Purge Your Pantry

Restock Smartly

Refilling your pantry in organized zones is the best way to ensure you don’t have to do another pantry overhaul in a couple of months. Start by putting baking items (flour, sugar, baking soda, etc.) in one section and breakfast items in another. If you have kids, set up a snack zone so they can find what they need easily and don’t rifle through the other shelves. Keep heavy items, like jugs of olive oil, on the bottom shelf, and the stuff you reach for every day—lunch ingredients, pet food—at eye level.

Finally, stash a stepstool in the pantry, if you have room, or nearby to make reaching high shelves easy. You’ll be amazed at how much time you can save by being able to locate the couscous on the first try.