Starting Over!
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Anonymous
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Help me stock my pantry!
I've been living with family for the past year and am moving out in 2 weeks to an apartment. I have appliances, cookware, dishes, etc, in storage but nothing edible and nothing disposable. No spices, no canned goods, no paper products, no cleaning products. So, I'm starting from scratch. My monthly grocery budget will be about $250 once we're moved in, I've got an additional $250-$300 to spend to stock my kitchen with staples. It's just me and a 3yo that mainly subsists on nuts and cereal (I know his diet is abysmal, I'm working on it). I love cooking, but work FT, so simple and quick is a must. I don't eat a lot of red meat, it's mainly pasta, chicken and seafood. I don't mind making things from scratch if I can do it on the weekends and it saves me money-homemade tastes better anyway. Organic is good, but only if it's affordable and really makes a difference. I don't have a ton of space (no actual pantry, apt is only 750sqft), so don't want to buy too much in bulk. Reusable and multipurpose is great. I have about $200 to spend on other things for the apartment (vacuum cleaner, toiletries, misc). I have a list, but I know I'm forgetting things. What would you buy right away to get your pantry functional? |
Anonymous
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Well, it really depends on what you guys eat daily. Do you usually make a protein, veggie, and starch for dinner? Is your 3 year old getting meals in day care? Or at home? Or being packed to take? I would start from your daily diet first.
I'll put out some ideas in case they sound appealing: whole wheat pasta selection beans, lentils, etc. oats, oatmeal chicken broth canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and/or tomato sauce flour (whole wheat and/or white) sugar baking soda and baking powder salt and pepper cinnamon oregano (add spices as needed. purchase from the ethnic market or the ethnic aisle in your store. much cheaper than McCormick, etc.) Then I'd move to freezer stuff, which keeps longer than fresh, of course. Bagged frozen veggies that you like. They are often cheaper than fresh, more nutritious than canned. You can steam them, add seasonings, or use them in soups. Cuts of meat, individually frozen. I buy fresh chicken breasts on sale and freeze them separately, or two at a time, to make small meals Then buy condiments you use often: ketchup mustard mayo And root veggies that last (if you use them): potatoes onions Then buy fresh foods as needed, once or twice a week. |
Anonymous
| And rice. We don't eat much rice, so I forgot that one. |
Anonymous
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Rice
Flour Baking soda and powder Condiments Spices you use on a regular basis (for me it would include oregano, black pepper, paprika, chili powder, cumin, thyme) Canned tomatoes few jars of pasta sauce packages of dry pasta Olive oil Vegetable oil Red and white wine vinegar |
Anonymous
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One of those herb gardens in a pot.
Jarred sauce Pasta Parmesan cheese cinnamon nutmeg chili powder vanilla coffee olive oil rice vinegar balsalmic flour baking soda and b.powder salt, pepper cocoa almond butter shelf-stable milk of whatever variety frozen fish fillets---think salmon, cod, etc. Much cheaper than fresh and they're already at home frozen shrimp chicken dogs and sausage froz veggies |
Anonymous
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Canola oil
Olive oil Balsamic vinegar White vinegar Flour Sugar Baking powder Cocoa Tea Coffee Honey Canned tomatoes Canned beans Canned fish Rice Pasta Barley Breakfast cereal Salt Pepper Cumin Garlic Oregano Basil Chipotle or other pepper Bay leaves Mustard Ketchup Mayo |
Anonymous
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OP here.
Thanks for the posts so far! You're reminding me of things I'd left off (coffee and honey for example). I haven't really cooked in a year, so I'm having a hard time remembering what I actually use. I'm also so excited to have my own place again that I'm having trouble prioritizing. I want to buy it ALL right now! I'm also going to need to get things like garbage bags, sponges, dish soap, etc. Any recommendations on where to shop? (like PP who said check ethnic markets for spices) My normal grocery store will probably be the Columbia Heights Giant (the apt is near Ft. Totten Metro) and I'm selling my car this month, so bulky things will be a PITA once it's gone. |
Anonymous
| Shopping at Aldi has saved my family a ton in our grocery bill. There is one in Hyattsville and a newer one accross from the Safeway at RFK. Go there and you will save $$. |
Anonymous
| After you initially stock up, try Peapod for grocery delivery. It does charge a small delivery fee, but it curbs splurges and spontaneous spending so it helps stick to a budget. You can get weekend delivery. And you can order bulkier things! |
Anonymous
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17:40, I'm pretty good about sticking to a budget. I don't make much and if I overspend on groceries, something else essential has to go. Trust me, if I had more money, my grocery budget wouldn't be $250/mo.
While I do a weekly meal plan, part of what I love about cooking is the grocery shopping and spontaneous spending/choosing something different or new at the store. I used to be a member of a CSA and I really enjoyed having to be creative with things I wouldn't normally have chosen to bring home. And honestly, I can't imagine spending $10 on a delivery fee every week. That's $40/mo. That's almost a 1/5 of my entire monthly grocery budget! I can see it being a good deal for someone with more money to spend, but for me, it's not worth it. While I won't have a car, my family does live nearby and I'll most likely be able to borrow one of their cars (or at least snag a ride home) once a month or so. Truly bulky things or visits to places like HMart can be saved for those trips. |
Anonymous
| Don't forget you can use Amazon for bulk delivery, too - snacks, drinks, etc.... With free shipping. |
Anonymous
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I second Aldi, and check your weekend newspaper for coupons. When we moved into our apartment 3 years ago, here was the list I emailed to my husband for our first Home Depot and grocery store run - it's a mix of pantry and not, but I removed all the produce from the list. Note that this is VERY dependent on what kind of cuisine you make.
coffee filters garbage bags hand soap can opener ice cube trays toilet paper paper towels flash light all purpose cleaner dish soap/dishwasher soap mop/bucket sponges broom dustpan plunger toilet brush doormat salt pepper spices (old bay, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, rosemary, paprika, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, garlic powder, onion salt) canola oil olive oil red wine vinegar whole wheat pasta, spaghetti and shells 2 jars pasta bag of lentils bag of chick peas bag of black beans bag of white beans sun dried tomatoes jar of olives 2 cans tuna Dukes Mayo yellow mustard Dijon Mustard ketchup peanut butter jam Bisquick coffee apple sauce raisins walnuts honey roasted peanuts brown rice vanilla extract oats cornmeal all purpose flour baking soda baking powder 1 large can diced tomatoes Tabasco Worcestershire sauce soy sauce bouillon cubes (chicken & beef) honey maple syrup salsa brown sugar white sugar I'd add potatoes, onions, garlic, cold cereal, crackers, tortilla chips, tortillas, bread, frozen veggies and meat, and basic produce depending on what you like (bagged salad, apples, carrots, lemons, etc.). |
Anonymous
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Honestly, OP, I have wasted so much food that now I shop by meal planning. Kitchen space also fills up quickly no matter how much space you think you have!
I plan what I am going to make for the week, and buy accordingly. I cannot 'cook on the fly' so this works for me. You'll just have to remember to buy EVERYTHING you need for the recipe (down to salt, pepper, olive oil, etc.). If you want to make your kid cookies, pick up that bag of toll house chips and write down every ingredient. If you do this every week, then eventually, you'll have a full pantry catered to the dishes you make. Works better than having more crap than you actually will every use, and spices do go bad after 6 months to a year. One big thing for your to-do list is to buy onions and fresh herbs and chop them up and freeze them for future use. I have found that trick a total lifesaver! (You can even buy pre-chopped onions, peppers, etc. at most supermarkets now too.) And don't forget to buy baking soda for your fridge. |