The Perfect Pantry
Organization and Action Steps to Organize Your Pantry
We have all seen that perfect pantry and thought to ourselves, I want my pantry to look like that! More than looks, a well-organized pantry helps in so many ways. In fact, it helps reduce food costs because you can see what you have and what you need to purchase. The added space also allows for purchasing extra when something is on sale because there is room to fit additional items. This is particularly true of canned goods, pasta, jarred sauces and spices.
More than anything, a well-organized pantry can change the way you live and cook with the food that you already have. When we have a well-organized space, we can feel the difference on our insides. Studies have proven that outer order improves and creates inner calm. Look to The Uncluttered Life’s Declutter Deck® for tips and tricks about home organization.
Organization
All food should be put away each night so that everything is prepped and ready for the next morning. This starts your day off right.
The two-minute rule is something that takes two minutes or less to do. If this is the case, do it immediately. That way, what you need to do doesn’t add to your mental load.
The touch once rule says that if something is in your hand, you’re already touching it once. You should then make sure it ends up in its final destination and not just in an intermediary place.
A family working together to tidy up can accomplish more than a single person. Assign tasks and get everyone moving in one direction or in multiple ones. This is like the divide and conquer rule. Different areas of the house can be tackled by different people and that makes things go faster.
Keeping a designated space in your home for returns and donations helps combat the tendency to overlook things we no longer use but just return to their regular spaces to deal with at a later date. Address them now.
Action Steps
To begin resetting your pantry, map out what you want to achieve. Make zones or get inspiration from magazines or online pantry designs. Make sure to measure the space, not only the height but the width and depth, as well. Allow for any “lips” in the pantry that may require a different size container.
Order your organization products and schedule time to do your reset.
Empty and clean your pantry from top to bottom.
Sort and edit the contents of the pantry, eliminating foods that are expired. Use post-it notes to label the zones.
Put your food back, using your new storage containers. Make sure everything is clearly labeled.