How we build a pantry & home supplies on a budget -

Welcome to my pantry. Let me show you how to build an effective stockpile.
Frugal Queen in France
We are a British couple living in Brittany on a budget.
Frugal recipes, days out, home renovations and day to day making do in France.
We’ll give you hints, tips, advice and an insight into our life in France.
Website www.frugalqueeninfrance.com/
Instagram / frugalqueen. .
Equipment used
Camera : iPhone
Editing : iMovie on a Mac mini
Music:
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Epidemic Sound
Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Artist: audionautix.com/
Some Sound from Zapsplat.com
KZbin Audio Library
Apple iMovie*

[@christinewheeler8274]

The year before my marriage, I took $5 a week and purchased non-perishable & household items every week. Whatever the store had as their loss leader that week. Started my marriage well stocked. Still married 30 years later.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks Christine

[@user-zl4rr1ic7w]

Great idea!

[@patmartin9727]

What a wonderful idea

[@cathyphillips679]

I'm not still married, but I just realized yesterday that the set of dishes that I am using was purchased in 1972.... the year before I was married!

[@dianejay7299]

We started to put things away as soon as we got engaged, making the most of the special offers on tinned goods in the supermarket and buying all the small essential household items. For years I continued to put away free products in a box. When the box was full I would give it to an elderly relative for Christmas or Birthday so that they wouldn't need to go out to the shops in bad weather.

[@carolcurley7840]

I have had a pantry since 1983 which was quite unusual in England at that time. We lived on top of a hill with 7 other houses and we would get snowed in numerous times in winter. Snow drift up to bedroom window sill. I would know by 3.00 pm whether my husband should leave work otherwise he wouldn’t be able to get up the hill. Helicopter drops of feed for livestock were dropped on the land at the back of our house. My pantry kept all of our immediate family of 15 in food and all necessary needs through the pandemic as none of us were able to work. 7 adults and 8 grandchildren. I would not be without my pantry which includes everything you could want.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Me neither, hence why I'm building more

[@trishgibbons8726]

It just shows what a well stocked pantry can do....way to go xx

[@gailnoll]

This video is one of THE MOST IMPORTANT videos you have ever done, especially now a days.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks Gail

[@sallybell6000]

I stopped at a yard sale today and the lady was a big “couponer”. She had bags of five bean mix and split peas for 50 cents each. I bought all she had (8 bags). I considered that my deal of the day.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Nice

[@juststoppingby390]

🎉

[@susanandersonn904]

Totally agree. I am a 72 yr old widow. My freezer is full. Pantry has at least a 3 month supply. Cleaning products and toiletries at least 6 month. The only thing I ever pay full price is some produce.

[@twinkletoes8099]

Love my pantry, have an Ikea cupboard in a dead space in my hallway and I love it. I have it full to the max so only replace what I have taken out and it all gets rotated so nothing goes to waste and I only top up buying the offers. I have a very tall freezer which is filled to the max with all sorts including the meat deals that I have been stocking up on and that freezer must have at least 6 months of food inside. Just after Christmas I was gifted an entire years worth of bodywash, liquid handsoap, hand cream, bubble bath and body cream from my elderly uncles as a thank you for calling them every week and this was all from M&S in my favourite Royal Jelly scent. I was blown away by their kind generosity and chuffed they bought it all in the after Christmas sales so they also saved money in doing so. Keep going everyone, we can and will do this if we do a bit at a time - in the sales and weekly offers.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Nice gift

[@thriftylady1170]

Awesome!❤

[@ellianakan2941]

I really love your channel! Our Greek pantry has flour, legumes, pasta, rice, tomato paste, dried veggies, canned sardines, olive oil, vinegar, spices, sugar, greek coffee and honey. Our cleaning products are pure olive oil flakes for laundry and olive oil bars for everything else. We use it everywhere. It is ridiculously cheap, easy to store as the bars are very small. It's antiseptic, fantastic for hair and skin, for shaving. Perfectly cleans wood, tiles, kitchen utensils. No chemicals, no huge plastic bottles. We also have natural wax and rose water for making cold cream. We use but we don't store toilet paper cause we have a bidet toilet attachment. We try not to be dependent on electricity or oil, we use a wood stove instead of the open fireplace that came with our apartment, and we cook with LPG. If the economy collapses tomorrow, I don't think much would change in our lives. In any case, a well stocked pantry is an excellent idea, but ladies, try to keep it simple.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

I love this

[@jenduck5520]

Bushfires cut us off sometimes too (Australia). This is invaluable.

