Homemaking Tips, Part 4- "Organizing- clean out your cupboards..."

Mother Hubbard had cupboards.... and I bet you do too.  Ones that are full.

The homemaking suggestion for this week is to clean out your refrigerator, freezer, and cupboards. 

 The tip for this week is really a great one to get an inventory of your food stuffs!  After you throw away outdated, stale, and spoiled food (I just through away a vegetable that was unrecognizable.) you will have an assessment of what you have left.  Then the next plan is to make menus using what you already have in your kitchen and pantry.

  Do you only purchase what you actually cook that week or month?  Or are you like me and tend to leave a turkey breast forgotten in the back of my freezer?  About once every season I like to go through my pantry and freezer and take stock....I then plan our meals to use everything up. 

 It is such a great feeling that the perishables are being consumed.  

I have a girlfriend that especially loves empty cupboards that she fills weekly.  Her frugality prompts her to only buy what she will use that week.  I am of the sort that if I see something on sale I grab a couple for future use.  Having two refrigerators/freezers plus a full size freezer lots of goods can get stored away.  However, I do try every season to go through my stuffs as I am suggesting to make sure everything gets rotated and consumed.  This week I found that I had five bottles of Chili sauce!  There is one particular chicken recipe that my family enjoys in which the chili sauce is crucial.  When I see that item in the grocery store I pick one bottle up so that I have it on hand if needed.  But I don't need five at once!  

(I also found 6 cans of mandarin oranges, three bottles of A1 sauce.  It is fine to stock up on items but it would take a while for our family to go through these.)   

So grab a notebook and pen and head to your kitchen.  Make a list of  what frozen meats that you have.  Then go to your cupboards and make a list of canned and dry goods that you use to make meals and desserts.  Use this list to plan your future meals. 
You will be so happy that your food stuffs are getting eaten! 

Linking today with