My aunt's old pantry inventory habit made me rethink my weekly shopping

I was visiting my aunt in Cleveland last month and watched her take stock of her pantry before we went to the store. She had this little notebook where she listed every can and box, plus the month she bought it. It took her maybe 15 minutes, but she saved about $40 that trip because she only bought what she actually needed. I started doing the same thing with a sticky note on my fridge, just a quick shelf scan every Sunday. Now I'm using up old corn and black beans before they hit the 2 year mark. Does anyone else keep a running list or is that too much effort for a weekday meal plan?

2 comments

2 Comments

olivia3987d agoMost Upvoted

Didn't think a pantry list would matter to me either. But I tried it for two weeks and now I'm not buying random stuff I already have. It's honestly kind of freeing.

wendyg436d ago

Honestly, I get that completely. It's wild how much time you waste staring at shelves trying to remember if you already have something. Once you actually see it written down, it takes all the guesswork out and you just grab what you need.