[@cynthiazimnick5088]

We had a flood last year and were cut off from the world for a week. We never missed a meal. I pulled jars of meats and full meals off the shelf. When I was bedridden a few months ago, having jars in meals helped a lot. Vermont USA

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

That was so well planned

[@thriftylady1170]

Groceries have doubled and sometimes have tripled in price (here in the states) so saving ten percent for stock up is like turning your savings of ten percent into twenty to thirty percent these days.. better than the “stock” market 😉most times!! Much better returns! Thank you for your channel!❤

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@elizabethcoates3024]

While growing up being sent down to the cellar, or to the canning cupboard, or even digging to the back of the canned good cupboard, by my mother, or in summers by my grandmother at my grandparents house, clearly stayed with me. Because at age 62 I am stocking a pantry, filling my canning jars, and in the winter months I am digging through my stores and making meals from my extended pantry. We eat it down quite a bit throughout the winter and spring months, enjoying the cost savings of having gardened, and shopped the sales, and clearance throughout the year. We constantly watch prices and ads, and buy extras of what we use when on sale, just as you do.😊 I have added rolling shelving racks to my utility room to add storage, yep it reduced my floor space, so we made that concession to be able to store my found food treasures(sale, clearance, or bumper crops).

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks Elizabeth

[@janeaquilina6745]

I buy fresh mushrooms, cut them and after I freeze them. You can cook them while frozen. Thank you for your amazing videos

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Great tip!

[@gwenfehr9156]

I do this as well. Same with peppers. I use these two items in cooking, so it doesn’t affect them by freezing.

[@BrittanyLucy]

When we built this house, we decided to save, living space and money, and not have a 'garage' - no one round here keeps their cars in theirs, they're always storage spaces, the cars are all out on the drives anyway! So we have a sort of lean-to area we call the cellier, quite narrow, but with the downstairs loo and washroom, the water ballon and filter system (very limy water here!) , washing machine, small freezer and fridge-freezer, coat-hanging space and really sturdy shelves all along the wall for everything pantry-related. We've some cupboard space in the kitchen, which is part of the one living area, and an under-the-worktop fridge for immediate things, but getting the cellier properly fitted out was a must. Having extra fridge space out there is a boon. Doing a weekly inventory and meal-plan as a couple for the last couple of years has been a life-changer. We 'shop the freezer', save time, money and energy since we know what we're having for dinner every day and shop, waste and spend far less. But also it's really helped our relationship, it's a pleasant shared effort with more cooperation and communication, plus my husband now cooks more! He's a good cook, but was never very good at doing it ad-hoc, whereas now he knows where he is with it, and enjoys it more. So it's a win-win!

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Great!

[@carlienvandernet7902]

Because I don’t want to get out when there is snow outside I always make sure that there is enough in my pantry. I’m a strange eater so I don’t need much. I only eat once a day and it can be warm food or just some bread, just whatever is on hand. There are always tins of fish and veggies, fish and some meat in freezer, some bread that I can bake off, chopped up red bell peppers in the freezer and some fresh bell peppers in the fridge and of course rice and pasta in my pantry. This way I know that I can always make something I like and I don’t have to get out. The only thing is that I have to make sure that I use everything before it goes bad. With eating just once a day I easily overstock.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks

[@simonefeaster5131]

I do not have a huge pantry; I also have neither basement or attic. So, for me, my stockpile has to be smaller. What has really helped me to both budget and stockpile is to take advantage of sales and buy one get one free. I recently got a BOGO on my laundry detergent, so even though I only had space for the two, I still felt like I had accomplished something for my stockpile. We do what we can. Love this video, Jane and Mike!😊

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thank you

[@lauraIngleswilder74]

I don't have those either but I store under my bed

[@Littlewoods_permaculture]

You can do a lot with vertical storage too

[@MelissaPhillips-nj5sb]

Hello Jane. I have an abnormally large pantry. We live 1 hr from regular grocery store and 1.5 hrs from good shopping. We only go in when necessary, like medical appointments, and I shop then, cannot afford fuel just for a shop, so can end up going 6 weeks between shops. Bit of a prepper too so have about 6 months of food. It would definitely get interesting. Normally, I have 3 months of meat in the freezer for meat every day, so I could drop that down to extend that. In the US, we do have the bullion cubes, and i definitely use those, or homemade stock, never buy it, its expensive! We don't get cash back. Our best sales are buy 2 get one free, or buy 4 and get lots off, up to 50%. That's in particularly when I buy tinned beans and veg. I long ago switched to dried beans, but like you, i still keep some tins on hand. Our prices are much higher than yours in general, I don't have regular access to a discount store, but i read that an Aldi will be coming to the 1.5 hr destination!!! That would be great. I have a very reasonably priced veggie man who is in our village 1-3 days per week, and that is what makes this work. Your video's are enjoyable for those of us who like being frugal!

