Shopping and Storing Everyday Food Storage Inexpensively

I thought I would share an example of how I shop for food storage items at the grocery store. I looked at a Smith’s Grocery Store ad this week and found that they had some great buys if you bought 10 of certain items. I think they only allow you to do this 3 times to get $5 off each time. But you can always go back for more. I had several coupons that I combined with this sale to help me buy very inexpensively and add to my supply. (I only have 2 newspaper subscriptions, so the rest of my coupons I printed online.) I purchased other groceries as well, but I’ll just show you some food and home storage items.

I added them to this closeable tote in my basement closet. Newest on the bottom, oldest on the top. The pasta is divided into different types. This tote could also fit on a kitchen pantry shelf. The goal is to keep items dry and free from pests.

Note: I also have spaghetti in #10 cans that I canned at the LDS cannery, however I am saving that for long-term use.

Colgate Toothpaste @ 1.00 minus .75 C = .25 ea.

Stock the newest in the back and the oldest in the front. This box slips onto the bathroom supplies shelf.

BC Scalloped Potatoes @ .99 minus .40 C = .59 ea.

I stack these prepared potatoes, and Hamburger helper type foods on a kitchen shelf with the newest on the bottom and the oldest on the top of each pile. Notice how my girls have cut off the Box Tops from some of these boxes? 🙂

Kellogg’s Mini Wheats @ $1.69 minus .70 C = .99 ea.

Our breakfast cereal is in a kitchen pantry cupboard. My goal is to buy it for about $1.00 each, and I can usually do this by combining a good sale with a coupon. The boxes are double stacked. Newest goes to the back and bottom, and oldest moves to the front or top of the pile. I’m trying to teach my kids to take from the top, but it’s not always easy when they have favorites. The boxes are stacked this way because the expiration dates are on the tops of the boxes, and it makes it so easy to sort.

I didn’t buy too many things: 10 pastas, 2 cereals, 3 potatoes, and 3 toothpastes. I know you may wonder why I didn’t buy more. That’s because 1) I want to stay in a budget, 2) There is always another sale, and 3) I like to buy periodically so that all of my items don’t have the same expiration date. With careful planning at home before you go into the store, you can stock up your food and home storage supplies inexpensively too!

With this type of buy 10 sale, or similar sales, I write the number of items I am buying in the left margin, and add them up, so that I get exactly the number I need to take advantage of the sale.