Making a List and Shopping My Pantry

Last week I shared about making a menu.  This week I will use the same menu to make my shopping list and shop in my pantry.

To make a shopping list for my menu I look at each meal that I have planned starting with Monday breakfast.  Then I start making a list of the foods needed for each meal.  As I made the list this time I actually simplified it by writing down the things that I needed to buy on one list and wrote down the ingredients and things I already had in my pantry on another list.  Sometimes I write everything on one list and then cross off the things that I have in my pantry and don't need to buy.

Here are the two lists I made:

Shopping from Pantry/Freezer/Fridge:

I have:

Cereal (for the whole week)           Bread (1 loaf)               Peanut Butter/Jelly
Eggs (2 dozen)                               Ingredients for muffins/biscuits
Beef for stew/carrots, potatoes and onion                           Peanuts/Nuts
Oats                                                Apples for sauce          Salad Dressing
Crackers                                         Waffles                         Beans/Brown Rice
GF Chocolate Cake ingredients     Frosting ingredients     Butter
Ground Beef 2#                             GF Spaghetti/Sauce      Popcorn
Pickles                                           Pancake ingredients      Cream
Maple Syrup

Need from Store:

Bread (2 loaves)                           Hamburger Buns            Eggs (1 doz.)
Fruit/Veggies (e.i. broccoli, cucumbers, strawberries, apples, oranges)
Beef Broth                                   Salad ingredients            Butter 1#
Tomato (for Friday)                     Cheese 1#              
Gluten Free Bread and Hamburger Buns

Things to restock:
green chiles
pretzels
check meat sales



This week I had a lot of things in the pantry that I could use.  That means my food costs for the week will be lower.  Shopping in my pantry first helps me to use up the things I already have without buying more of something that I don't need more of.

Another type of list that I keep is one that is on my fridge.  As I use up items or get close to needing more I write them on the list right away.  These things get bought as needed, but if I don't put them on my list we might not get pickles on our hamburgers or something like that.  Examples of these are: flour, canned goods, rice, beans, spices, sugar, condiments,  and anything else that I try to keep stocked in my pantry.  I'm sure everyone has certain things they like to always keep on hand in their pantry.

Note:  Jeff usually buys milk, as needed, from our preferred store on his way home from work during the week.  Therefore it is not on my list.

Do you shop from your pantry before going to the store?

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