Tips for an Organized Pantry

I'm taking a break. I'm taking a moment to step away from the doom and gloom that has been the last couple days and take some time for myself. Need to recharge a little bit and get my head out of the dark clouds. Which in my world means, work on a project while the kids was Toy Story 3 and Mickey Mouse.

Yesterday, I tackled my pantry...and boy did I let out some pent up frustration on those shelves!! But they deserved it. So today, I'm going to share a little of what I have learned from surfing the internet and organizing and what worked for me in hopes that it might inspire you to be a little more organized!!

Tip #1:

Figure out what you actually need and use, and get rid of what you don't. I admit that I have some hoarding tendencies.... especially when it comes to fabric. But sadly I learned that my hoarding extends to food. But mostly because I forget what I have and then I buy more because I don't keep track of ANYTHING!! BIG mistake if you're looking to stay organized... but, the first step is eliminating unused/unwanted items. For me, this mostly meant empty boxes and such. Big things that were taking up a lot of space.

Tip #2:

Divide and Conquer. Separate out your foods and put what goes together, together. It should be easy to go to your pantry and know exactly where whatever it is you're searching for is.

Here's how I did mine...

Now I know exactly where to go when I'm looking for whatever it is I need. SO much nicer.

Tip #3:

Use containers. Baskets, trays, buckets, anything you can think of that will help. Maybe even try things you wouldn't normally use for storage...

Tip #4:

Use a turn table to organize spices/sauces. It's much easier to find what you need when you can just spin a little plate-thingy... Way better than rummaging through everything.

Before

After

Better right?

Tip #5:

Stay on top of it!! Keep a list of what items you have. That way when meal planning, it's easier for you to figure out what exactly you need to buy. We don't want to overspend on groceries, so staying on top of it is crucial to your organization!!

I'm the first to admit that organization in my home is FAR from being anywhere near where I want it. But it's a work in progess and I learn new things every day. But now, at least dinner is way less of a stress bomb for me.

What works for you?? What tips would you suggest??