A Homesteading Pantry

 I thought today I would share about how I am making changes to my pantry, from short term weekly supplies to more bulk buying and why.

I shared in a recent post, A Homesteading Emergency Pantry, about why I stock up on extra food for emergencies. Today I am going to write more about why and how I am slowly trying to change my kitchen pantry to more bulk buying.

The idea has stemmed from the fact that my weeks are very busy as a homeschool mum and I don't always get the time to do the ideal weekly grocery shop the way I would like it, so I thought that if I buy more bulk then I will always have to hand ingredients to make a meal. Plus it is cheaper in the long term to buy bulk the things we eat most often.

So what are the foods or ingredients I am buying in bulk so far?

• Spelt flour - I have found an online bulk store  ( FamilyPantry.nz ) that buys spelt flour grown and milled here in New Zealand and I can buy 5kg quantities instead of the tiny little bags at the supermarket and it saves money.
• Dried beans
• Lentils
• Split peas
• Spices - only the ones I use all the time.
• Rice - I buy 5kg bags when on special at our supermarket instead of 1kg bags weekly.

The online bulk store, Family Pantry, has a whole range of organic ingredients that you can purchase in small or large quantities. 

So I find it helpful to be able to even buy small quantities of pantry staples while I am ordering the bulk flour so it is even less to think about with a weekly shop to our supermarket.

I have also recently started ordering an organic food box which is delivered to my door. Since we like to grow our own vegetables this will only be for a short season while our garden isn't producing very much. The vegetables were very fresh and such a good selection. It was fun to try a couple of different vegetables as well. This is just another small way to help me through a busy time and to ensure that we are eating healthy.

I have ordered another box for this week as well as trying a small fruit box and some meat from the local butcher in the area where this vegetable farm is located.

We also have a wholesale food market about 20 minutes away which I get to occasionally. There I can purchase big 1kg bags of dried beans and lentils. Our supermarket doesn't stock dried beans and has a limited selection of lentils and split peas. I also buy a large 2kg bag of chocolate chips which is considerably cheaper long term than buying expensive small bags and it lasts us several months. Much to the delight of my boys who love chocolate chip cookies.

This is all a work in progress. It's not something I can just change over night in a few grocery shops but it takes awhile to change over to buying more bulk.

It certainly helps when you have a busy life like homeschooling or maybe you live a long way from supermarkets, sickness or wanting to save more money in your grocery budget. To know that you have a good supply of food and ingredients can make life a lot easier when you can't get to your local supermarket.

Thanks for reading!

Have a blessed week,

Fiona

"She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar." Proverbs 31:14