How to Organize Your Pantry

This month, I have been working on cleaning and organizing the kitchen as part of The Household Organization Diet.  One of the things that is lacking in our kitchen is a large, dedicated pantry space.  While I would love to have one of those beautiful, organized pantry closets, there is just no where for it to go and, as a result, we have had to come up with some other solutions for storage.

Having an organized pantry not only looks pretty, but it will also save you time and money.  With a little effort and some good ol’ creativity, you really can create a functional pantry system that will work for you.  Learn how to organize your pantry with these simple 6 tips…

Minimize Packaging
Packaging takes up a lot of space!  Invest in a good set of airtight containers to store your dry goods so you do not need to keep them in their original boxes and bags.   These OXO brand containers have held up really well for us and are easy enough for the kids to use.  Food stays fresher longer and it is easy to see when you need to stock up again.  Take packaged items such as granola bars or fruit cups out of their boxes and store them in bins.  If you are stacking containers, try not to stack more than 2 containers high to make things easy to get at and put back.

Only Buy What You Need
If you are short on space, you might want to think twice about buying that 10th can of soup or another box of cereal.  It can be tempting to load up when sales comes around, but you need to make sure that you are going to have the room to store it and that you are actually going to eat it before the expiration date hits.   Even though you might have to pass up a few of the deals, having less food items on hand can actually save you money in the long run and will waste less food.  Meal planning {which I am actually terrible at!} will also significantly help to reduce the amount of food that you buy and will ensure that you are using whaever food items you already have on hand.  Periodically take stock of what you have and determine what stuff you actually use and what is just taking up valuable space.  Donate anything that you do not need!

Organize Your Food Into Zones
Organize your food items into “zones” such as baking items, canned items, school lunch items, snacks, etc.  It will make it easier for everyone to find what they are looking for and can save you time when it comes to meal prep.  For example, I have my baking items in the wooden box on the top shelf, keep our snacks on the middle shelf, and our canned goods on the bottom shelf.  Try to keep the most often used zones within easy reach and close to the area that you will use them.

Shop Smart for Storage Items
Storage containers and cupboard organizers can definitely help to organize your space but they can be pricey.  Make sure you have a good idea of your space restrictions and organization needs before you shop.  The dollar store often has inexpensive bins and baskets and you can also find some good deals on containers at home discount stores such as Home Goods and Marshalls.

Label, Label, Label
Labels not only look pretty, but they also let everyone know where things belong.  I like using chalkboard labels with a chalk pen so that I can easily change the label if needed, but you can also use vinyl, metal label plates, tags, or other label stickers.

Find another space in your home for bulk food storage.
If you are short on space, look outside of the kitchen for additional food storage.  While we keep all of our basic staples in the kitchen, we just do not have the room to store any bulk supplies.  Instead we made a little make shift pantry out in our garage {which isn’t too far away from our kitchen}.  This holds all of our extra, unopened food {such as cereal, rice, pasta, drinks, etc} as well as any packaged lunch snacks.  I don’t go crazy on the bulk items, but I do like to have some on hand to cut down on last minute trips to the grocery store and help cut down on the grocery costs.

The garage works well for us since our climate is fairly moderate year round {so it doesn’t get too hot or too cold} and we don’t actually park our car in our garage.  Last summer, we did a big garage makeover and decided to use the garage more for storage and extra work space for projects.  If the garage won’t work in your home, you can still look to other areas of your home that could be converted to a pantry such as a corner of your basement or an infrequently used closet space.

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This post is part of The Household Organization Diet.  If you need some organization inspiration, check out THIS POST  to learn more about the plan and THIS POST for all of the 2015 updates.  You CAN get that house cleaned and organized once and for all!  To see all of the previous posts click the Get Organized tab at the top of the blog and go to The Household Organization Diet.  I also have all of the posts pinned to my Household Organization Diet pinterest board.  Start at any time and make sure you are following along so you don’t miss out…

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For more kitchen cleaning and organizing inspiration, check out these posts…

How to Organize the Fridge and Freezer

How to Organize a Kitchen Command Centre

How to Organize Kitchen Cabinets