Grocery Saving Lesson 4 - Keep Inventory

Maybe you've been putting those coupons to good use and you've collected quite a haul of rice mixes, syrup, and pasta. How can you effectively use what you've been bringing home? The answer is the good old-fashioned inventory system. There's a reason every store in the world uses this method. It makes you use what you have because you can see it.

Before you plan another meal, go to your pantry, freezer, and fridge and write down what you have. Be specific. How many cans of diced tomatoes do you have? I know you are hating me right now and ready to give up couponing for good. Don't! Just a few minutes every week will help you keep track of what you have and plan and shop more effectively.

I keep a running inventory for my freezer inside my recipe binder in the kitchen.  When meal planning, all I have to do is check the list to see if I have any ground beef in the freezer, rather than run over and rummage through the cold.  I also have an inventory list for dry goods I store in my basement pantry (my stockpile).  There will be more to come on the stockpile method.

And if you're really good, I'll load my inventory template for you once I figure out how!