Comments on: Using a Pantry to Save Time, Money and the Planet

By: Mara

Mara — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 03:56:37 +0000

What a timely post me. My husband and I have been debating whether or not to buy a freezer (second-hand on Craigslist, of course!) Thanks also for hosting this great carnival. I’m so excited to have joined for the first time this week.

By: Kathleen W.

Kathleen W. — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:34:41 +0000

I loved your post, and it’s funny that I’ve been trying to do the same thing at my house, particularly with the economy right now. I’m afraid food prices might go up due to inflation, so we’ve been buying in bulk and stocking up. It’s stuff we’d be buying anyway in the next few months so we won’t be wasting.

Sorry I didn’t get around to joining TGT this week, but I’ll try to do it next week!

By: Kate

Kate — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 04:34:03 +0000

I love stocking my pantry too. I always buy in bulk since we only grocery shop once a month. It saves so much money and time!

By: rebecca

rebecca — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 03:55:02 +0000

Here’s my confession: I enjoy grocery shopping. I don’t ever think of ways to spend less time in supermarket aisles! So I do like to shop every few days and buy just what I need. I also have more time to do this than Joy does (obviously).

I will also admit that I don’t have a “European style refrigerator.” We have a 16 cubic foot fridge, which is a little smaller than the average American one (which is 20 cu ft or bigger). Most Europeans seem to have what we’d call a dorm fridge with no real freezer. Now THAT’S energy efficient!

By: joy

joy — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 03:13:26 +0000

Donna and Penny:
I too would love to have that pantry! My pantry actually consists of a shelf just above our freezer in the garage. I put dry goods in a big rubbermaid bin so that we don’t get little furry visitors, and stack canned goods next to the bin. Our kitchen is the size of a postage stamp with no dishwasher and very little cupboard or counter space so it was relief to stumble on the garage solution.

Jillian:
You’re actually on my side! Rebecca shops more frequently and buys fewer items whereas I do the monthly haul. Still, I admire Rebecca’s approach–I just feel far too swamped to follow suit! She also has a smaller European style refridgerator which also cuts down on costs and emissions.

Honestly the whole bulk thing has been a huge revelation to me just in terms of making my life far easier. I only wish I would have discovered it a decade ago. How many hours of my life have I unnecessarily spent in supermarket aisles?

By: Jillian

Jillian — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 02:57:20 +0000

I would also love to stockpile food in bulk. But unfortunately i’m in a teeny tiny apartment with probably the worlds smallest pantry. My freezer is always packed with cooked beans, fresh fruit and prepared meals. I love canning but my pantry doesn’t allow space for all those jars of goodies. We’re shopping for a house now and one of my biggest “needs” is a BIG pantry. I buy dry goods in bulk but have bags over flowing from the small shelves, my canisters just don’t fit! Overall i have to agree that buying in bulk works to cut down on trips to the market and lessens packaging. Sorry Joy i’m with Rebecca on this one, bulk buying is a good thing

By: rebecca

rebecca — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:21:54 +0000

Joy, you can figure out exactly how much you spend by looking up the model of freezer you have on the Sears website (or wherever they sell the brand you have). They will tell you how many kWh your freezer uses in a year. If you are paying just $7-15 more a month, it would certainly be easier to make up for it. If it does cost $30, I'd rather just go out to eat more often!

By: Penny

Penny — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:26:20 +0000

A chest freezer runs more efficiently if it is fully stocked.

It makes sense to me to stockpile items like meat and to preserve fruit etc.

If that is your pantry Joy I’m jealous I would love a walk in pantry.

By: joy

joy — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 21:10:46 +0000

At first I found myself totally flabbergasted by the $30/month. That’s quite a lot! After a bit of research though, I found that according to an Oregon State University study and the Energy Star label website , the cost is really more like between $7-$15 dollars per month. So if I save that much just by using the freezer, it’s worth it. At this point with fewer trips to the grocery store and the ability to buy on sale and stock up, i know we’re saving at least that much. A chest freezer cost even less to run, but I know I’d lose things in it’s depths.

By: rebecca

rebecca — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:37:48 +0000

You've made some good points, Joy! I have to admit it sounds great to have all those berries bagged up for the winter months ahead. You mentioned that the energy used to run an extra freezer may counteract some of the advantages of stockpiling. According to PGE's energy calculator, a 15 cubic foot frost-free freezer will cost about $30.00/month to operate, or $360 a year. You would want to be sure your savings in food go well beyond that amount to save any money. As for the environment, perhaps being able to stockpile local foods would offset that extra energy? When I was keeping track of our expenses (saving receipts, adding everything up, etc.), I found we spent $120/month on groceries for three people. With food prices rising, I estimate we spend more like $150 these days. I don't think there is any way that I could make a freezer save me more money. It would mean my grocery budget would be something like $80/month. So, you stockpilers . . . what do you think?