How to Rotate Your Stockpile: So That You Use Items Before They Expire
If you have a stockpile filled with all of the pantry items you buy on sale throughout the year, chances are you need to keep it rotated. Keeping your stockpile rotated is necessary because it keeps your stockpile in an organized fashion that best allows you to use it all. It keeps shorter dated products in the front, and longer dated items in the back. This way, you are using the items before they expire and nothing is going to waste. If you have been wanting to rotate your stockpile in a way that is more efficient but were not sure how to do so, take a look below!
How to Rotate Your Stockpile:
1. Make note of all of the expiration dates.
Go through the products and make note of the expiration dates. Use a marker to write on each product the month and year it expires. This way in the future you are not looking for the dates and can save time.
2. Organize your products.
Now using those dates, organize your products on the shelves. Put the items that don’t expire for at least a year towards the back, those that expire in a few months to the center, and those that expire even sooner to the front.
3. Mark soon to expire items.
Make a star on items that are soon to expire in the next 60 days or so. This way when you are menu planning you can try to use the products that are marked. A big star is a great visual key to help you stay organized and use those items before they go bad.
4. Discard expired items.
Once a month, go through and discard any items that have expired. This will keep your stockpile neat. Hopefully after using the tips above, there will be very little waste to discard.
5. Use the old before the new.
Try to remember when you by new items to add to your stockpile or freezer not to use those right away. Use the items you already have first. By doing this you will keep the dates rotating and not have any items wasted.
There you have it! You are just four steps away from rotating your stockpile and keeping it more efficient and organized. Give it a try and see what a difference these tips can make.
