Reorganized Basement Pantry

I finally got the pantry straightened out. After our last trip to Alidi, it was sort of a mess. The girls put everything away, and some of the shelves were too high for them to put cases up on. It took the twins and I about 2 hours to get it neat and rearranged. Emily will be glad that we got it done while she is gone on her winter retreat at church camp.

I had someone ask me why most homeschooling families have large stock up pantries, or as my husband calls it, the emporium... I don't think it is a matter of being a homeschool family, but rather I think it is being more common for single income families to have a stock up pantry. And, most homeschooling families are running their household on a single income. Therefore, we tend to be a little more frugal.

I don't stock up on everything. I don't on TP, paper towels or paper items, because I have lost those items before due to a broken water pipe, and they are bulky to store. Items in plastic or cans are easier. I also don't stock up on short shelf life items.

Most of my stock up non food items come from sales at CVS, Walgreen or Dollar General. CVS and Walgreen will let you use both their sale flyer coupon and the manufactures coupon on the same item. By doing this you can often get the item for free. Yes, I have a years supply of shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, soap, dish soap, deodorant, razors, shaving cream.....but a good part of it I got free or very close to it. For example, this week CVS had V05 shampoo on sale for 77 cents. I had 4 coupons for V05 for 75 cents off. So, I got 4 bottles and paid 2 cents each, so 8 cents for 4 large bottles of shampoo. If I just waited to get it when we needed it, I would be paying full price possibly, my current coupon would be expired and they may not come out with another sale and coupon combo when I needed it.

I also am not brand loyal on many items. This allows me to take advantage on any shampoo that is on sale and combine it with coupons, instead of having to wait for a certain brand to come on sale. Each week you can count on at least one brand being on sale.

Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I can get some more work done in the basement and make the pantry a little larger. Right now it is just along one wall and I am wanting to make it in an L shape to also go along a short wall. Then along the opposite wall I would like to set up our sewing area. That wall is long enough that I could set up an area where each of my girls and I could sew and leave our machines up all the time. But, for now, that is a future project.

Today it got up to almost 50 degrees, and the sun was out all day. All our snow and ice is gone. I am ready for spring, but I am sure we will get hit with more cold weather shortly.

Our windsock arrived in the mail yesterday, so as soon as the ground thaws enough to drive in the conduit, we will get that added to our weather station. It is bright orange, aviation style. JD says we are likely to have airplanes landing in the yard.