Step # 2 Mastery Over Kitchen Inventory (Page 2)

Before I begin making my shopping list, I like to see what is in my pantry and freezer. Just like any good business, I need to know what I have before I order. It is the same at home.

What I do is take a spreadsheet and type in the inventory. Then I print out this list and using a binder, keep it in the pantry. When I’m ready to begin my menu planning and shopping list, I bring the book to the table.

With my list, I check what I have in the pantry. When I do this, I make sure that nothing has passed its expiration day. Remember, even cans don't last forever. Always check the expiration dates.

On one of the cooking shows, I saw the host make Sloppy Joes. I thought, we’ve hadn’t had Sloppy Joes for a long time. I thought wouldn’t it be great with biscuits on the top. From my recipe, I knew I need the ingredients below:

1 - cup Original Bisquick® mix
1-1/2 - cups shredded Cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
1/2 - cup water
1 - egg
1 - pound lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1/2 - cup ketchup
1/2 - teaspoon salt
1 - can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

Checking my inventory, I knew I needed

Bisquick, check

Shredded Cheddar Cheese, check

Egg, no I have a carton in the refrigerator

Yea, need some ground beef.

No, I’m OK on the ketchup.

Sure, I have plenty of salt.

Nope, I have plenty of tomato sauce.

Having a well-stocked kitchen allows you to skip during lean times between grocery trips but more important even than that, it lets you to hold out for the great sales, to add to your pantry. This is an important principle and can save you money.

So what is a well stocked kitchen? A lot of that depends on your eating style. I am going to share a basic kitchen list with you, but for your own list, take the one I provided, cross out the things you don’t use, and add in the things you use most, to the list. This list will help assist you in stocking your pantry, and give you some idea of what to look for in the sale papers each week. Once you have it stocked then it is a simple matter of keeping it stocked by catching the sales each week.

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