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thank you

[@rosieburns2511]

Your channel has kept me out of debt, into saving and in control of my finances. Building a pantry is something that has eluded me thus far, but this video will definitely change that. Thanks so much.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You can do it!

[@healinginteriors]

@rosieburns2511 Dive in and start small. Soon you may find you love having a stocked pantry. It’s fun once you get the hang of it.

[@ohmcintyre2067]

With a one-person household, I find that I need to be careful not to stockpile too much! My goal is to 1) never run out of essentials, and 2) be prepared for limited weather emergencies that might require eating out of the pantry for a week or two. (I guess I’m fatalistic enough to not even try to prep for some extended apocalyptic event.) My rule of thumb is to have, for everything I consider essential, one opened container and one unopened container - one opened bottle of oil, one unopened; one opened container of pasta, one unopened. For things that I use a lot of, like rice or lentils or flour, I modify my rule so that I always keep at least 5 pounds of each in the house and buy an additional package when I drop below the five pound level. Of course, if I find something for an unbelievably good price, I might buy two back-up items, but more than that is likely to go to waste for me.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You're doing great

[@helenwilkins4337]

My New Year’s resolution was to use 2 freezer meals a week (I’m good at not wasting food but rubbish at using them once they’re frozen) so far I have succeeded. However, I have had to freeze at least 2 meals a week because I kept meal planning and buying the same amount of food. This week and next week I am just using freezer items - the money I have saved is unbelievable

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks

[@loriwidener7342]

I live in a very small cottage with 1 closet and very little storage. Basically 2 10 x 10 rooms. I have things stored behind books in my bookcases and behind my couch.😂 Trying to figure out a spot for a small freezer since all i have now is the one in the refrigerator. Lazy susans have been helpful in hard to reach areas. I'm looking at pull out shelves for inside the cabinets. May not be an option because my vintage (fancy way of saying old) cabinets are not standard sizes. Find taking things out of original packaging saves me some space. I save the production information with the item in case there's a recall or other problem. I find storing fruit in ball jars keeps it fresh longer. I freeze crackers to keep them from going stale. Love the new look of your videos.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You're doing great

[@lindaday4956]

I am a serious pantry preparer. Things are so ridiculously expensive. I shop the loss leaders and digital coupons. We find ourselves living in a time where we need to have a well stocked pantry. Thanks for all your good suggestions!

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

I totally agree!

[@angieprice7206]

Sometimes there are unexpected benefits to stocking up. Friends of mine recently were displaced by a fire and that night I learned the value of simple things like toothbrushes and toothpaste, plus a couple of my mum’s old nighties and a robe I bought at a garage sale.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

It's good to be able to help

[@johnmelissaziech6207]

Good job of covering the many reasons for having a well-supplied pantry. After lots of wild weather, power outages, and a pandemic, my family doesn't make fun of me anymore. (I didn't let it stop me!)

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Great point!

[@julieemig432]

I keep dry milk here in US. It just needs water added. I use it in making yogurt however you could use it for cooking or anything

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Very useful

[@kidzngrandkidz840]

I honestly don’t know how some of us have this mindset of having a well stocked pantry and others shop daily, I feel like I’ve always had the sense to buy “extras” and hunt bargains down, when my children were little I was always buying in the sales for the following year, topping up on things that had a long shelf life came as second nature, I use my garage for non food extras, for example cleaning products, and at present have around six months of dog food stored in there too, I think we just have to get inventive with storage space in our U.K. homes my ottoman bed is home to toilet rolls and other toiletries, I’m just relieved that we are not planning to move any time soon 😂

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

We're planning cupboards in bedrooms when we have saved to incorporate our pantry

[@christinevolante9773]

Hi Jane, this is a very timidly video . We live in Perth Australia (the most remote city in the world ) recently there was flooding on the Nullarbor desert which is our lifeline to the Eastern states. Trucks and rail couldn't get through for quite a while to us so our supermarket shelves suddenly looked bare . If i had a store of food it wouldn't have effected us, ill certainly be starting one now, as with climate change who knows when it will happen more regularly. Thank you for the help in getting started.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You’re welcome. We all eat food, it’s never a waste.

