Hi everyone! As some of my close friends and family know, I’m a type-A personality and love organization. I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I truly enjoy tidying up. I also realize though it can get to be an expensive and long process. I decided to start out by tackling our pantry. I’ll explain what items we purchased to organize and how we decided to group items.
One of the features I loved the most about the house model we chose, was our pantry. It’s HUGE! Before living in our home, we lived in apartments and our pantries were always so crowded. Since it is so big, we needed storage compartments, so we could really see what we had at home before going grocery shopping.
I had been eyeing OXO storage containers for a while but didn’t want to splurge just yet. They’re usually around $90-$100 for a box of 9. I got lucky and found mine at Costco for less than $60. They have the sale in-store through July 28th, so I would run to your nearest Costco if you’re on the hunt as well.
I then used stick-on labels with a removable chalk marker to label the items that were poured into each container. I purchased these from Amazon that included the labels. A good tip is to pour items that you use most often into the containers, so you can keep refilling it and get rid of the packaging or boxes. For the bags you still have to seal, we use these mini chalkboard clips.
Once my containers were organized, I decided to tackle snacks, chips, and other boxed items we don’t consume as often. I purchased these metal baskets from Amazon that you can stack up, if you have the room, or leave as is. I like that you can see-through your pantry items and chose these instead of the typical wicker baskets.
For jars, rubs, and marinades, I bought two acrylic-like lazy susans. The ones I purchased from Amazon seem to be sold out currently, but I’m linking a similar one here. I also wanted to make sure my spices were organized but within reach when cooking, so I got this spice rack step shelf and arranged them at the front of the pantry.
Lastly, for grocery bags, I purchased this over-the-door organizer which hangs underneath our kitchen sink for easy access. For foil, cling wrap, and Ziplock baggies, I purchased these under shelf hanging organizers that I also love.
While these items may add up, I think having a neatly organized pantry that allows you to quickly see what you have at home and take a quick inventory saves you money in the long run by not purchasing extra items. I still think we have progress to make! The back of the pantry still needs some work as we have a few miscellaneous items stored there. We could also use smaller OXO containers for baking soda and other mixes, but I wanted to show you our progress thus far. Who knows, you may be inclined to tidy up this summer!
