56 years of marriage has filtered our taste to a somewhat limited selection of food. 2 minutes to Aldi's and five to Hy-Vee (Illinois Valley's version of Whole Foods) so keeping less on hand, especially on fresh stuff like veggies and fruit...
the rule of thumb is current container plus one... so a single backup.
We also have an "old stuff" section of the pantry for the once in a while things.
The exception is for the ultra specials... for instance, the Aldi German bread for Octoberfest... $2.79 but clearance @$.25 so we buy and freeze 8 pkg's. Same for seasonal stuff like pumpkin cheese... or peanut brittle... whenever we can buy for $.10 to $.15 on the dollar...
One of the advantages of buying in a generic store, is learning the prices. After we buy mushrooms for $.69/package at Aldi's, and see the same item, from the same farm at Walmart for $2.49... we're very aware. Things like $.99 pineapples taste just as sweet as the one for $2.49 from other stores. We go through bananas faster than monkeys at the zoo, and while $.39 to $.44 a pound isn't much of a savings from $.69 to $.79/lb it's a help, over the long run.
DW made a BIG mistake on Tuesday... Didn't realize she was buying the organic bananas, and was nearly apoplectic when she found out they had charged her $.79/lb. Now we're gonna watch and see if she gets any healthier..
As for other than food stuff... usually keep full "one unit" back up of paper products and OTC pharmacy and cleaning items.
The "one back up" plan has worked almost perfectly as we haven't had to make more than one or two trips because of "running out" in the past several years.
If we have to go to ground, we're safe, as a neighbor gave us two big cases of tomato paste that has an expiry date of 2015... We keep it in the garage, on a top shelf.
the rule of thumb is current container plus one... so a single backup.
We also have an "old stuff" section of the pantry for the once in a while things.
The exception is for the ultra specials... for instance, the Aldi German bread for Octoberfest... $2.79 but clearance @$.25 so we buy and freeze 8 pkg's. Same for seasonal stuff like pumpkin cheese... or peanut brittle... whenever we can buy for $.10 to $.15 on the dollar...
One of the advantages of buying in a generic store, is learning the prices. After we buy mushrooms for $.69/package at Aldi's, and see the same item, from the same farm at Walmart for $2.49... we're very aware. Things like $.99 pineapples taste just as sweet as the one for $2.49 from other stores. We go through bananas faster than monkeys at the zoo, and while $.39 to $.44 a pound isn't much of a savings from $.69 to $.79/lb it's a help, over the long run.
DW made a BIG mistake on Tuesday... Didn't realize she was buying the organic bananas, and was nearly apoplectic when she found out they had charged her $.79/lb. Now we're gonna watch and see if she gets any healthier..
As for other than food stuff... usually keep full "one unit" back up of paper products and OTC pharmacy and cleaning items.
The "one back up" plan has worked almost perfectly as we haven't had to make more than one or two trips because of "running out" in the past several years.
If we have to go to ground, we're safe, as a neighbor gave us two big cases of tomato paste that has an expiry date of 2015... We keep it in the garage, on a top shelf.