Stockpiling 101: Clean your stockpiling space

As promised, Spend Less, Shop More is starting a series on Stockpiling 101 for folks who are just beginning to build up their stash of inexpensive food, health, and beauty supplies as a result of sticker shock at the grocery store.

I'll be posting tips several times a week, and then I'll gather them all into one central page that you'll be able to access for your reference on the right-hand side of the blog under its own "Stockpiling 101" tab.

This series is meant for beginners, but it's a great refresher course if you need to get reenergized about maintaining or organizing a stockpile as well!

Stockpiling 101: Clean your stockpiling space

Once your family has created your list of necessary stockpile items, your next step is to choose which spaces in your house you'll be using for your stockpile, and to clean it out thoroughly. 

Don't worry if you don't have a massive pantry or lots of cabinet space -- it's not like you're going to be purchasing your entire stockpile at once, so you can always add extra space through inexpensive wire hanging shelves or over-the-door shoe organizers later.

Toss or donate what you won't or can't use

This is a great time to go through what's already in your kitchen, and toss out any expired foods you find in your pantry, freezer, or fridge.  If you haven't done this in awhile, you might be really surprised with what you find -- I distinctly remember cleaning out my mom's kitchen a few years ago and finding jars of peanut butter and jelly that she had moved from her previous house, which she'd lived in five years before!

If you find food that's still within its 'best by' dates, but you know your family won't eat it, set it aside for donations to your local food bank.  Here's a list of the most-needed foods from the San Antonio Food Bank, but any donations of non-expired, non-perishable food will be received gratefully.

It's time for a little elbow grease

Next, thoroughly wipe down your pantry and cabinet shelves, and degunk them of any buildup or stains.  Depending on how the shelves look after cleaning, you might want to invest in some white contact liner and reline the shelves -- this will make them easier to clean going forward.

Don't forget about your fridge and freezer -- the USDA has some great spring cleaning tips on how to clean those out as well.

The fun part -- reorganizing!

Now that your stockpiling space is clean, it's time to move back in any food you're still keeping.  I recommend organizing like items together -- all the canned food on one shelf, cereal on another, etc.  Make sure the staples you use most frequently are at eye level, so it's a snap to grab what you need. 

If you already have a decent amount of pantry supplies built up, you might want to use some baskets to organize your stockpile -- or go to your nearest liquor store and ask for their leftover wine boxes.  You can cut the tops off and turn those boxes on their sides on the shelf -- it will more than double your shelf space.

If you'll have multiple family members unloading groceries, consider labeling your shelves so everyone will know where things will go.  I suggest using some sort of removable labels for this, as you will definitely need to shift items from time to time to house some great deal you found.

Still worried about storage space for your future stockpile?  Check out this eHow guide on adding storage in small spaces.

Do you have any favorite organizational or cleaning tips to share?  Let everyone know in the comments section below!