Organize Your Pantry

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Is organizing your pantry for on your to do list for 2015? If so check out my tips below to help you get your pantry organized! Organizing your pantry will reduce meal preparation, and help simplify your routine. Follow these few simple tips, and let me know how it works for you! While I do use the word pantry, this can easily be utilized for food stored in cabinets as well!

I have a very small pantry, but I’ve definitely upgraded. In our last apartment, we didn’t even have a pantry! We had to use a small 3 shelf bookcase, because we didn’t even have the space in cabinets to store food. I came up with many clever tricks to organize our “pantry.”

Purge

Your first step should be to go through your pantry, and purge old items by looking at the expiration date. I’m going to say it, and you’ll probably think I’m crazy– Take everything out of your pantry. Yup! Just do it.

This way nothing can hide from you, and it is all laid out in front of you. Also, you’re more likely to put less back in! Once you get started, it isn’t as bad!

If the expiration date hasn’t passed but you know the item has been in your pantry for a long time (about 6 months to a year), consider donating it to a food bank!

Get in the zone

Separate the products in your pantry into zones, this will reduce the amount of time it takes to locate something. Currently my pantry is separated into the following:

Condiments/Baking supplies
Canned goods
Boxed goods
Breakfast stuff (bars, coffee supplies, muffins, ect)

I have a really small pantry, so these are the zones that are effective for my household. Look at your pantry and decide what could be effective for you! Some suggestions for zones other than listed above could be: quick dinners, dry ingredients, liquids, overstock, spices, lunch box items, ect.

If you have your pantry divided into zones, share your zones in the comments below!

Use your space effectively

Most of us probably wish for a bigger pantry, but unless you’re actually willing to knock out some walls, you have to work with what you’re given! There are several products out there that can help you double your pantry space! One of my favorite items I have purchased is this Expandable Cabinet Shelf. It easily doubles your storage space on a shelf, and works great for canned goods!

I also love this 2-Tier Cabinet Turntable or 3-Tier Cabinet Organizer which are great for spices or canned goods.

Do you use a certain product to help you organize your pantry better? If so, feel free to leave a link in the comments!

Erica is a full-time business student, part-time executive assistant, and full-time cat mom & fiancee. She lives in Baton Rouge, and is a sweet southern girl. She believes in thank you notes, garlic and red beans & rice on Mondays. She’s an aspiring professional organizer and she created her blog, Girl, Organized to help individuals and businesses bring order into their lives. Follow her on her journey to be a certified professional organizer and you’ll learn a few organizing tricks along the way as well!

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