (especially if they are doubled) make me smile!  There is something quite satisfying about being provided for, without blowing the budget. 

Still...there are times when I can be inspired to do better, as was the case this past week when I read the website of The Prudent Homemaker, and also her blog.  I am a visual person, and I especially appreciated all of her fabulous photos to go along with detailed explanations about how she is equipped to take care of her home and family. 

I was especially awed by The Prudent Homemaker's pantry.  Granted, her family is much larger than mine, but still....all those jars of dry beans and canned fruit, neatly organized and lined up on the shelves her husband lovingly set up for her....prompted me to do a little bit of frugal stocking of my own makeshift pantry. 

This past week and weekend, I bought a 20 pound bag of Jasmine rice (our favorite), 4 pound bags  of dried pintos and black beans, and several 2 pound bags of navy beans.   I have been saving jars with metal lids over the years that held wheat germ and tomato sauce.  They are the perfect size for storing exactly one pound of dry beans.  After washing and carefully drying my stash of jars and lids, I had so much fun weighing and filling!

 

 

I don't have the luxury of a pantry, a separate room, or even a closet for storage.  What I do have in my kitchen are several white, put-together cabinets.  

 

 



I like to keep the insides of my "pantries" tidy and organized.  The left "pantry" houses snacks, cereal/oatmeal, canned beans, pasta/rice, canned soup, and dry beans.  The middle "pantry" hosts our phone books, my cookbooks, and condiments.  The "pantry" on the right is dedicated for baking necessities.  Oooooo, seeing this picture makes me happy!  :)

My recent dry bean purchases have equipped me with 32 meals-worth of filled jars! Woo hoo!

See those soup cans on top of the navy bean jars? I will use only 1/2 can of chicken broth and 1/2 can of tomato soup per jar (1 pound) of beans.  When I prepare the first batch, I will freeze the leftover soups for the second one.    I am tickled to have gotten a pretty good deal on those soups this past week.  I had a coupon for the chicken broth, and the tomato soups were on sale for $1 each!

Are you now inspired to stock your pantry? If my blog post didn't quite do it for you, make some time to check out The Prudent Homemaker.  She has a delicious pasta e fagioli recipe that just might prompt you to stock up on supplies for it!  After preparing the dish last week and hearing the words, "This recipe's a keeper!" from my husband, you bet I was delighted to go grocery shopping....frugally, of course.