My solutions that may help you:Ivygirl wrote: ↑Sat Jun 18, 2022 11:35 am Looking for ways to shop for and inventory food in ways that mitigate inflation and provide against potential shortages of things I need. I need to solve four problems:
#1 Decision Fatigue. My job requires me to make many decisions about details, so after work I tend to wander the grocery store putting things that “look good” in the shopping basket.
#2 Buying Random Things Without a Plan to Use Them. I get home with what I need but also one or two random items that don’t fit any menu I normally use, so they clutter my pantry.
#3 Food waste. It’s in the nature of food to spoil, perfection in using it up is not possible, but good food should not be going in the garbage can.
#4 Food Price Increases and Shortages. It’s prudent to stock up, but buying things because a news story made me feel anxious is not budget-optimal. Every dollar should count here; see Points #2 and #3.
“Make a list,” Mama said. Writing down what I think I need has not delivered the level of results I want. Quick perusal of what is on hand isn’t optimal because I have more than I can see at a glance and it is stored wherever in the house there is room and appropriate storage conditions. Putting new stuff behind and pulling the old to the front is good, but expiration dates can be surprisingly random lately. I don’t want to waste a single thing. I inventoried all the food from all the freezer, cupboards, corners, and stashes in my house in an Excel spreadsheet.
Columns are: Food, Item, Container, Exp Date, Quantity, Location
A typical entry would be: Broth - Aldi Beef Bone Broth - 32 oz carton - 4/16/2023 -1 - Hall closet
When it is time to make the weekly shopping list I can sort by expiration date, pull items which should be used first out of inventory from wherever they happen to be stored, and set them on the kitchen table, then make a menu plan around them. Or sort by item to see if I already have tomato sauce in the size I need for a recipe.
The spreadsheet has four more columns: Consider Buying More, Consider Buying Less, Buy If On Sale, and Don’t Buy Again, to capture thoughts I am having as I look at my inventory. I see I have a large expired container of raisins on my spreadsheet, so Raisins go in the Consider Buying Less column. I tried a brand of shelf-stable milk and liked it, so LaLa Leche is Consider Buying More. Tomato products are always Buy If On Sale. A thing that went to waste goes in Don’t Buy Again so I don’t forget and, you know, buy it again.
Would appreciate hearing how you keep inventory of your pantry, and make the most of the foods that you buy.
Start by shelf cooking (a term I think created by Jordan Page). Look at items in your refrigerator, then freezer, then pantry (from most perishable to least) to make meals and eat down the food you have already. This will solve #1-4 rather quickly for you to begin restocking. It will likely make several meals for the week, thus saving money. The meals may not necessarily "make sense" - ie instead of a meat and veggie dish you may end up with an all vegetarian meal. Fill in the holes with small purchases for ingredients at the store to finish up all the meals you have. The AllRecipes.com website allows you to input your ingredients and it will spit out a recipe that has those items. This will help you eat down near-expired foods and make space.
Then spend a day or two making an online order by going through the circular for sales/deals. Shop by unit prices. Shop the final sale/last chance sections first. Buy generic/store brand - if the ingredient list is the same as the name brand, it's the same darn thing. Buy in-season fruits and veggies. If you notice that some are extremely expensive - check the freezer aisle. Similarly, if you notice your fresh produce is going to go bad before you get to using it - FREEZE IT! All foods you find in the freezer aisle can be done by you (and is likely cheaper by unit price)
If something is on sale or a great deal, buy 1 for now, 2 for later. Like others have said, having staples and knowing what they are is crucial. I love my fridge whiteboard as well for this reason - list what you need. Nothing is more of a waste in money than gas to the grocery store for 1 item.
ETA: Check out Jordan Page's website (https://funcheaporfree.com/) she offers lots of food savings tips