Untagged Seeds: Pantry Purge First Step: Stop Buying!

Week 1 (Feb. 19-26): Start by stopping (buying things at the store blindly)

This post is your first step to a lean, clutter-free and sustaining food pantry. I've included the first Pantry Purge Tip, I bit on my own progress, and an introduction to some of the other blogs and bloggers who will be helping me with this series.

Pantry Purge Tip #1

Stop buying, especially different varieties of the same item. If there is cereal in the pantry, don't buy another variety of the essentially the same thing. If there are honey O's or crispy rice on the shelf that's what my kids will eat. If we run out, they will eat what we have. Of course, I started my Purge two weeks ago, with this one tip. So, I stopped buying cereal. Guess what, we still have 9 boxes, NINE! You know what, you can mix the last of several boxes, no one will know.

This easily applies to pasta, cans of beans, chips, cookies or cheese. Take a look in your fridge and pantry and if there is more than one "kind" of something, chances you just haven't given the Maple Crunch Fiber Twinks enough of a chance. Make a note, and stop buying more of that kind of thing until you've completely used up what you have. You will also get a sense of what you really like. if it ain't Maple Crunch Fiber Twinks, because it was the last lonely box, then just never buy it again.Your pantry will thank you!

My Pantry Purge Progress

Tonight, I made whole wheat penne, spinach, with a little red sauce that had been lurking in the freezer. Of course, there are at least a dozen styles of pasta in the pantry and I was happy to use one we often snub, not to mention the freezer sauce score. Then I went in the (over stuffed) dairy drawer for a bit of "sprinkle cheese" only to find this. Two half used blocks of Parmesan. Fortunately, we eat a lot of the stuff, and neither was even close to its expiration date. Still, the perfect example of why I need a Pantry Purge as much as everyone else. Cleaning up the clutter could have prevented this, and ultimately saved me some $$$!

My Pantry Purge Partners

I've asked a few bloggers, who I admire, for a hand with this series! So I will have a team of inspiring writers and pantry purgers with me on this journey. Let me introduce you to my talented team. I'm looking forward to a guest post from Sandra who writes Vegan Mother Hubbard and host a weekly Meatless Monday Blog Hop, all while baking beautiful treats and keeping up with twin toddler girls, and Veronica over at Crunchy VT Mommy who is a phenomenal photographer and tech-savvy mom of two just under two. Tips, tricks, photos and a meal plan or two should be comming from Ani who keeps it simple while homeschooling, knitting and cooking on The Simple Boxcar and of course my fellow Rust-Belt Belle and blogging buddy Jeanie who writes Life in Cleavland. Take a moment to check out their blogs, they're always full of great post. These ladies are getting me excited about this project, and I can't wait to hear from my partners.

Join the Pantry Purge!

Its Easy!
First Subscribe Here:

Subscribe in a reader or Subscribe by Email

Next, leave a comment (or two)!
We want to hear all about your purge trials, tips, triumphs and furry Asian fruit. :)

Last, take a look all of the past Pantry Purge Post!

Don't for get to grab a Pantry Purge Button for your blog.