Bulk Storage

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I am very fortunate to have plenty of storage in our home – wardrobes in each bedroom, walk-in corner pantry, several large drawers in the kitchen as well as underbench cupboards plus a tall cupboard in the laundry.

As if that was not enough, I seized the opportunity to have another cupboard near the foot of the internal staircase.  This space had housed the hot water system but became vacant when we installed a solar hot water service not long after we bought the house.  Fast forward a few years and we were having renovations done to the bathroom and kitchen so I asked the cabinetmaker to create a built-in storage cupboard in the empty alcove opposite the foot of the stairs.

Today I was reminded of just how useful this space has proved to be over the years.  I took everything out and cleaned it thoroughly before sorting and re-arranging the contents.  The majority of the space houses the buckets which I use to store the bulk quantities of dry goods.  They are certainly not all full but it is great to have the opportunity to store the excess.

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When it was built the shelves were intentionally spaced to allow 2 buckets to be stacked on top of each other.  The lowest shelf is high enough to allow the camping refrigerator to be stored on the floor.

A couple of simple doors keep this all of out sight.

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It does not take a lot of space to create some really useful storage.

Christmas Preparations – A Shopping List

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I have a deep-seated aversion to grocery shopping so I do it as rarely as possible.  I particularly dislike the madness that reigns in the lead-up to Christmas and other holiday periods.

I need to restock some of my bulk stores plus buy a few special things for Christmas so I will be going to Simply Good and Aldi on my way home from work on Friday.  I always shop with a list as it helps me to buy only what I actually need and also ensures that nothing gets overlooked.  This is particularly important as it is an 80km round trip to Simply Good from home.

I have checked the stocks, including the bulk buckets that are in the cupboard downstairs.

My shopping list will look something like this:

SIMPLY GOOD

Rolled oats
Wholemeal plain flour
Puffed rice
Sultanas
Raisins
Glace cherries **
Psyllium husk
Pepitas
Sunflower seeds
Coconut
Prunes
Bran flakes
Icing sugar
Cornflour
Cashew nuts

ALDI

Cheese
Corn chips
Butter
Turkish bread rolls
Milk
Ice-cream
Juice
Cat food
Toothpaste
Canned tomatoes
Chocolate **
Fancy savoury biscuits **

The items marked ** are special for Christmas but everything else is part of our normal shopping.

I aim to not have to go to Simply Good until early March if my calculations of quantities are correct.  I only go every few months now but my aim next year is to actually quantify it and go once per quarter – March, June, September and December.

I will probably go to Aldi once more before Christmas for more cheese, milk and juice.

There should be enough meat to last until early in the New Year and fruit and vegetables are usually bought every 7 – 10 days to supplement whatever is growing in the garden.

What are your Christmas shopping plans?