I am NOT a New Year’s Resolution kind of person. I mean, sure, I’ve made them a time or two in the past cause that’s just what people do. “Hope springs eternal!” and all that. But, in the last 10-15 years, I haven’t made any resolutions that I want to try to keep.
But this year? This year, I’m going to try. There are things in my life that have been bothering me for a long time and I’m finally in a position to do something about it. While I’ve been making little moves towards accomplishing these goals, it’s time for a big effort. It’s time to say out loud to myself, my husband, my kids that I want things to be different. So call that a New Year’s Resolution. Call that a goal. Call it whatever you want. But it’s time for a change.
This month, I’m going to focus on being more organized in the kitchen. I don’t mean:
- Alphabetizing my spices
- Making sure all my tomato sauce cans face forward in the pantry
- Building additional storage for staples
But I do mean:
- Using up the food I have before buying more. I have a bad habit of buying too much of certain shelf-stable items – namely cereal and cake mixes.
- Getting rid of the storage containers & baking pans that I just don’t use. I don’t have many of these – I already consider myself on the minimalist side, but I do have some.
- Paring down my recipe collection just to those that we LOVE. If I’m not going to make it, why keep it around?
- Getting rid of spices that are old (stale!) or not used.
- Getting myself on a rotating menu plan, full of our favorites and meals that are easy for me. I’ve done this before when we were going gluten-free and dairy-free and it was a lifesaver!
- Actually writing out my shopping list each week- every single thing. I already plan my meals. I already write down the things that I know I don’t have, but I haven’t taken the additional step of writing down ALL the things that I need and then actually checking to see if I need something. I’ve been making too many misses being certain that I had enough tortillas or rice or refried beans. But I was wrong.
What would it mean for you to be more organized in the kitchen? Some resources that might help you:
- Master Menu Plan
- 5-Ingredient Meal Plan & Cookbook – with Shopping List
- 6 Kitchen Essentials
- Building Blocks to a Better Grocery Budget
- Eat From Your Freezer Challenge
Jayme is a wife to 1 and a mother to four little boys. She tries to coupon, builds a smart stockpile, and always meal plans. While she likes to cook, she’s in the stage of life where simple is usually better – she never knows how many hands she’ll have free at dinner time! You can find her on Instagram.
If you love this, check out more posts:
