This is my main food cupboard, over the years I have called it many things, but these days it's just known as 'the food cupboard'. (See HERE for when I acquired it in 2016.)
It's always been one of the most useful parts of our home as it holds such a lot, and over the past day or so I have been finding out just how much food there has been stashed away in the bottom cupboard.
Over the past year or so I have been eating through all the tins in the top part of the food cupboard, alongside the few fresh things I was buying each week. Finally, last week this shelf just had a few tins of salmon and a couple of very out of date green lentils, so it was time to start moving things up from the bottom cupboard and having a good sort out.
I was amazed at how much was in there, so much so that I am still in the process of sorting through them all. Last year I moved all out of date food upwards and left the things dated 2026 and after in the bottom cupboard. Doing this worked really well and it has meant that I could use things up in chronological order and therefore nothing has been wasted. It also meant that anything that I bought and didn't use straight away was added to the lower cupboard if their dates were post-2026. Gifts of food were added, things that I brought home from Mum's bungalow were added. All added ... and then forgotten about until there wasn't even a tiny bit of space after Christmas.
Now obviously it is 2026 and with all this space in the top cupboard I am currently in the process of pulling out most of the foods with these best before dates to move them upwards ... and there is a lot more than I thought.
So I decided to move up what I could and then make an inventory of what will still be in the bottom cupboard, so that I don't go out and buy any duplicates of what I already have. I am on an extremely low budget until May of this year, so this brilliant stock of food alongside my Riverford veg boxes, that I wrote about yesterday, are really going to see me though nicely.
I'm hoping to finish off the sorting today, so if you are interested I will take a photo of my nicely restocked top cupboard and show it soon.
Talking about being on a super strict budget until May ... look what arrived on Saturday morning.
I can assure you that I was on the computer and applying for my State Pension within minutes of this invitation landing on my doormat. To be going from £77.45, plus the interest from my savings account, to £1001.18 a month is an amazing thought.
What will I be doing with all that money?
Well I can assure you I will not be wasting a penny of it and frugality will always be the name of the game in day to day life. Just so that once our renovations on the bungalow are complete we will be able to afford some lovely little holidays.
Sue xx
That's a nice pension amount. I look forward to a bit of a rise in April but still not to that full amount and they'll just tax my spouses pension more anyway!
ReplyDeleteWowsers, those extra £££ will make a difference! We're in the process of a major redesign to put in a new kitchen and replace the original with a loo and walkin shower room, and utility area. That lovely little cupboard of yours has given me the idea for moving cans and packets into utility area into a similar one to free up kitchen space.... hmmmm.
ReplyDeleteI remember when you purchased that beautiful cupboard so useful I hope it will fit ok in your new home, your pension will make life a bit easier. Heather
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