[@Shantelle6253]

I keep an abnormally large pantry in my Campervan 😂 its just me but i have 5 of my 7 cupboards for pantry. I keep 10lbs each rice, bean, lentil, dehydrated hashbrowns, pasta, grits and freeze dried vegetables. Plus a bunch of other shelf stable milks, meats, veg, fruits and 1/2 a cupboard of soups. I never want to leave a pretty spot because I've run out of something.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Love that! Very organized

[@gwenfehr9156]

The four main items I buy the most of for long term stock are flour, rice, pork loins and chicken. When they are on sale I stock up. I have a nice cold basement, which helps to keep the flour longer. There are so many things I can make with these three items. I freeze most of my chicken, but do can some as well. I have a pasta machine, so don’t need to buy pasta, but need the flour. Every two to three years we buy a whole beef, butchered. I have a large garden (actually two). We grow enough vegetables that I don’t need to buy many. I can a lot of tomatoes, as sauce, salsa and just tomatoes. Except for fresh foods like lettuce, milk, cream, cucumber, etc I could probably go a year without the grocery store. Makes me feel good.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

That's great

[@nettie8376]

my shopping habits very like yours, pantry as full as it can be(not done over night). They say you should have 3 months wages in savings, I feel the same about food.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks

[@lindagbukvic9441]

FREE is my favorite number. If it's free, it's for me.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Me too

[@user-ev5cx4xx3x]

You’re talking my language ❤❤

[@melp8616]

This is such excellent advice and guidance. When I started a pantry I remember using recycled jars and filling them with flour, sugar, rice, etc out of the bigger bags for my pantry. I would take one roll of toilet paper and one bar of soap out of the multi pack and put it on my shelf. I only had $10.00 per week for groceries back then but I was determined to have food and supplies put back.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Great tip!

[@justjet]

This week a local store has 27 items for 99 cents each. Tomato sauce, pasta sauce, rice, pasta, toothpaste and deoderant are now on my list!! Our dollar stores are even $1.25 or higher now so this is a great sale. Our Dollar Tree has announced they will be going to $1.50. So I went on their website and ordered a case (12) of raspberry jam, apple & cherry pie filling and bread & butter pickles!! My favorite items there!! Shipping is free with store pick up. Always trying to think ahead, make good choices and stay in budget. Thanks so much for sharing your ideas. Excellent video.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

That's the time to stock up

[@gregsgirl23au]

Enjoyed your video Jane we have a good pantry and overflow pantry my husband built and we love it. We collect points that convert into $ at one of our supermarkets and also we get 10 percent off each month because our phone plans are with them. Yesterday we had $150 built up on our loyalty card and our 10 percent off we got our whole groceries for free 😊😊

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Sounds great!

[@tracyaf6084]

Our pantry saved us when Covid first hit too. I was giving away toilet paper to coworkers who didn’t have any left at home! 😂

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

That was kind of you

[@Duke_of_Prunes]

I live in New Orleans. At the beginning of the epidemic, the news on British television said that they were having a massive toilet paper shortage. So I went to Sam's Club and stocked up! Sure enough, OUR toilet paper shortage began roughly a week afterwards.

[@healinginteriors]

I love having a stocked pantry. It’s I how I grew up and in my blood coming from a long line of farming people. It makes me feel safe and is of course a great way to save money, buying things when they are in sale.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks

[@pamelastucker8335]

I have spent this year eating down some of the stuff I had bought and stocked up on in the past. I’m currently keeping an eye out and buying things on sale to stock back up but always buying a few things each shopping trip to keep a decent stock. We do get weather at times but mainly I just like to have lots of options for meals. I don’t like running to the store for one or two items.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

That is awesome!

[@bbrine3294]

As always, excellent advice to help folks live frugally! I've lived like this pretty much all of my life, as I was taught by my mom and grandma. I was surprised to learn that not everybody did!

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Well said!

[@CreamPuff-ek8fd]

U are so lucky to have stock cubes with no palm oil. I have searched high and low here in Montreal and none are available without palm oil even the expensive organic brands! I make my own because of it but do keep one or 2 ready made broths just in case I don’t have my of my own stock. These can be found without palm oil but they are a bit more expensive than the ones with. Great video on how to build a pantry . Because of our weather during our long winter season with snow and freezing rain I also make sure to have a fully stocked food/ cleaning/ toiletries pantry. Like you I never pay full price for things like tp and soap etc.Hate paying full price for those. Happy that you are getting more and more viewers!

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks so much

[@tikacalifornia7876]

Thank you for your observations and calculations. Here in Northern California, USA, I am unbelievably fortunate to be at the source of much produce that feeds the world. I went to a wholesale produce company and was able to get 40kg of cucumbers to transform into pickles enough to feed us for an entire year. This goes on and on. I am so fortunate to get amazing vegetables all year. Thank you for your information.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Wonderful!

[@catladynj]

Laundry pods don't have a long shelf life. Stock pile liquid or powder. 😊

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Good tip. Liquid or powder is much cheaper .

[@jimsmum1123]

Neither does fabric softener 😕 It goes all funny after a while. I like the Lidl washing powder and powder is suppose to be better for your machine.

[@catladynj]

@@jimsmum1123 thanks for the tip🙂👍👍

[@adoptedscot]

Always get UHT milk and have done so for years. Lidl had a 15% coupon last week so stocked up on it.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

That is awesome!

