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A simple pantry inventory saves time, money, and space. Learn how to use a pantry inventory, plus sign up for free pantry, freezer, refrigerator, and household inventory sheets!
Corn.
Corn, corn, corn.
My cheeks ballooned with the weight of a frustrated sigh as I asked myself why. And what.
Why did I always feel the need to buy canned corn?
And what the heck was I going to do with the 4 cans already in my pantry, plus the 2 I’d just brought home from the store?
Why You Need a Pantry Inventory
If you’re thinking a pantry inventory isn’t worth the trouble, you should probably reconsider. Knowing what you have in your kitchen is super beneficial, and it’s an important step in running your household efficiently, especially if you work full-time.
First, it saves time by allowing you to know what you have on-hand.
Trying to figure out whether you have all the ingredients for a recipe? Making a shopping list? A pantry, refrigerator, and freezer inventory will save you the trouble of combing through your kitchen to see if you have what you need.
Next, a pantry inventory will help you avoid buying items you don’t need (like my many cans of corn!). If you know you have plenty of an item on-hand, you’ll be less likely to buy it on a whim, “just in case.”
This saves money and space in your kitchen. You won’t be stuck trying to store 6 cans of corn at once! You’ll also be able to keep your kitchen cabinets and pantry more organized, because you won’t have tons of excess of the same food items.
Finally, a pantry inventory will help you use items before they expire. As a result, you’ll reduce food waste and save money. You can plan meals around foods that are close to expiring, ensuring you get the most out of every dollar spent.
By the way – my email subscribers get free access to my resource library, which includes FREE kitchen inventory sheets for your pantry, freezer, refrigerator, and household supplies! Sign up to get access to your free copy!
How to Create a Pantry Inventory
Creating a pantry inventory is easy, and there are just a few steps.
First, you will probably want to have an inventory list for your pantry, freezer, and refrigerator. You might also want an inventory list for household staples, such as toilet paper, facial tissue, and cleaning supplies.
Create a list for each area you want to inventory. List the item, the quantity currently on-hand, and the expiration or use-by date. It’s that simple!
If you have multiples of the same item, you should write down the use-by date of the oldest item. For example, if you one can of corn should be used by 12/16/21, and another by 02/21/22, write down 12/16/21.
How to Use a Pantry Inventory
Once your pantry inventory, freezer inventory, refrigerator inventory, and household staples inventory are complete, it only takes a little bit of maintenance to use them effectively.
When you use an item, update the quantity and, if needed, the use-by/expiration date.
To keep your pantry inventory sheets neat, you might want to use a pencil or erasable Frixion pens (my favorite!). As a result, you’ll be able to erase and update your inventory sheets with ease.
You can also fill in only the “item” column of the inventory sheets, then laminate them (I use this laminator and love it). Once laminated, you can use fine-tip dry erase markers to fill it the quantity and use-by columns. As a result, your pantry inventory will be easy to update, and you won’t have to erase or re-copy it each time an update is due.
To keep your laminated inventory sheets handy, use Velcro mounts to mount them to the inside of a cabinet door, the outside of the refrigerator, and the outside of the freezer. As a result, they will be easily accessible, but won’t take up space on your kitchen counter.
How to Create a Simple Pantry Inventory: Conclusion
A simple pantry inventory can help you save time, money, and space. Using inventory sheets for your pantry, refrigerator, freezer, and household staples is easy, especially with erasable ink or dry erase markers.
Sign up below to join the ShowMe Suburban community and get free access to my resource library, where you can grab copies of my pantry inventory sheets!
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