Inventories: The Benefits of Writing Down Your Grocery Stocks

Keeping a running inventory on the refrigerator of leftovers, and another of fresh produce stored inside, makes it easy to keep track of what you have. You are reminded of what needs to be used up.

Your result? Much less frequent unpleasantness of needing to throw out spoiled food!

It is also helpful to keep a list of foods that you have placed in the freezer. I find it helpful to include a hint of what sort of container the food is in, if it’s not a gallon-sized freezer bag. (“Orange circular Glass-Loc,® for example.) This makes it possible not to have to remove just about everything from the freezer and set on a massive chore of label-reading, at least in some cases. Similarly, I batch all the wrapped servings of cooked beans, chopped chicken, etc, that are stored in freezer bags, into a plastic produce bag or other large bag and label the large bag. Then on my list, I tally as follows for six units of an item: 11111 1. I strike off each unit as I use one up.

I keep similar inventories of foods in each additional area that I cannot view through the glass doors of cupboards. For me, these areas include foods stored under-the-bed and those in a top drawer of canned goods. (I keep a large emergency food supply.)

All the inventory sheets beside the refrigerator one, including that for the freezer compartment of the refrigerator, I house together in a plastic envelope to which I have easy access. So that the inventories remain legible, I rewrite the refrigerator one weekly and the others monthly.

Keeping the inventories helps immensely by saving time in writing shopping lists, as well as money. I do not duplicate what I already have available in the house.