You Need a Grocery 'Pantry'

The best way to save on weekly goceries is obviously never to have to pay full price for an item. This means always keeping a stock of your most frequently used grocery items as well as stocking up on other items you will be using over time. You don't want to have to shop for an item at the last minute when you need it. If you do that, you are at the mercy of the grocery store and will have to pay what ever price they ask. If only you had purchased enough of the item when it was on sale. Hence, you need a pantry (or closet, or garage....)

Your pantry does not have to be a cabinet in your kitchen. Many houses built now a days do include such a cabinet, able to store hundreds of grocery items, but it is not necessary. Find room on the floor of one of your closets, or even multiple closets. Put some extra shelves up in your basement. Anywhere that you can store non-perishable grocery items will work as a pantry. I added a few shelves and use my laundry room as my grocery pantry.

Try to never have to wait until you need a grocery item to purchase it. If you can get the item for a discount of 30% or more, buy it and put it in your pantry. If it is an item you use, whether often or occasionally, and you are able to buy more than one item at the discounted price, buy more than one. At a minimum, I try to keep at least a one month supply of all your non perishable items in your pantry.

It is a great feeling to be able to just run downstairs to grab an item when you run out in the middle of preparing dinner. The feeling becomes even sweeter when you know that you purchased the grocery item at a huge discount and didn't have to run out and pay full price.