Step 1
The first step to organizing our pantry on a budget was to clear out every item that was in there. It took me about 20 minutes to remove everything and set it on the counter. Holy moly! I am not sure where all this stuff came from. I began by organizing into groups— pasta, boxed goods, snacks, canned goods, baking goods, etc. From grouping, I checked the dates on every item and threw out all the things that expired. I filled out a trash can full of expired food!
Step 2
Now that everything was laid out and organized, I was able to see what I had already and what organization tools I needed from the store. Typically, I see wooden or wicker bins being used or clear acrylic containers. I wanted to be a little different and go with a bit of color. Target had everything I needed to organize our pantry on a budget. I found the perfect mint colored bin, and they were all under $9! You will know that all of our kitchen accessories are in mint or light turquoise color if you know me. I grabbed a few bins in all different sizes. Two lazy-susans — these things are fantastic! If you don’t have one— you need one! They are so convenient. Just spin her around, and you get the item you need without having to move anything! One the Lazy-Susans, I placed our most used condiments (Cholula, Olive oil, Chick-Fil-A sauce). I also made one Lazy-Susan for the more breakfast type condiments such as honey, agave nectar, peanut butter, almond butter, etc.
For the canned items, I got a 3 Tier Bamboo Expandable Step Shelf. I have been wanting one of these forever! This makes it so easy to see every canned item you have—another “must-have” product for your pantry.
Step 3
Now that I had all the bins I needed, I placed each food group into separate compartments. For example, I made a “snack” bin, a bin for rice, a container for pasta, baking goods, sauces, and so on. I placed all the canned goods on the 3 Tier Bamboo Shelf.
