Having an organized and easily accessible pantry is the best way to keep track of what you have on hand and what you need to restock. Being able to see at a glance what you have available to eat or cook makes mealtime all that much easier. Here are a few ideas to get your pantry organized quickly and inexpensively.

Blank Slate
Before being able to effectively organize you must remove everything from your pantry. Throw away items that are expired, wipe down shelves and begin sorting what you have. Come up with a plan that works for you and your family based on your needs. Eliminate as many boxes as possible, especially with individually wrapped items.

Storage Containers
You could go out and spend hundreds of dollars on storage containers, or you could re-purpose snack containers and sturdy boxes. Just make sure to label them so items can be found and put away easily. Sort similar items into categories and place them in the labeled containers. One great way to see what you have at a glance is to place items in clear or glass dispensers or bins. Sort and store items by frequency of use and by who will be using them.

Make use of all Available Space
If there is room along the sides or on the door place a clear sponge holder for your small packets of gravy, seasonings and drink mixes. If there is space available on your shelves, store your cans at varying heights so that your inventory is easily viewed. Also, you can add hooks or over the door storage to make use of space and to keep smaller items organized and out of the way.

Keep it Organized
Once you have finalized all the details of your newly organized pantry be sure to keep it up. Taking the time and effort to remove everything, sort and organize will be lost if things begin to be tossed in with abandon. Take 5 minutes each grocery trip to go through your pantry and tidy it up so that you may continue to enjoy its clean appearance.