[@angielay3313]

Absolutely LOVE your videos Jan’s and Mike. I get new ideas as well as affirmation that what I’m already doing is the best practice. Take care from Kentucky,USA. Home of the Derby- the greatest two minutes in sports. 🐎

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks so much

[@veghead5121]

Brilliant video, Jane! I try to stockpile as much food as I can when items are on sale. I used to throw out food that my family wouldn't touch. Now, the less popular fruits and snacks get presented in pretty bowls and served to the family. Most of the time, they eat them with gusto! I think if I do the peeling and chopping for them, it seems more appetizing. 😂 If not, I make a mental note and don't buy that item any longer.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Great idea

[@susannahedwards8230]

With mushrooms your right they go shimmy so fast. I buy on special and slice and dehydrate them and pop them in jars for when I need them. I find it makes the flavour way better as well. For the cost of a bit of power to run the dehydrator it's well worth the effort.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Great idea

[@laurierowan1632]

I can food in summer then can meat when my freezer is full. I have two months not buying food . Then I add to in when I buy food

[@kamicrum4408]

Long ago(30 yesrs agoto be exact,) I lived on californias San Andreas fault line! I learned to keep abot10-14 days worth if easy meals & water,soap ,laundry detergent on hand just in case of a big earthquake!! Ive kept up the oractice ever since!😊

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks for sharing

[@melisia8876]

Great video!!!! I live alone with my cat and have 1 to 3 months of food in my immediate kitchen area (I have my house listed for sale and will be moving so I have been eating down the fridge/freezer/cupboards - but if push came to shove, I would have food to eat). I am saving a large portion of my grocery budget for when I get relocated (I will do a big stock up then) - here in the US prices are so insane - the prices are all over the boards depending on where you live and currently I have very few store options to chose from - one of the many, many reasons I am moving - just too darn expensive and too darn inconvenient (75 miles one way to the nearest larger city - locally the prices are criminal).

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks

[@serenaglister8017]

I also regularly carry out an audit of what’s in my larder and freezer, I find this helps me to stay within my budget when I’m meal planning. Great tip of buying one or two items a week to start building up a stock. Will be doing this from now on, thanks for the advice

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Love that!

[@michellehowell1228]

I've added an overflow pantry in our office closet ...not the most conventional idea..but it works! We also have a small freezer in there..lol Great video! Let's let the ads roll to help out this great channel ❤

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Nice

[@lynnestait8011]

I regularly go through the cupboards stock checking, the one thing I NEVER run out of is ground coffee 🙂 this video has spurred me on to create even more cupboard space, now the weather is changing and the days are lighter

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Glad it was helpful!

[@craftycalley]

I love having a good stock of things because if I go to the shops I spend money. I reckon that I also could live for a month on what I’ve got.

[@Christina-bc2gk]

Hello Jane, thoroughly enjoying your videos. Another thing I have started to do with regard to food storage is to use my dehydrator to process vegetables (either a home grown glut, or reduced-price supermarket bargains). My machine takes just 4 hours to reduce veg to a fraction of their bulk (and costs less than a lightbulb to run). I then store the dried chunks of veg in screw top glass jars, and they keep perfectly for months. They rehydrate easily for soups or casseroles. Mushrooms are especially good dried this way then blitzed in a blender to make mushroom powder, a teaspoon of which makes a fab seasoning.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

That a clever thing to do

[@happydodson6920]

I added large bottles of juice (V8 Juice Pomegranate and Blueberry) to my pantry, thinking that if water was in short supply we would be glad we had this juice in our pantry.

[@lynnoorman2144]

I use my Lidils app when shopping with friends and family. Thus, I get to the £250 through the app. This then entitles you ( in the UK) to a 10% off shop. I have made a list of stuff that we use over a month and buy it in my 10% off shop. So thongs such as a can of corned beef;3 packs of tinned tuna; peanut butter, flour; oats; oil; tinned tomatoes; mayo,; etc. I built my pantry in the same way as Jayne has described.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Nice!

[@picking4profit]

I do a big monthly shop with the Lidl 10% voucher at the beginning of the month spending £200 plus, then I am already almost qualified for the next months 10% voucher and you get free item coupons to use as well

[@susanjones5592]

Thank you for you channel.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Our pleasure!

[@elle7058]

I live in the Midwest of USA. Big agricultural area. Generationally, our family has put food up growing season to growing season. When any crop is ready you put up enough for the year. If you can. Some seasons don’t produce enough. Plus pickle or Make relishes. Etc. summer is a busy time for us. Pantry and freezers get full. My kids are now doing the same as they launch out on their own. I love your channel and the practices so many have lost.

