How should I best use this $ to build my pantry?

[Attila the Honey]

We get food stamps.  Due to a paperwork error we didn't get them for 2 months.  It finally got worked out and since it was their error we received our back money along with this month's benefits - a total of $460.

I need about $200 to feed the family for this month, which leaves a lot to stock my pantry with.  I don't have a big freezer (wish I did).  How would you spend it, and if you would get grains etc. how would you protect it from infestation?

I am half tempted to just keep the money on the card as a buffer but I am sure it would get frittered away that way.  There is a small amount of "take out" food we can get with the stamps and I am afraid I would blow it on feeding the 5 of us subs and salad bar food. :)

Any ideas?

[kathirynne]

If you make a lot of Italian or Mexican food, tinned tomatoes and tomato sauce would be good.  Maybe some tubes of tomato paste, as well.

Dried beans are cheap and keep for a long time.  You can cook a 1 pound bag in your CrockPot overnight, and freeze them in individual recipe sized quantities in the freezer above your fridge.

Tinned beans are also cheap, and make for quick dinners on those "I can't face the idea of cooking" nights.  The same goes for tinned fruits and vegetables and jarred applesauce.

I always try to keep coconut milk on hand, because I make quite a bit of East Indian food. 

Rice, oatmeal, cornmeal and bottled and/or tinned fruit juices are also musthaves for me.

Raisins and other dried fruits add nutrition and flavour to plain cooked oatmeal porridge for cheap breakfasts.  I store mine in reused glass jars.

Spices are expensive, but if you have extra money to spend on food, they are nice to have on hand, and can make simple dishes taste better.

I would definitely stock up on baking supplies (flour, sugar, oil, baking powder, et cetera) especially since those things tend to be on sale this time of year.

To keep them away from infestation, you could store them in Rubbermaid tubs or plastic buckets.

[Usually Curious]

Freeze the bags of rice or beans for a few days. Pour into containers (repurposed spaghetti sauce jars are great). Pop a few bay leaves in your container - they repel bugs. Viola! They will keep a very long time that way.

[Usually Curious]

I would also save some back so that you are able to take advantage of the weekly 'loss leader' sales.

[zebra15]

Stocking a pantry is something that is done over time.  So what I usually do is follow the sales and stock up on the loss leaders.  If you coupon of course use those too.  Right now citrus is coming into season so we are eating alot of that. Baking supplies  are on sale so I am stocking up on those and baking ALOT.  Butter has been on sale as well.  Butter freezes well.  For some reason the 'greens' in produce have been sky high.  I am NOT paying $1-1.29 for a single cucumber (they are usually 1/2 that).  So what building a pantry comes down to is knowing the prices and stocking up when there is a good sale.

[Thystle]

The freezing idea helps, so does putting whole bay leafs inside flours.

Put everything in the freezer if you have space, or inside glass jars (canning or recycled), or go ask at a bakery (in a grocery or Sams Club type place) for their used icing/frosting buckets... clean them really well and store all grains/beans in them in a cool place. These buckets hold alot and seal really well and a VERY popular with "survival preppers". 

[Thystle]

The freezing idea helps, so does putting whole bay leafs inside flours.

Put everything in the freezer if you have space, or inside glass jars (canning or recycled), or go ask at a bakery (in a grocery or Sams Club type place) for their used icing/frosting buckets... clean them really well and store all grains/beans in them in a cool place. These buckets hold alot and seal really well and a VERY popular with "survival preppers".