Pantry Management

I'm a big believer in New Year's resolutions; they work for me -- I love the idea of starting fresh at the beginning of every year. I make about a dozen -- one for each month -- and I have the whole year to accomplish them. Some are typical (lose weight), some are fun (watch four new movies a month), some are practical (save more money). So, especially with the state of the economy, I've been watching my finances pretty closely, and one area where I tend to spend a lot is on groceries.

Most of us with special dietary needs just accept that our groceries cost more than normal. I figure that for my allergen-free foods I pay two to three times more. Standard wheat pasta, for example, costs approximately $1.50 a box, give or take; I've seen it on sale for $1 a box. For a bag of rice pasta, I pay about $3.79. For a loaf of bread (or a mix), I pay about $7. The last time I went to the store, typical loaves of bread ranged in cost from $2.39 to $4.59; they probably are available for more or less, too, depending on what you buy. When you consider that things do add up, there is a fairly big cost differential for the specialty foods. Having said that, I simply am glad that I have products I can eat, and I'll pay what I have to for them. However, I do make an effort to spend smartly, and I decided I can do a better job of managing my pantry.

I already regularly shop a local specialty chain, Fruitful Yield, that discounts 20 percent off of all its merchandise. It has a great gluten-free selection, and by shopping there for many of my gf items, I save a lot of money. Because it requires driving a distance, I go with a list of what I need. In this case, it helps to know how much of something I'll need in a week's or month's time, so I also save on gas by not having to make another trip.

I comparison-shop as well. I remember what my standard pantry items generally cost, so I can recognize a good price when I see it. For instance, I can purchase a jar of Purity Farms ghee at a couple different stores, but I happen to know that the best place to buy it is at Whole Foods, where I can get it for up to $2 less than other retailers.

Realizing how necessary it is to know what exactly I have on hand, my pantry itself now is completely organized. I can't change the cost of my food, but I certainly can make sure that I use what I have, so it doesn't go to waste. It's pretty painful to throw out an unopened product because it has long passed its expiration date. Talk about throwing money away. To combat that situation, I keep same products together, the way grocery stores do, with the ones needing to be used first at the ready. So, for example, my Rice Milk is organized by date, with the one expiring the soonest in front on the shelf.

It's important to monitor use-by dates. Many allergen-free products also are free from preservatives. I keep opened items, even mixes, flours and so on, in the refrigerator to extend their shelf-lives. Things like ghee, shortening and lard tend to be shelf-stable, even after opening; these I keep in the pantry. I just read the label for refrigeration needs and determine what would be best for each given product.

Another way I save money on groceries is to plan my menus weekly, keeping in mind what's on sale and what goes into each dish. It's a skill that I certainly haven't mastered perfectly yet, but I am making an effort. I also try to make sure that, if I open a product that has to be used within a certain time frame after opening, I build my meals around using what I'll have available. It's not fun throwing out half-used products, either.

As part of monitoring my finances, I'm keeping track of how much I save by using coupons or by buying on sale. In January, for grocery purchases alone, I saved more than $75. That may not seem like much until you consider that if I continue saving in the same vein for a year, carefully watching my grocery budget will net me a savings of $900, possibly more as I get better at clipping coupons and taking advantage of sales. Again, little savings do add up.

Something to keep in mind as tax-time approaches: groceries purchased for a diagnosed medical condition are tax-deductible. It's true. Check with the IRS or your tax accountant for more information. Keeping all those grocery receipts can pay off. I have my organized according to month in a divided receipt file.

In the coming months, there are some additional steps that I may take to get my pantry even more organized. I should explore buying directly from manufacturers rather than retailers and see how that would impact my monthly grocery bill. I've also thought about creating a spreadsheet for what's in my pantry and in my freezer, so I know exactly what I have and when everything expires. I don't know that I'm quite ready to tackle that yet, though. Maybe it'll be one of next year's resolutions.