[@marciaclark7619]

I live in the US. We do use bullion cubes here. I have a large container of chicken boullion cubes that contains approximately 227 cubes, that I purchased at a large warehouse store. I usually buy a much smaller container of beef cubes.

[@simplebigskyliving9482]

I needed plumbing supplies to finish my irrigation setup. I had 2 loyalty coupons that I got to use. Took $25 off total on products that don't have sales on them. I checked price per ounce at the store. I saved over $2 a pound on bacon today just for buying 3 pounds all at once. I checked price per square feet for reseeding patchy areas in our lawn from the dog. By the time you factor seed and fertilizer in, I ended up just buying it all together in a mat you roll out, pin, and water in.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Great job!

[@Lebanna2121]

I really liked seeing your clever extra shelf in the laundry and the bathroom cabinet. Also even though in Australia and we dont have coupons I still shop like you do, buying up on specials, shopping around, growing some. I keep chickens. I am good for a year on some things but not all.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@mlu18]

I need to stock my pantry. My toiletries and household products are stocked for the next 6 or 7 months. Thank you for sharing and giving us inspiration.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You are so welcome!

[@belindacopson2390]

My 1930s house still has the original understairs shelved larder. I like to keep it well stocked! Also keep a drawer of spare soaps, toothpaste etc upstairs so we never run out. I aim to always have at least one spare of whatever.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

We work on two is one and one is none

[@mimitadigre4103]

I live in the Southeastern Unites States and hurricane season is 40 days away - we always stock up with food supplies - batteries - water , cash etc . In the past , either we or family members have been without electricity for a week or more . So having a stocked pantry is a must . We pack our freezers with ice before the storm and cook that up first on the barbecue outside - we also pack coolers and put our refrigerated food there -sometimes food spoils no matter how quickly you eat it so we use canned and dry food then - we stock up on water and fill containers and pots with water . But it’s been great to have what we need and just hunker down for the storm and not to have to go out for anything during storm recovery when it’s not safe to be out and about - thanks for you videos !

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Great, do you have generators?

[@mimitadigre4103]

Hello Jane , yes , we have generators and charging banks which we charge up while we still have electricity - I’ve been watching your solar generators with interest - I’d like you to find ones for use in the US .

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

@@mimitadigre4103 all of the brands make them with US sockets

[@mimitadigre4103]

I meant I’d like to find some in the US that are similar - sorry for scriveners error !

[@mimitadigre4103]

Thanks for your reply ! I’ll look up the brands in the US

[@juststoppingby390]

If yiu have Lidl thier dwarf bean seeds and patty pan seeds are brilliant. They are around 1.49euro.a packet and really high germination rate

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Cheers, I'll look into

[@mhoedemaker1697]

Absolutely love this practical, honest and smart video!!!

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks so much

[@caroldaviddaviejohnson2225]

Great video, and such an important one. Having food security is vital, as is a supply of water, either in bottles or better still food safe barrels/cans. We have a good food supply of around 10 months worth, with tall freezers and a chest freezer. I dehydrate, can and vacuum seal foods for longer term storage. As you say, storage space in UK homes isn't ideal, so understairs cupboards fitted with metal racking, empty closets, even behind kitchen kickboards are usable space for extra tinned foods. Building a good supply does take time, but eventually it gets to the point where its just topping things up when shopping as we rotate through our pantry stock. Adding a few items every time you do a shop is a great idea for anyone wanting to build a pantry store.👍

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

That's very impressive for a British family

[@caroldaviddaviejohnson2225]

@@FrugalQueeninFrance thank you Jane! Some of my family think it's odd, yet at the same time will say " if anything happens we're coming to you!". Often, as you know, we see people queue up for hours for bottles of water when mains pipes burst here due to heat or frozen weather, I can't do that with a very poorly husband, to leave him alone for hours is impossible, so try to be as prepared for as many eventualities as possible. Makes perfect sense and adds peace of mind.

[@lynnoorman2144]

Ooh great idea to use the behind the kick boards! I jadnt thought of that!

