Who doesn't have a stock cupboard

fuddle

I do like looking at pictures of store cupboards... more, more, more

elona

GQ

Thanks for the information about premium bonds. I would have felt awful if I had suggested something that got someone into trouble in the future. Have vague feeling that pension savings in offficial scheme might not count but then money is tied up - sigh.

Can hear dd downstairs so need to get brekkie started and then going out to get much needed haircut. Mince is defrosting so making spag bol or maybe savoury mince and mash or small beef curry tonight as I defrosted YS diced beef as well. Had seven of us at the weekend - originally six of us and now usually five most of the time so meals tend to be mix and match or heavily stretched with lots of veg, tinned tomatoes, lentils etc.

Must remember to search for frugalincornwall blog. I try to keep up with Shirley Goode as she is still coming up with good recipes and ideas and is in her eighties now.

Peabel

GreyQueen Yes it can get pretty hot in summer, 40ish is about right. At night it might go down to 20. In the winter, now, it can seem quite cold even though it was 18 today. It will get down to about five in the night and we have single glazing, no heating and no insulation I know this will seem silly to you folks but it feels really cold. With regards to food storage, I tend to buy loose fruit and veg daily or every couple of days in summer as I find it doesn't keep well even in the fridge. However, things tend to be split into smaller portions, half or quarter melons for example and single sticks of celery. There aren't any Aldi/Lidl type stores but maybe we will get one once we start Sunday opening later in the year.

Don't want to gross anyone out, but the key to storing dried goods here is airtight containers and keeping things clean to discourage the cockroaches. I tend to buy dried good in plastic containers when on offer so I can recycle the containers.

perpareathome Perth is a lovely city, small and very laid back compared to some of the other Australian cities, with a great family and outdoor vibe. The only problem is, it is miles away from anywhere else and quite expensive. You must be really looking forward to the wedding and your trip.

Peabel

grandma247

I love Perth. I have visited twice and hope to come over at least once more in my lifetime. We have some good friends who now live near Freemantle. We stayed with them both times.

Loubell83

I dont have a store cupboard, as I live in a tiny flat. Is there any ideas of how to start one with little room?

And what kind of things are best to keep in it? Please dont tell me lots of bulky things! I wish I had a bigger house so that I could stockpile

prepareathome

Loubell83 wrote: »

I dont have a store cupboard, as I live in a tiny flat. Is there any ideas of how to start one with little room?

And what kind of things are best to keep in it? Please dont tell me lots of bulky things! I wish I had a bigger house so that I could stockpile

Lists will come later but have a good look round your flat for places you can store cans.

Under the bed
Behind the couch
Any empty drawer
Bottom of wardrobe
Under the bath(something I want to do)
Behind sills at bottom of cupboards
Make a small table out of cans and put a cloth over it
Cans inside shoes
Hanging from the walls in nice containers -hall,bedroom,kitchen,living room

That's all I can think of at moment as head full of morphine so not working the best:o

Possession

fuddle wrote: »

I do like looking at pictures of store cupboards... more, more, more

Mine is WAY too messy! (Combination of more than one thread here, LOL)

prepareathome

Loubell83 wrote: »

I dont have a store cupboard, as I live in a tiny flat. Is there any ideas of how to start one with little room?

And what kind of things are best to keep in it? Please dont tell me lots of bulky things! I wish I had a bigger house so that I could stockpile

No 1 ONLY STORE WHAT YOU WILL EAT

Many people buy stuff as they got it cheap but try it and hate it and are left with the rest say bought 10 cans of cheap mince and onions - tried one thought urg this is horrible so end up either giving away or throwing away the rest.

A good stock cupboard no matter how large or small properly managed can help bring down your weekly costs.

For most people this is the main reason for having one not for emergencies.

So list everything you like then bit by bit each time you shop add another one, two, three items depending on what you can afford.

If you see something cheap but you have never tried it buy only one to try and if you do like it great buy a few more.

Have a look on-line at packing cupboards, there are some videos out there that can help.

I don't have to much cupboard space in kitchen so I just have a week or two supply of tins, sugar, cereal, jars depending on their size. I group things together like one wall cupboard( seasoning cupboard I call it) at side of my hob only contains things like seasoning, spices, oil, gravy powder,stock cubes, dried herbs, onion salt, garlic salt - anything basically I could add to a meal that is not in a tin(like tinned tomatoes) or large jar(like Mr S Basics sweet and sour sauce) as they go in my tins and jar cupboard.

Other cupboard other side of hob contains dried goods like pulses - lentils,barley,split peas, pasta, rice, cous cous, polenta, spaghetti, macaroni, lasagne sheets, noodles, vermicelli, if its dry and food of this type and we eat it you will find some in there

Now these are just the ones I am using I have stocks of these in my store cupboard.

All my baking goods are kept together as well.

Of course some items could be kept in a couple of places - for example dried ginger powder I use it both in cooking and baking so I choose to have it with all my cooking flavourings so is in the seasoning cupboard.

This is important to me as its easy for me to check quite easily if I am running low and so I can then go to my store cupboard and 'shop' there to replace them. Then when I do go shopping their replacements are put in storeroom but always at back if there is still one of anything there as rotation is the key to running a successful store cupboard.

I keep my cereals for breakfast on top shelf of another cupboard and things like sugar, teabags, coffee ( these are ones not being used then, I have canisters by the kettle with these in). Some Long life milk, fruit and herb teas and cannot remember what else.

Tin cupboard I try to keep tins/jar that are often used at one side and other side ones not used so often ( Like tins of steak for an emergency meal)

I am only giving you an idea of how to store in your kitchen, its I have met so many people who said my kitchen is to small I have no where for more than a few days food yet a bit of reorganisation and hey pesto so much space left. If you literally cannot store anything anywhere apart from the kitchen then making sure you get the best out of your space is important.

Another thing that takes up valuable kitchen space are dishes - again lots of people have cupboards of dishes all ready for when they have a dinner party or family round at Christmas. If you only have dinner parties once a month or less doesn't it make sense to pack and store all these extra dishes and just bring them out when you need them, the same with the kitchen things and so have space for more day to day needed items in the kitchen.

When space is at a premium you have to think laterally. Kitchens get dirty no matter how much you clean wouldn't it be better if those special dishes were away from the grease, dirt etc that can float around in there.

Am sorry if this comes across at getting at you, I am not, its not even aimed specifically at you, but just in general as for most people the kitchen is the main if only store cupboard.

Blame my meds they always make me so blinking serious or high- then I couldn't write anything legible:rotfl:

wifefaefife

grandma247 wrote: »

I love Perth. I have visited twice and hope to come over at least once more in my lifetime. We have some good friends who now live near Freemantle. We stayed with them both times.

I would love to go too. I have distant relatives in Freemantle.

I used my £5 Aldi voucher to buy some extras in on Sunday. Popperwell make sure you o to your new Aldi grand opening, they gave out some freebies when they opened my local one.

Popperwell

wifefaefife wrote: »

I would love to go too. I have distant relatives in Freemantle.

I used my £5 Aldi voucher to buy some extras in on Sunday. Popperwell make sure you o to your new Aldi grand opening, they gave out some freebies when they opened my local one.

I'll be watching;)

It's coming on well but no mention of it opening on the Aldi website usually even if a date is not given they'll say something like coming soon. There is a story that Aldi are expending a lot but though welcome and you'd like to think the competition might force prices down at other supermarkets but equally it shows that people are on tighter budgets which is not good.