About that Pantry...

  Everyone should stock up. Looking at pantry pictures gives you ideas on how to transform, create or modify your existing or pantry to be. Realistically having a pantry not only saves on your budget, helps during emergencies or natural disasters, is a big plus in a sagging economy and saves grocery trips because you tend to keep basics. Honestly...looking at pantries is slightly addictive only in the sense you think "OHHH I so would do mine that way" lol 
   I researched and used a Mormon Pantry approach. I personally am not Mormon and although I have Mormon friends I can't say that every single Mormon does a pantry. I do know the church encourages it's members to start with a 3 week, then a 3 mo and finally keep a year pantry for security during hard times. They also encourage members to not only tithe to the church but to tithe to a cash emergency fund in case banks would go down and to basically try to think long term. Some parts of a Mormon pantry is also ideal because several Mormon families (not all..but alot) have larger families so a pantry helps. I do think it's interesting and a nice thing in large Mormon communities such as Salt Lake City etc they actually have dry and wet canneries. You can have your food items canned in 5lb cans and up. Many churches open their cannery to the public and sale to the public so many times a month to help Non Mormons keep a full pantry. Me personally I am not interested in the philosophical aspect of why they do pantries (although I do find all religions interesting) nor do I ever find myself saying "I wish I could keep 200 lbs of barley flour onhand and 10 lb containers of pudding" LOL but the pantry idea for basics works.  
  Alot of Mormon ladies use a rotation calendar for their pantries. I'll show you how the calendar works:
 Jan: Beverages...and pantry rotation check
Feb:Breakfast foods
March:Oils/fats
April: Meats
May:Grains
June:Condiments
July:Snack foods
Aug:Fruit/vegetables
Sept:Tomatoes/Pasta
Oct:Beans/Soups
Nov:Holiday foods
Dec:pantry basics
  You basically do your regular shopping and then you concentrate on the items designated for the month. Sales for the items actually do run those months (soup sales start in Oct and continue through Dec) so you get more items for the cost. You can alter the list to include items like :August:fruit/vegetables/school lunch boxes...and you can even add in non food items. July has more sales for say charcoal so in July you could put ..July: snack foods/cookout items/paper goods. Alter it to fit your area of residence and your needs. In January you do rotation...check your dates, see what you have not used at all and reevaluate how you buy items. If you tithe to yourself for items it adds up. Say you start by tithing 20 dollars extra a shopping trip. You hit a 10 for 10 sale..buy 20 and you've stocked your pantry alot!! Idealistically you will get to where once a month you won't grocery shop at all or say every 3 mo you won't have to shop..you simply use up some out of your pantry to keep the rotation fresher.
  It's also a good idea to look up recipes for items. Try something new. Lentils can be bought cheap and easily stocked up on...then you can try out a new recipe with the item.
  If you make a menu for the week and then buy 2 extra of say 3 items on the list..you've started stocking your pantry. Some people grocery shop only every 2 weeks so they can alter their shopping list around their menu. 
   I like to hit after holiday sales too. Paper plates with Cmas designs or snowflakes can be used at home for longer than the holiday. Candy/cake decorating items usually go half price after the holiday and can be used all year long. Alot of stores celebrate say July 4th with family size items due to cookouts then it goes on sale after the holiday. If the package isn't resealable put it in a resealable bag or divide out into bakeable/cooking proportions and you've stretched your money..and your pantry!
  Add onto your pantry list by buying up on fresh goodies in the summer and canning or freezing them. Your freezer is another pantry! Buy up on items, even cheese can be purchased on sale in large amounts and frozen! , and freeze. Butter and shredded or square cheese can easily be frozen for later use.
  As for helping others a good pantry charitable program I saw was to make use of buy one get one free. Every so often do the buy one get one free...keep one for yourself and put one in a bag for a food pantry or as a secret friend gift to someone you know needs the help. If you do this with enough items...canned goods etc have long shelf lives so you can do the buy one get one free for a month or two..you can have a decent bag of items to donate to someone that really needs it.
  Just remember there is a fine line between hoarder/end of the world nutcase....and normally stocking up. There is nothing wrong with being prepared and taking care of your family..there is something wrong if you have totes in your basement with over 1000 tubes of toothpaste and deo (yes, I saw that on tv once!!) that you will never use up in a lifetime. To me that is wasteful.