[@caroldaviddaviejohnson2225]

@@lynnoorman2144 it's surprising just how many cans can fit in there! All my excess soup and tins of beans etc are stashed there. I tend to buy a 12 case of them at a time and just slide them there if the shelves are full. Makes a great hidey hole for things👍

[@lizriveragoldstein3421]

Wonderful video Jane! When I lived in Washington state (US), I had a 3 bedroom house with a 2 car garage and a full size freezer. Two tall metal racks to store my pantry, and a car to do huge hauls from Costco (warehouse). I also shopped at QFC, a Kroger chain. I used to think QFC was too expensive - until I really watched sales and used their fidelity card. I never bought stuff unless it was on sale. I saved 35-45% on every trip. I kept 3-5 frozen brand name pizzas in the freezer, the cost was around 3.50 each. I got a lot of organic food there. I began to notice how often the same products would come back on sale. One week it was toilet paper, another pizza, or something else. They would come back on sale again in a few weeks and I would buy just enough to get to the next sale. Now I live in Paris, I have a tiny kitchen and a petite pantry in a hall closet. I also bought a full sized "American" refrigerator, which is too big for the kitchen. It's in my living room! But the best savings seem to be when you buy two of the same items. My first appartement was too small for two of anything. Thank you for helping me learn how to shop in France so that I can afford to live here.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks so much. Enjoy Paris

[@alyxayto8800]

I shop once a month and keep on budget. I might do a little top up shop once or twice- generally just milk bread, tomatoes and bananas. I don't have a larder, but make do with cans etc in a low blanket box repurposed from one of the bedrooms. Which I can sit on. I have a large freezer so prep any veg as soon as I get it for the freezer so roast dinners are easy peasy. Don't use much meat. Tinned fish is plentiful though. My stock dwindles towards the end of the four weeks but I know from my menu plan what I have used. So before I send in my tesco click and collect order I just do a quick tot up to make sure that I have enough to make enough dinners ie, 4 people x 31 days ....

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks for sharing

[@thethriftycitizen]

I buy the 25kilo bag of sugar (once a year) from the farm store or when the regular store has them. Its about 27-30€ a bag. I have a food grade bucket with lid and much cheaper than buying each 1kg bag separately. My coworkers laugh at me (we work at a grocery store). Every summer we run out sugar during the summer months here in Slovenia. Noone is laughing at me during summer! I have sugar and others are crying there is no sugar or the don't want to pay for the expensive brand! For me and we have the storage space, its cheaper to buy the bulk bag.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You're right

[@carolinehayes3212]

great vlog i have a pantry that is adequate for our needs and our storage and family makes me feel secure but like u said after a month meals may be quiet strange 😂😂

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Roast tinned potatoes with tuna and tinned peas

[@user-sk2jn5nv9y]

Did you know that a full freezer uses less energy? You can fill old milk cartons with water, and freeze. Just remove them as you fill the space with food

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Yes I do, my empty drawers are filled with frozen water bottles

[@lindajacquot5391]

Great video, Jane and Mike. I have a one year supply of freeze dried food and easily a six month supply of canned and dry foods, including condiments, etc.. I also have a small chest freezer wth mostly meat in it.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Sounds great!

[@marielussier6347]

I had no problems with managing to get the pantry created, but, managing it so that food doesn't go beyond date has been an issue.

[@josephinesage8301]

Excellent Jane

[@annmcnitt8749]

Thank you, Jane! It's lovely to see you again!

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks for your reply

[@lovechangesus]

Love catching these lives😊

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks for coming

[@hectorbrown656]

This was a really good video, thank you .

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@leedezern6862]

Love this video. Full of good information 😃

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Glad to hear that

[@tildars]

Like the top and scarf❤ Thsnkyou for the encouraging video.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You are so welcome!

[@user-tm5kc8oq4y]

Thank you for a very good video on this. Thank you Jane Mike and so cute Puppies.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks for watching

[@user-hd8if7ki2k]

Excellent video Jane and Michael! Important information. Thank you

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Our pleasure!

[@andrea_w13]

I have a pantry and also stock up at sales. I like and need the security aspect of it.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks Andrew

[@jp348]

Hi Jane and Mike, isn't it a minefield trying to stick to a budget when it comes to groceries and household items. I've often thought of doing a rolling fortnightly menu but due to my son having food anxiety due to having a recent anaphylaxis attack and nearly dying its rather difficult. I remember my late mum in the 1970s giving us repetitive meals and us kids moaning, mum used to say it's filling and nutritious and it's what dad and I can afford. I never really understood it as a child but I certainly do as an adult. All we can do is our best. We take life day by day and we deal with the ups and downs, we can only do our best and cope with what we are given. Kind regards Angeline 🤗 xx

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks Angeline for sharing your thoughts on this

[@razsbags]

We get roads cut off in floods or bushfires. Milk & bread goes first off the shlves, then fresh vegetables, then supermarket shelves in Australia. Even growing herbs & shallots helps. No built in cupboards so have pared down crockery to make room for tins & packets. Upright freezer acts as a cupboard too. About to make soups & stews for Autumn here. Only shop about every twelve weeks with top ups locally for basics as delivery is free over a certain amount spend. Intending to make damper, bread, rice, potato, pasta & legume meals.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You do get some wild weather

[@lisadawson2652]

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾this was my first time stopping by and I’m sooooo glad I did I’ve never thought of not spending a whole month but I will definitely do that I will have to start by skipping 1 weeks shopping until I get up to 4 weeks but I know my family and I can do it thanks for all of the tips and advice ❤🇺🇸

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You are so welcome

[@juststoppingby390]

Ooooo this looks good!!!!

