Thursday 14 January 2016

A winter box of food?

Welcome to some new followers, manic stamper, sammy skint and thrifty.

It occurred to me the other night in bed, waiting to go to sleep (like you do), that our winter larders could be filled up gradually during the year, without us really noticing, to see us through to Spring. For example, we are currently in week 2 of this year, see here.

If you buy one extra thing on top of your normal weekly shop (more if you shop only monthly), put them away so they can't be touched, come the 1st November, for example,  when winter may be getting started (or another date if you prefer), you would have at least 42 items put to one side.

Of course you could start to add Christmas things into the equation as that time draws nearer. If 1st November is your chosen date, you could also back track and get the items each week you have missed going back to 1st November 2015. Then you would have 52 items ready by that date.

Items could be tinned goods such as fruit, beans, tomatoes, legumes, soup, milk etc. Packages could be flour (which can be frozen), pasta, rice, soup ingredients, milk, dried fruit, herbs, spices, cereals etc.You just have to remember to check the dates go through to April 2017.

This sort of idea could also be used for donating to a food bank. One extra thing to your winter box, a second extra thing (or the only extra thing) to a food bank. They would receive 52 items from you over the year. Not bad if you can afford to do so and if 100 people did this, the food bank would get 5200 items over the year etc. It all adds up.

Of course you are not limited to one item, 2 every week would give you 104 items etc. I have added a new link on my tabs above to show what I will be putting into my box.

What do you think? What would you put in your winter box?


17 comments:

  1. Great idea. I do try to put extra stock cubes and store cupboard bits in especially when on offer, the hide them so I don't use them up too quickly!!

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    1. Iron willpower, or hiding, both work don't they!

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  2. I love this idea and am going to try doing the same. I currently stock up on canned items we use regularly. I don't like to have less than 10 of each item. We never know when we will be snowed in for several days during the winter. I also keep bottled water in the pantry in case of an emergency. Love the idea of adding a Christmas gift each week.

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    1. My mother in law always had a well stocked pantry. Always 2 of everything, when 1 got used she bought another.

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  3. I love having a store cupboard and keep pretty much all of the things you listed in mine. I don't drive and our nearest supermarket is nearly five miles away so it helps me when there is nobody here......although we do try not to make too many odd trips for things and tend to make do with what we have. My menu is geared towards what we have in either the freezer or the store cupboard. I find Lidl and B&M invaluable for stocking up on tinned goods.
    Thanks for the welcome-x-

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    1. I also have an under the stairs cupboard but wanted something extra for that particular time of year. We live in the sticks a bit and are weather dependent for travel.

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  4. You could also put an amount of money aside every week, make a detailed list and stock up just once before the winter - it could be a winter food /food bank fund/sealed pot - then you would nt have to store all that food and the food you did buy would have a longer shelf life. Also you could buy some frozen peas and spinach( the only frozen veg I think is worth buying; inexpensive and good substitutes for fresh ) at that time that would last over the winter months.

    I would still have to shop for fresh food though out the winter but using a pantry all year round is a really good plan.

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    1. I'm not advocating not shopping for fresh food, simply items to make nutritious warming food. By spreading the cost over the year, it would be useful. We already save for Christmas presents and we would have no problem finding space for an extra 52 items, on top of the food in my extra store cupboard.

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  5. great idea , i would add an emergency box too Candles,lamp oil, torch batteries and matches

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    1. A good idea. We have lots of oil for lamps, plus lots of little candles. Matches and batteries are always needed aren't they?

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  6. I do a Christmas box every year starting around August and putting something in each week which helps with the last shop before Christmas. But a few years ago I started the Christmas box in January, with the hope that I would be able to put enough in it so that I wouldn't have to do the last big shop before the next Christmas but best laid plans etc., my son and his wife hit a tough patch financially around the summer time so it ended up in their cupboards. I started the box off by buying loo rolls, kitchen rolls and under the kitchen sink items plus tinned food with a long shelf life - it's something that I might do again for next xmas because it does all add up and is a big help xx

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    1. I bet they were useful items for your son and daughter in law and they really appreciated them. You can't beat spreading things whether it be food, accommodation or love.

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  7. My mother always had stocks of teabags, sugar, dried milk and jam on a shelf in her bedroom cupboard. Just in case. Never did find out what she was expecting to happen, and I put it down to wartime deprivations!!

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    1. Probably why my MinL had so much in her pantry as well.

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  8. A brilliant idea. Instead of paying in a hamper fund as so many do you can squirrel away some of your favourite foods to see you through Christmas and beyond.

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    1. Hopefully better than a hamper as it should have everything in it you like.

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  9. A great idea, but I think here with my storage, or really a lack of it, most things would just get pushed into the regular on going pantry supplies.

    But I would like a 3 month Jan. through March if I can find a way to store extra .

    I do buy ahead for the town food bank which a local youth group does right before Christmas, so maybe I can add in extra week by week.

    Thank you for the idea.

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