How to Stock a Pantry

(I do participate in affiliations on this blog. I am an affiliate with many companies, which in simple terms means I advertise for companies, and they compensate me via products, services, or monetary means.  You can read my entire disclosure policy over here.)

My Goal: Stock a Pantry

I determined long ago that having a stocked pantry would always be one of my top priorities.

Some people have goals of vacations, new cars, and bigger houses.

I keep things basic. I want to keep my pantry stocked.

It has always confused me when people ask why I would want to store food.

Huh?!?

I have twelve children. They eat non-stop!

Learn to Shop Differently

I learned to shop differently a long time ago. While most people still shop for their weekly groceries and no more, I am shopping for weeks and even months’ worth of food.

I always smile when a new store clerk sees me buying 20 pounds of hot dogs because they are marked down, or buying 200 pounds of flour and sugar!

Wow, that’s a lot of hot dogs!

Do you plan on doing a lot of baking?!?

Yes, I will certainly buy 20 pounds of hot dogs at the beginning of summer when they are on sale for $1.00 or less. I will especially stock up when the original price is $3.49!

We use a lot of flour in a year, so I try to keep my pantry stocked to the max with it.

The key is to buy a lot of whatever is on sale and keep your staple items stocked up.

Don’t pay full price next week if you are able to get it at rock-bottom prices this week!

Shop the Sales

Watch for sales.

Figure out how much you will need of that item for at least six weeks.

(Most stores sell things at their rock-bottom prices every six weeks.)

Don’t just buy enough for supper. Stock up as much as you are able to stock.

Do whatever it takes to stock up. I cut non-essentials out of my budget when I see a good sale on items my family uses a lot. I have been known to count out change and even redeem bottles & cans in order to get those items stocked.

I stay focused and do whatever it takes to stock up the pantry.

I still believe the old-fashioned mindset that you should sacrifice today for tomorrow. Too many people sacrifice tomorrow through their buying habits today.

Make sure you are matching coupons up to sales whenever possible.

Coupons should always be matched up to a sale. That’s how I get rock-bottom prices, FREE items, and even paid to shop in some circumstances!

Buy off from the Clearance Racks

 I really love shopping in small stores. I find some of the best clearance sales there. It is not uncommon to find items like diapers, photo albums, socks, underwear, toys, medicine, vitamins, and grocery items on the clearance racks.

I always check the expiration dates on food, vitamins, and medication, but more often than not these small stores just need space so they clearance them off.

I shop at stores, like Dollar General, Big Lot’s, and Aldi for their super cheap clearance groceries. When I find a deal, I stock up!

Big Lot’s 

Sign up for store rewards programs. Big Lot’s has a program called, Big Rewards. Basically, they reward you for simply shopping in their store. Make three qualifying purchases, and they will send you a printable coupon. Typically, it is for $5.00 off a $15.00 purchase.

They will send you a coupon as a birthday gift.

They have special percentage off days set aside for their rewards members throughout the year too!

Whenever I get my coupons, I make a beeline straight to their clearance shelves. Lately, these shelves have been filled with snacky-type foods. One time they even had Oreos clearanced out!

(As a side note from grocery shopping, I got slippers, thermal underclothes, and pajamas for 80 cents each at Big Lot’s. That really helped fill up the Christmas closet!)

I also like to use these coupons to buy everyday items to fill the pantry. They have great prices on coconut oil and spices.

I had a $5/$15.00 reward coupon. I bought 15 bottles of herbs at $1.00 per bottle. Paid $10.00. That’s 67 cents per bottle! Use your coupons wisely.

ALDI

I always keep my eyes out for the marked down items at Aldi. I was super excited the day I found spices and herbs marked down to 29 cents a bottle. (No, they weren’t expired.)

I found these glass bottles of juice for 49 cents each the other day. (1-quart bottles)

Dollar General

My favorite time to shop the Dollar General clearance sales is when they have 50% off their clearance prices. They do this a few times a week, and this weekend is one of those times! (August 23, 2019 – August 25, 2019)

Don’t forget, you can use coupons on clearance items. Make sure you sign up for the Dollar General digital coupons!

Half price clearance deals is a great way to stock your pantry!

How do you Stock your Pantry?

I have so many other techniques I use to stock my pantry. I do things like, gardening, canning, dehydrating, and freezing.

(I count my freezer as an extension of my pantry.)

How do you stock your pantry?