[@shelbygreen3404]

Thanks

[@janetsmith3976]

I really enjoyed this video. After watching this I went through my own pantry and I, too, think I could easily survive for a month without shopping. Now to try it and see. I will let you know. Thank you so much.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You are so welcome!

[@cindiblazer8621]

If people can have food storage, it is really cost effective. There has been little on offer. I have been feeding from our pantry and freezer for a month. I try to keep several months ahead. For our evening meal its meat, veg, and a salad primarily.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

I totally agree!

[@sheilabus5475]

Good time of the year to pare down and build up again with the new growing season coming up. I like the powdered bouillion better than the cubes if I do not have homemade broth to use.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You and me both!

[@user-bn5gb6tl2l]

Absolutely couldn't stop watching this. So much great information, i need to write it all down. Need to now go round my house to see if i have any hidden spaces. Thank you both for taking soo much time to share this. Much appreciated ❤❤ Tamsie

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Glad it was helpful!

[@user-bn5gb6tl2l]

Thank you so much for replying 😊

[@susanbrooks-pr5ww]

Enjoy your channel, I do shop differently though. Daily, freshly, almost like my grandma did many years ago. Still eat foods based on offers, seasonal, own brands and can make anything from almost nothing. Stretch foods out and love to bake. Frugal, just a bit different but have no pantry in an emergency so this is a good lesson for me x

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@missmerrily4830]

Really great to be able to accumulate grocery savings on a loyalty card as then there is a real sense of having saved when you get a haul that big for free! In my supermarket I get automatic savings at the checkout with my loyalty card, which is nice, and maybe you would get, maybe, one or two items cheaply, each visit, it's not as tangible as seeing a table top full of your savings, so I envy you that system. But it's also good to stock up slowly over weeks or months too. I'm one of those living in a tiny apartment I have to be realistic about how much I can actually store, but having lived in a country which was in danger of hurricanes in the summer, it's a long-term habit to plan for emergencies. Times are uncertain and unstable and we should never be complacent. And of course it's much easier to be frugal if visits to supermarkets are fewer. As always Jane, sage advice well worth following! 👍

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks for your feedback

[@sophiawolthof1238]

👍👍👍

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks

[@nancyinboise2160]

We converted our spare bedroom closet into a pantry by taking out the rods and adding some strong shelves. I've added a huge amount of food over the last several years getting things on sale etcetera. I also do canning so I bought a metal rack that is in the same bedroom for my canned fruits and extra things like large bags of flour and sugar for baking. We get really great deals at Costco in the US for things like grains, etc. I have also bought some small amounts of freeze-dried foods that will keep for a long time

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks

[@juststoppingby390]

I really like the idea of using our vouchers. In my country i get vouchers every couple.of months from the supermarket. Its only about 4 to 6 euro bit the vouchers last about six months. If i use or save these up and assign then just to pantry. That will soon add up!!

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks for your feedback

[@marykeen4462]

Great job. We don't have 34% off here in the U.S. in fact I have never seen that, but we are dealing with really outrageous prices. I have always done what I call loss leaders on advertised items and some items I use but I notice some items are cheapish items and sugary items that I do not buy normally. This was a great video. Thank you.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks

[@wyldlibrarian3549]

hello wonderful people ! As always a quality thought provoking video. Sorry if I missed this or not - do you have a system to keep track of Use By dates (thats what we call them in aust) or Best Before dates ? Also on the frozen goods, do you keep a chart of how long things can be stored in the freezer ? Fascinating to see your organised brains at work !

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

I just look, one cupboard and one freezer

[@gladyschandler6724]

I bought a case of almond milk at our warehouse Costco.

[@r.p.9829]

Yes here in the united states we can get broth ready made, cubes like you showed, bouillon in powder form or a paste now called better than bouillon...

[@jennyeagan1840]

Have the paste, the small jar of the vegetable version of 'Better Than Boullian'. Lots of salt, I think, to be used as a preservative. Not cheap. Better value might be in the repurposing of the jars for something like leftovers.

[@carollamery3752]

Thank you so very much for such a detailed explanation of how you approach stocking up. I learned much to apply to my own shopping,such as developing a well thought out plan of what to stock and when. We live in a very old home with huge closets in our front room,I turned the largest into our back pantry,and added shelving.that with an extra freezer has helped tremendously in stocking up.thank you again for your wonderful videos!❤

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Glad it was helpful!